The Pi Zero 2 W uses a BCM2835 Arm v7 Quad Core Arm Cortex A53 processor which can reach speeds up to 1GHz. Despite the beefy CPU, it only has 512MB of LPDDR2 SDRAM which may seem a bit limiting. It has a 40-pin, GPIO header that arrives unsoldered like its predecessors.

It offers both 2.4GHz WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.1 support but also has the usual selection of ports including one mini HDMI input and two micro USB ports (one used for power with the other reserved for data via USB 2.0). Users can also take advantage of a CSI-2 camera connector. Like previous models, the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W accepts 5V for power.

Overall the new board offers plenty to consider itself an upgrade but it’s not a huge leap away from what we’re used to with the Pi Zero line. If you have an old Pi Zero case lying around, it will fit the new Pi Zero 2 W. If you have a Pi Zero project lying around, the Pi Zero 2 W will likely provide a noticeable performance boost—as long as you avoid overloading the 512MB of RAM.

To get a closer look at the new Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W, check out the full product brief provided by the Raspberry Pi Foundation and be sure to check back with us for our full review.

According to founder Eben Upton, supplies are limited and getting your hands on one may be difficult over the next nine months. At the moment, Pi Zero 2 W boards are available for preorder through websites like Canakit and PiShop.us with plans to ship by early November.

The first step is to open Google Lens. If you have Google Assistant installed and have given it permission to record your voice, just activate it as normal and tell it to open Google Lens. Otherwise, find Google Lens in your apps and open it from there (some android phones also come with a small Google Lens” icon built into the native camera app which, once tapped, automatically opens Google Lens from within the camera).

• Now, point your camera at the text you want copied.
• At the bottom of the screen you should see several options. Tap “Text” to switch to text capture mode.
• The camera will now automatically highlight any text your camera is pointing at.
• Tap the big document icon in the middle bottom of the screen and the highlighted text will be captured.
• Now tap “Select All.”
• You can now tap “Copy text” to copy all the highlighted text. It’s then easy to open up your favorite note-taking application and paste! Make sure to manually check for errors because Google Lens isn’t infallible.

You can also copy your content directly to a linked computer running the latest version of Google Chrome. Note that you will also need to be signed into your Google Account.

• Follow the previous directions to capture text with your phone’s camera.
• Instead of tapping “Copy Text,” swipe the list to the left — you should see an option labeled “Copy to Computer.”
• Send to the device of your choosing.
• Open Google Documents on the device you sent the text to.
• Navigate to the “Edit” tab.
• Select “Paste,” and the copied text from your phone will automatically paste over!

Finally, you can also search the web directly through Google Lens via this text capture function.

• Follow the above instructions to capture text using your phone’s camera and Google Lens.
• Instead of “Copy Text,” select and tap “Search.”
• This will automatically search the Internet for an example of text that matches what you copied! (Note that Google limits this search to 32 words, but that should be more than enough to find some matches!)

Rarity: Uncommon

Pillager outposts are a set of structures inhabited by pillagers. Both regular pillagers and pillager captains, totally eight, spawn continuously around the watchtower structure. Other structures that may spawn are cages (some with an iron golem inside), a pile of logs, target scarecrows, and tents.

How do I find a pillager outpost?

Outposts are rarer than villages, but less rare than woodland mansions. They can generate in any village-generating biome, such as plains, savanna, or taiga biomes. Pillager outposts won’t spawn close to, or within, villages. Only pillagers and passive mobs will spawn within a pillager outpost spawn area. Players can pacify an outpost by removing all grass or sand blocks surrounding the outpost, and by properly lighting the area as they normally would to prevent enemy mob spawns.

In the 1.18 update, pillager outposts will be able to generate in mountain grove, snowy slopes, lofty peaks, snow capped peaks, and stony peaks.

Rarity: Uncommon

The giant tree taiga encompasses four different variants: giant tree taiga, giant tree taiga hills, giant spruce taiga, and giant spruce taiga hills. Rather than aligning with a colder climate of the normal taiga biome, these four biomes are more like a colder counterpart of the jungle biomes. They are usually generated so that they border dark forests, taigas, and sometimes snowy biomes. Rather than grass blocks, the giant taigas have podzol and coarse dirt. Spruce trees are much larger in these biomes as well. Forest rocks, a structure made of mossy cobblestone, generate in all four variants.

In the upcoming 1.18 update, the following changes will be made:

• Giant tree taiga will be named old growth pine taiga
• Giant spruce taiga will be named old growth spruce taiga
• The giant tree taiga hills and giant spruce taiga hills biomes have been removed.

Rarity: Uncommon

There are two variations of this biome: gravelly mountains+ and windswept gravelly hills (as of 1.18). Both biomes feature gravel that replaces most grass blocks and fewer trees. Digging upwards in this biome is hazardous, as top layers of gravel can drop and suffocate the player. Both gravelly mountains+ and windswept gravelly hills can be found near mountain biomes or as a border between desert and snowy biomes.

Rarity: Uncommon

The panda is a rare neutral mob. Pandas can spawn with seven different personalities, the brown panda being the rarest of them all. The brown panda has no difference in personality actions, but have brown and white fur and a frowning face.

How do I find a brown panda?

Pandas will only spawn in groups of 1-2 within the jungle biomes. They spawn with a randomized personality, normal being the most common. You can try and breed pandas to spawn the brown variant, but note that pandas are the only animal in Minecraft to have extra breeding conditions. There must be at least eight bamboo blocks within a five-block radius of both pandas.

Each panda has hidden values, called genes, which determine what personality the panda offspring will have. Weak and brown personalities are recessive traits, which means in order to have a brown offspring, both panda parents must either be brown or weak personalities. There is also a 3% chance for each gene of the baby panda to mutate, and a 12.5% chance of that for the mutated gene to be the brown variant.

Rarity: Rare

The eroded badlands features formations of hoodoos, narrow spires made of terracotta. This biome is meant to resemble the Bryce Canyon in Utah, USA. Eroded badlands is present in 40% of the badlands biomes. Exposed mineshafts will naturally spawn in this biome as well.

Rarity: Rare

The ice spikes biome features many packed ice spikes across a snowy landscape. All grass blocks are replaced with snow, and glaciers of packed ice generate instead of lakes. There are two sizes of spikes in this biome: a short, wide spike, and a tall, thin spike. While no buildings or trees generate in the ice spikes biome, polar bears, rabbits, and strays will spawn. The terrain of ice spikes is more erratic and taller than that of the snowy mountains.

Rarity: Rare

The shattered savanna plateau is similar to the shattered savanna (as of 1.18 known as Windswept Savanna), except it has less dangerous heights and does not have any large lakes. The shattered savanna plateau features steep mountains, cliffs, and overhangs. You can find shattered savanna plateaus near the savanna and windswept savanna biomes.

As of the latest snapshot, the shattered savanna plateau biome will be removed in 1.18.

Rarity: Rare, 75% chance

Jungle temples, also known as jungle pyramids, are structures made of cobblestone, mossy cobblestone, and vines. They have three floors, including a puzzle and tripwire traps.

How do I find a jungle temple?

Jungle pyramids only generate in the jungle, bamboo jungle (JE only), and their hill variants. There is a 25% chance a jungle biome will generate without a pyramid. The jungle hills and bamboo jungle hills biomes will be removed in the 1.18 update.

Rarity: Rare

The swamp hills variant is a hilly terrain that rises up between the flat marshes of the swamp biome. Some parts of the swamp hills biome sometimes have gravel floor instead of dirt. Swamp huts don’t generate in this biome (except in Bedrock Edition), nor do slimes. Swamps are usually generated beside other lush biomes, such as forests or plains.

As of the latest snapshot, the swamp hills biome will be removed in 1.18.

Rarity: Rare, 1 per 32×32 chunk area

Ocean monuments are underwater structures inhabited by guardians and elder guardians. Constructed by variants of the prismarine blocks and lit by sea lanterns, they’re the only place where sponges can be found. Water generates within the monument as part of the structure. Monuments are also the largest structure that doesn’t contain a loot chest.

How do I find an ocean monument?

Ocean monuments spawn in two locations. The first is a deep ocean biome variant within a 16 block square. The second is within an aquatic biome, such as a frozen ocean, within a 29 block square radius. Ocean monuments always contain three elder guardians, but don’t always generate sponge rooms.

Rarity: Rare, 1.89% chance

A geode is an underground structure containing smooth basalt, calcite, and amethyst blocks/items. An amethyst geode consists of three layers:

• Outer layer of smooth basalt
• Middle layer of calcite
• Hollow layer of amethyst and budding amethyst blocks

How do I find a geode?

Amethyst geodes spawn in any Overworld biome between Y-coordinates 0 to 70 or -64 to 30. There is a 95% chance of a geode generating with a crack that exposes its inside. However, caves, aquifers, and canyons cannot cut into geodes. They can also override caverns and mineshafts.

Rarity: Rare

One of the most famous and rarest biomes in Minecraft, the mushroom fields biome consist of both flat landscape and steep hills. They have a surface layer of mycelium above grass blocks. Brown and red mushrooms cover this biome that is usually generated as an island (or set of islands). Besides swamps and dark forests, it’s the only other biome that spawns huge mushrooms naturally. Mushroom fields are also the only biome where mooshrooms naturally spawn. Because only mooshrooms and bats naturally spawn in this biome, mineshafts, caves, and other dark areas are generally safe.

Rarity: Rare, 1.56% chance

The fossil is a skeletal structure that is composed of bone blocks, coal ore, or diamond ore. This is not to be confused with the Nether fossils that spawn in soul sand valleys. There are four variants: pure-bone block fossil, incomplete fossil, coal ore fossil, and diamond ore fossil. Each have their own characteristics and spawn generation.

How do I find a fossil?

Fossils spawn underground in the Overworld biomes of deserts, swamps, and their variants. There is a 1/64 chance for a chunk to generate a fossil in a variant of a skull or spine. Fossils generate between the Y-coordinates of 40 to 49.

Rarity: Rare, 0.75-2.25% depending on difficulty

A skeleton horse is an undead variant of the horse mob. They can be ridden as any other horse and are one of the fastest means of transportation in Minecraft. They can jump up to five blocks heights and be ridden in water of any depth.

How do I find a skeleton horse?

There are two ways to find a skeleton horse. They naturally spawn either by chance (which varies depending on world difficulty) or by lightning striking the ground during a thunderstorm. Players cannot force a skeleton horse to spawn with a trident enchanted with Channeling.

Rarity: Rare

Igloos are naturally generated structures made primarily out of snow blocks. An igloo has a carpeted interior containing a bed, furnace, and crafting table. In 50% of spawned igloos, there’s a trapdoor which leads to a basement. Within the basement is a brewing stand, cauldron, chest, and two cages with a villager and zombie villager.

How do I find an igloo?

Igloos only spawn in the snowy tundra, snowy taiga, and snow slopes biomes. They’re identifiable by their round shape and ice block windows.

Rarity: Rare

Also known as swamp huts, witch huts are small square buildings made of spruce and oak wood. Inside a swamp hut, a witch and black cat will spawn. There is also an empty cauldron (JE only), a crafting table, and a red mushroom inside a flower pot.

How do I find a witch hut?

Huts will only spawn in the swamp biome. In Bedrock Edition, they can spawn in the swamp hills. At times vines and mushrooms may spawn in front or within the witch hut, respectively.

Rarity: Rare, 0.164% chance

Sheep are a common passive mob that supplies wool and mutton. While most sheep are white, there is a chance for the rare pink sheep to spawn naturally.

How do I find a pink sheep?

While you can die a sheep’s wool any color, there’s a 0.164% chance of a pink sheep to spawn naturally in the world. Sheep spawn on any grass block with at least two block spaces above them.

Rarity: Very Rare, 0.083% chance

The axolotl is a passive aquatic mob that attacks most other underwater mobs, except dolphins, turtles, and other axolotls. They are passive toward players and can be attached to leads. They also give Regeneration I for 5 seconds in a fight, up to a duration of 2 minutes‌ (JE only), and remove Mining Fatigue when a player kills a mob that is in combat with an axolotl. If an axolotl takes damage underwater, it may play dead, dropping to the ground for 10 seconds while gaining Regeneration I. On land, axolotls move toward the nearest water source because they die outside of water after 5 minutes.

How do I find an axolotl?

In 1.17, axolotls spawn below sea level (Y=63), in total darkness, and where there is an Overworld base stone (stone, deepslate, andesite, etc.) less than five blocks below. In 1.18, axolotls spawn underwater in the lush caves biomes and when there is a clay block less than five blocks below. There is a 0.083% chance of a blue axolotl resulting from breeding, making it the rarest color mutation of the mob.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

Similar to the taiga mountains, the snowy taiga mountains reach high elevations with steeper terrains than the snowy taiga hills. No structures or buildings generate here, but you can find tall spruce trees, sweet berry bushes, and it has the same mobs as its snowy taigas counterpart.

As of the latest snapshot, the snowy taiga mountains biome will be removed in 1.18.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

The modified badlands plateau features smaller plateaus and harsher terrain than the Badlands Plateau. This biome mimics large plateaus that have weathered more over time. There is about a 20% chance of this biome generating beside a badlands biome. There is a 98% chance of this biome having the eroded badlands bordering its edges.

As of the latest snapshot, the modified badlands plateau biome will be removed in 1.18.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

Ancient debris is a rare ore that is the main source of netherite scraps. It has a high blast resistance, making it immune to most explosions and non-flammable.

How do I find ancient debris?

Generating only in the Nether, ancient debris spawns in groups of 1-3, and only up to two groups per chunk. It can only be mined by a diamond pickaxe or better. It is most commonly found in y-levels 13-17 and can replace netherrack, basalt, and blackstone.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

The woodland mansion is a large, three floor, structure where vindicators and evokers spawn. It’s one of the few places where a totem of undying can be obtained, aside from raids. The layout of rooms is randomly generated, meaning each woodland mansion is unique. Some rooms have sealed entrances, while secret rooms have no entrance at all. Below is a list of the secret rooms possible:

• “X” room (common)
• spider room
• fake end portal room
• obsidian room
• birch pillar room
• clean chest room
• lava room (rarest)
• attic room

How do I find a woodland mansion?

The woodland mansion is the rarest generated structure in Minecraft so finding it is time-consuming. Mansions will only spawn in the dark forest and dark forest hills. They usually generate thousands of blocks from the spawn point. Woodland mansions can be located with woodland explorer maps, which are obtained from cartographer villagers.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

A brown mooshroom is a brown variant of the regular mooshroom. As the name implies, they are cows covered in mushrooms. When fed a small flower, the brown mooshroom can be milked for a suspicious stew related to that small flower. The mooshroom returns to producing mushroom stew until fed another small flower. Each suspicious stew will have a different effect depending on the flower used. For example, the wither rose will produce a stew with wither effect, while the cornflower will give a jump boosting stew.

How do I find a brown mooshroom?

Brown mooshrooms will not spawn naturally. They are created under a very specific set of circumstances. When a red mooshroom is struck by lightning, they are transformed into a brown mooshroom. Mooshrooms only spawn in the rare mushroom fields biome. Breeding two red mooshrooms has a 0.097% chance of spawning a brown baby variant. While breeding a red and brown mooshroom together has a 50% chance of spawning a brown baby variant.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

The modified jungle edge generates in strict conditions. When a jungle biome and swamp hills biome border each other, the modified jungle edge generates to act as a transition. Considering how rare the jungle and swamp hills biomes are rare, this makes the modified jungle edge biome the rarest in the game, so far. The largest length that the modified jungle edge will generate in is a few hundred blocks, sometimes generating as low as ten blocks in length.

Ocelots, parrots, and pandas may spawn in this biome, though no structures or buildings will generate. For perspective, the mushroom fields biome covers around 0.056% of the Overworld, while the modified jungle edge only covers about 0.00027%.

As of the latest snapshot, the modified jungle edge biome will be removed in 1.18.

Rarity: Extremely Rare

The emerald ore is a mineral block that drops emeralds or itself when mined with an iron pickaxe (or better). Deepslate emerald ore is a variant that can be found in deepslate and tuff blobs.

How do I find emerald ore?

Emerald ore only spawns in mountains biomes and can replace stone, tuff, and deepslate. In 1.17 and earlier game versions, emerald ore is most commonly found between Y-levels 5-29. In the 1.18 update, emerald ore will still only spawn in mountains biomes, however will commonly appear between Y-levels -16-320.

I am continually amazed by how people have never seen this absolute gem of a film. Seriously, it’s one of the best science fiction movies ever made — and it’s become a massive cult favorite — but it somehow slipped by the vast majority of viewers. What’s especially weird about this is that, although it’s science fiction, it’s funny and has an incredible cast, making it super accessible even to people who don’t normally watch much from my favorite genre.

An opera in the stars… a space-opera, that is!

The Fifth Element is the tale of a young woman (Milla Jovovich) who crash lands through the roof of a 23rd century cab driver (played by Bruce Willis). With this, the final battle for the future of humanity begins, as an ancient intergalactic evil awakens — an evil that can only be halted by the mysterious Fifth Element.

Rutger Hauer was always my favorite actor, ever since his incredible performance in Blade Runner. But, while he made a huge splash in that film, much of his work remained more in the realm of cult films and low-budget dramas. A shame, considering how good of an actor he was, yet at the same time his work in these classic, often cheesy films, helped uplift them to their classic status and makes them a treat to watch as part of a late-night watch party.

You’ll be locked to your screen

Wedlock concentrates on Frank Warren, a diamond thief who gets shot after hiding the haul from his latest heist. Sentenced to 12 years in a new type of high-tech prison where the prisoners are locked to one another by radio-linked explosive collars, Frank, and his wedlocked partner must find a way to escape, get the diamond haul, and survive while doing so.

An example of a brilliant satirization of an extremely overblown original work: Starship Troopers took the original story by Robert A. Heinlein (which was basically just a vehicle for Heinlein’s absurd political views), and made it into something far more clever — while simultaneously making it far cheesier. Turning a classic piece of pro-war propaganda into a self-reflexive allegory is no easy feat, but Paul Verhoeven was up to the task. The director used a number of brilliant techniques, including recreating, shot for shot, a scene from Leni Riefenstahl’s Triumph of the Will (1935) (a pro-Nazi propaganda film).

When Vergoeven was asked by actor Michael Ironside why he was working on source material that was intrinsically fascist, the director said: “If I tell the world that a right-wing, fascist way of doing things doesn’t work, no one will listen to me. So I’m going to make a perfect fascist world: everyone is beautiful, everything is shiny, everything has big guns and fancy ships, but it’s only good for killing fucking Bugs!”

The only good bug is a dead bug!

Starship Troopers explores the life of John “Johnny” Rico, who joins up with the Federal Service military when an alien species attacks Earth, destroying his home city. Geared up and ready for war, Rico and his classmates join the front lines as groundpounders, only to find that war against the “bugs” might not be as simple as their superiors had described.

Star Trek isn’t exactly an unknown item these days, but First Contact is one of the films that is dearest to my heart. It was contrived to be a blockbuster, but it ended up being one of the best Trek films—despite attempts by certain parties involved in its creation to use it as a vehicle for discrediting ideas they viewed as “utopian”. Conversely, and thanks to a wonderful cast, the film felt driven and delightful, mixing subtle humor with passionate emotionality. Adding in elements like the Queen were arguably not great choices, but others, like Picard’s bold speech about the nature of economics in the future, were accidentally amazing.

Resistance IS futile (you will love this film)

Star Trek: First Contact is the story of the end of humanity. The Borg, a collective of species modified against their will and subjugated by a ruling cybernetic mind, have traveled through time to assimilate Earth at its weakest point (immediately following World War Three). The crew of the spaceship Enterprise travel back to stop the Borg, but find themselves embroiled in the Borg’s plot as well, and discover that some of their heroes from human history might not be quite as helpful in the resistance as they had imagined.

Galaxy Quest is, quite possibly, the greatest film ever made — a wonderful masterpiece of comedic genius, with a delightful cast, snappy writing, and gloriously wacky directing. It is—without a doubt—the cult film to end all cult films. Personally, I think it’s important to note that this is a science fiction satire that did a good job of actually getting humor right. Most modern comedy series are, frankly, mean. The jokes that would have been used if this film were made today would be outrageously crude, rude, and lewd—and that’s not a good thing. The charm of Galaxy Quest is in its subtlety and, in a wonderful zany way, its reverence.

Never give up, never surrender

Galaxy Quest tells the story of a group of actors from a hit television science fiction series who… never got beyond being actors from a science fiction television show. Washed up, doing car commercials, they feel like their careers are going nowhere. Only, the show isn’t just a show to everyone—certainly not the alien species who, upon intercepting episodes of the TV series, believed it to be factual history. What happens next is an adventure unlike anything our unlikely heroes could have imagined.

On the heels of Escape from New York, John Carpenter’s incredibly successful film set in the same world, Escape from L.A. takes an over-the-top approach that turns it into a wonderful satire of both the genre itself and the entire Hollywood industry of the era. It manages to be delightfully subversive in its exploration of social themes, which are driven by a madcap thrust of action that slams the plot through every barrier it comes across. It is campy, but it knows that it is campy, and it leans into the knowledge to great effect.

Call me… Snake

Escape from L.A. is the second story of Snake Plissken, a war hero who became an anti-hero when the world he’d fought to protect became a totalitarian nightmare. Now, saddled with a mission he doesn’t want and doesn’t have any choice in, Snake needs to race against the clock to save the world one last time… possibly from itself.

Military science fiction is a fascinating genre and one that, I feel, works best when it provides a subversion to tropes of militarism (something the genre frequently does do, often in the midst of plots dealing with big explosions). There’s a lot in this film that I enjoy, from the action to the wonderful “badness” of the military officials who condemn innocent people to death for their own ends. It’s delightfully low-budget and is unashamed of itself, which allows for a fun viewing. Is it clichéd? Definitely, it’s one BIG cliché, but for this film that’s somehow okay.

Soldier on through the clichés

Soldier is the story of Sgt. Todd 3465, a soldier raised since childhood to fight and kill. Only, the needs of the military eventually see him disposed of as a new class of genetically engineered soldier are fielded for war. Left for dead on a junkyard world, Todd finds himself adrift, at the mercy of a group of civilian squatters living in the shadows. Emotionally stunted, he must relearn what it means to be human, but his life as a soldier might not remain as far away as he supposed… Not for long, anyway.

I generally avoid thinking about anything Charlie Sheen does, but this is one of those important cases where artist and art needs to be separated—or, weirdly, a case where the artist’s personal problems become what possibly makes the art so strong. I mean, Sheen is totally believable as a crazed conspiracy theorist, and this little humdinger of a film takes a fun new stab at the alien invasion plot through his character’s eyes. The Arrival was totally overshadowed by Independence Day, but it held up in its own little cult way and shouldn’t be ignored.

A signal never meant to be heard…

The Arrival concentrates on Zane Zaminsky, a radio astronomer who discovers a signal of alien origins… only, the location doesn’t appear to be an alien world at all, but Earth herself.

Leaving aside the fact that so much of the tech and tech assumptions in this film are woefully out of date (and, frankly, were out of date already when this was written), Johnny Mnemonic powers through as a cyberpunk action epic that showcases some really fun 90s visuals and Keanu Reeves’ signature Stoic acting style. It’s not without many massive flaws, don’t get me wrong, but if you go in expecting it to be what it is, you might come out having had a very enjoyable time indeed. There are also two interesting versions that exist in alternate states the Japanese edition (which adds a fair amount of story material and footage back in from the American cut), and the 2021 black and white version that adds some powerful noir magic to the work. We’re supposed to get an HD remaster soon, too, so maybe that will be the definitive one.

He’s only got eighty gigabytes of childhood memories and he wants them back

Johnny Mnemonic is based on the story of the same name by William Gibson, master of the cyberpunk genre. In a dark distant future (the year 2021) the world is devastated by a pandemic while mega corporations rule the Earth… and… wait, is this supposed to be fiction? Okay, anyway, Johnny is a courier of data that he carries inside his own mind — but carrying data is a dangerous task and someone wants Johnny’s head for themselves, without his body attached.

Here’s a film that still smacks of intelligence all the way through, though that makes sense with David Cronenberg at the helm. A delightfully twisted and weird sci-fi story that bends reality and drives at the heart of philosophic questions about the nature of mind, body, and soul. It got ignored due to The Matrix, but it remains an epic little work, with some sterling performances by its cast and a script that refuses to quit.

The ultimate escape… to where?

Existenz is the next-generation biotic video game creation of genius Allegra Geller, who becomes an assassination target by an extremist group bent on the destruction of these organic games.

Despite bombing in the box office (due in part to its subject matter and style as well as to invasive studio edits forced on the director), Tank Girl remains a cult favorite with vital feminist themes that presaged the likes of Mad Max: Fury Road. It’s madcap, super zany, really weird — and it somehow strikes a perfect balance of cult goodness in the middle of it all.

“Remember the girl next door? I ran her over.”

Tank Girl follows the anti-hero “Tank Girl” as she and her allies fight against the evil Water&Power corporation, hell-bent on keeping the last of the drought-ridden Earth’s water for themselves.

Beyond the fact that it’s got a young Elijah Wood in it, this film is wonderful in so many ways, despite being basically the same as many much better-known films. This does, I think, come down to the inherent satirical vibe of the film, which gives it an endearing and enduring quality, but also to the strength of the entire cast’s performance, which just simply shines. The truth is that most of the critics who panned it simply weren’t that bright, because they tried to judge it as a self-serious film when they should have been reviewing it as a self-reflexive one.

School’s out… forever.

The Faculty of Herrington High School in Ohio are not what they seem, and it’s up to a group of teens to figure out what this means.

This remains one of my favorite films of all time, an intense and surreal science fiction tale that truly lacks for comparison. If some of the other films in this list can be considered “self-reflexive” (in that they are examinations of themselves and the genre in which they are considered), then The City of Lost Children is self-reflexive of the entire history of film, capitalism, and humanity. This all makes sense, given that this is from the same team that brought us Delicatessen and Amélie.

When you’re born in the gutter, you end up in the port.

The City of Lost Children the dreams of children vanish into the mind of something inhuman.

Without a doubt one of the greatest science fiction comedies of its, or any other, age — and one of Tim Burton’s finest creations. It’s a satire of epic proportion, aiming at everything from politics to pop-culture… and shooting it with a ray gun. Weird, wonderfully silly, and filled with a cast that manages to pull off something superb.

…Ack-ack!…

Mars Attacks! is the tale of hubris, humanity, and a whole-lotta idiots. I’m not even going to try to quantify the plot because the plot, in this case, is not the important part of the film.

Rutger Hauer is, as I’ve said before, one of my all-time favorite actors. In a lot of his grade-B films it’s his presence alone that makes things worthwhile, but in Split Second the whole cast is really lovely and fit their roles. The writing is very far from top-notch, but the eeriness of the whole scene, coupled with some great dialog, make this a winner.

We need to get bigger guns!

Split Second takes place in a future plagued by endless twilight from overrun pollution and the effects of climate change. In the middle of this grim reality is a police officer haunted by a monster, and who is on the hunt for his serial killer quarry before they can kill again.

When it comes to selecting a whiskey to use, it really boils down to personal preference.

If you have a favorite whiskey or a bottle that you’ve been sampling, feel free to tap into whatever is in your bar! Since you only need 1/4 cup, you won’t diminish your reserves too much.

If you already have the whiskey, you’re going to us, skip to the 2nd step for the recipe. Otherwise, here are a few whiskey options and their flavor profiles!

How to pick a whiskey

For starters, you can use scotch or whiskey.

Whiskey is a liquor made from fermenting grain mash (such as wheat, rye, barley, or corn), while scotch is whiskey made in Scotland from barley or a mix of grains.

Scotch has a smokey, malty flavor. Whiskey, on the other hand, finishes with sweet, nutty, caramel-y notes.

While you’re going to be cooking the whiskey down and adding sugar to it, different whiskeys will offer distinct flavors, which provides a great level of customization.

If you’re not a whiskey connoisseur, don’t worry. You don’t have to be to make this simple syrup recipe. We’ve included a list of popular whiskeys with some of the different flavors they offer. Here’s a fun fact: you can even use bourbon!

10 Popular Whiskeys and their flavor

Don’t be afraid to experiment with your whiskey choices! Now that you have a whiskey picked out, you’re ready for the simple syrup recipe.

Please note: The alcohol burns off during the cooking process, leaving behind a rich syrup that will taste like a sweeter version of your whiskey. You won’t be consuming alcohol.

Measure 1 cup of sugar and pour it into your pot.

Measure 1 cup of water and pour it into your pot.

Measure 1/4 cup of whiskey and pour it into your pot. Take a small sip for, you know, courage.

As you can see, I’m using what I had on hand: bourbon.

Fun fact!

While bourbon is technically a type of whiskey in that it’s a mixture of grains that have been fermented and aged, bourbon is classified as such because it is made from, at least, 51% corn!

Place your sugar-whiskey water on your favorite stove burner and heat over medium-high. Give your mixture a good stir to encourage the sugar to break up.

Bring your syrup to a simmer and heat until your sugar has dissolved. Your whiskey simple syrup will be thick and a light shade of brown. Turn off your stove and remove your pot from heat.

Allow your simple syrup to cool for 10 minutes before transferring it to an airtight container like a mason jar. Your syrup will keep in the fridge for a few months!

If you’re impatient like me, you can transfer your syrup from your pot to your mason jar and let it cool there with the lid off.

Pro tip: If you’ve tuned into other simple syrup recipes, you’ll know that I’m a big fan of cleaning the pot right after transferring it to the mason jar.

Sugar that has had the opportunity to crystalize against the pan’s surface is much harder to remove.

Pro tip no. 2: Looking for more inspiration on how to use your simple syrup? Add a little bit to your morning coffee or brush a little bit on top of a freshly baked batch of muffins!

Like our rose water simple syrup guide, you can use freshly grown chamomile flowers, or you can use dried flowers.

If you’re using dried flowers, try to buy organic. For example, while chamomile leaves are widely sold to be used for home growth, it’s important to make sure they’re actually safe for consumption.

Check and research everything that’s listed on the packs you’re buying. A quick search with a reputable source will help you determine whether your flowers are safe or not.

Otherwise, buying organic is always a good route to take.

Once you have your flowers, you’ll be ready to make your syrup.

Carefully use your vegetable peeler to peel the skin of 1 lemon. Drop the peels into your sauce pot.

Measure out 2 tbsp of chamomile flowers and add them to your lemon peel.

Measure out 1 cup of sugar and add them to your pot.

Finally, add 1 cup of water to the pan.

Place your pot over medium-high heat.

Stirring occasionally to help your sugar dissolve, bring your syrup to a boil. Once your sugar has dissolved, turn off your stove, and remove your pot from the burner. Allow it to cool for 10 minutes.

Once your pot has cooled, pour your syrup through a strainer and into your mason jar (or any airtight container).

Now that you known how to make chamomile simple syrup, it will keep in the fridge for up 4 weeks, which gives you enough time to enjoy a beverage (or two). Whether you’re pouring this syrup into a cup of tea or your favorite cocktail or a combination of the two (try a little of your simple syrup in a glass of whiskey, with a dash of honey, and your favorite sleepy tea) and enjoy!

Pro tip: Clean up your sauce pot before your sugar evaporates and crystalizes to the side of your cookware. Nothing is worse than scraping off sugar.