Month: March 2023

We scouted “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and can confirm that it’s a veritable treasure

We scouted “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and can confirm that it’s a veritable treasure

Published by Sam Flores

Past cinematic exploits marching under the “Dungeon & Dragons” name have made plenty of us hesitant to trust any stirrings of excitement related to “Dungeon & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.” Veterans seem to be the most adamant skeptics. They have their justifications – namely, three of them, all of which fly the “Dungeons & Dragons” banner. Younglings may not fully comprehend the apprehension, and that’s understandable. To those gamers, Dungeons & Dragons has always been acceptable. Between the celebrity endorsements and its “Stranger Things” mainstreaming, people take the brand’s relatively recent broad appeal for granted. This forgets the high fantasy wasteland that came before Peter Jackson’s 2001 adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Fellowship of the Ring.” One year before the release of “Fellowship” its distributor, New Line Cinema, put its name behind another sword and sorcery adaptation that Salon’s executive editor Andrew O’Hehir, in his previous life as this site’s movie critic, condemned with, “This fantasy crap, fake-o effects and all, betrays princes of dice, masters of graph and wielders of bong.” The first “Dungeons & …

Best Keratosis Pilaris Treatments in 2026 for Smooth, Bump-Free Skin

Best Keratosis Pilaris Treatments in 2026 for Smooth, Bump-Free Skin

Published by Sam Flores

If you’re struggling with rough and bumpy skin from keratosis pilaris, you’re not alone: The skin condition affects about 50% to 80% of teenagers and 40% of adults at some point in their lives, according to the Cleveland Clinic. It’s so common, in fact, that most dermatologists don’t consider keratosis pilaris — often referred to simply as “KP” — a condition or disease at all. Although keratosis pilaris is a chronic condition with no known cure, experts recommend using over-the-counter treatments to help in treating roughness, dryness and bumps. I spoke to dermatologists about what causes keratosis pilaris and what ingredients to look for when treating symptoms. I also rounded up some of our experts’ favorite products to keep KP under control. Want more from NBC Select? Sign up for our newsletter, The Selection, and shop smarter. Best keratosis pilaris treatments Listed below are products recommended by dermatologists to treat KP symptoms. NBC Select editors have also tried many of the below treatments for KP bumps and dry, itchy skin. Best overall lotion Consistency: lotion | Fragrance-free: yes | Key ingredients: salicylic acid, lactic acid, ceramides, …

The best bagel shops in Los Angeles

The best bagel shops in Los Angeles

Published by Sam Flores

A bagel renaissance is boiling over in Los Angeles. For years now, local bagel makers have been perfecting recipes and styles. While at first these bakers sought to replicate the nostalgia of New York- and Montreal-style bagels, regional styles have since emerged. Often, the toppings highlight seasonal produce, and the bagels themselves are airier, with crispy and chewy crusts. Some of the best bagel shops in L.A. are standing out by taking extra time to let their dough rise naturally. It’s been five years since Arielle Skye and her husband Chris Moss opened Courage Bagels in a former panaderia in Virgil Village, but customers still line up daily, rain or shine. Now, the perennially popular shop is far from an outlier, and you can find noteworthy bagels in just about every L.A. neighborhood. In Highland Park, Mustard’s Bagels pop-up is selling out of its 72-hour-fermented sourdough bagels — sold loose, in bulk or as open-faced sandwiches topped with house-cured Nova lox or miso-scallion schmear — nearly every weekend. Santa Monica bakery Jyan Isaac Bread supplies …

“I’m not a victim, baby”: Chris Rock delivers an incendiary counterpunch to infamous Oscars slap

“I’m not a victim, baby”: Chris Rock delivers an incendiary counterpunch to infamous Oscars slap

Published by Sam Flores

“You know, anybody who says words hurt has never been punched in the face.” That is how Chris Rock opens his live Netflix special “Selective Outrage.” Strategically, he waits until the end of his set to land his knockout blows, the reasons the service gambled people would watch. But it took a while to get to it. Segueing from a bit where he praises Beyoncé’s beauty while making it clear he wasn’t disrespecting Jay-Z – “I do not need another rapper mad at me. . . . I do not need the smoke!” – he opens his examination of last year’s Oscars slap by pointing out the size difference between him and Will Smith. “First of all, I know you can’t tell on camera, but Will Smith is significantly bigger than me. We are not the same size, OK? We are not – this guy does movies with his shirt off! You’ve never seen me do a movie with my shirt off. If I’m in a movie getting open heart surgery, I got on a sweater,” Rock …