Movie Tagline: The vacation you'll never forget -- no matter how hard you try
When you think of Jamaica, you think of Red Stripe (as far as beer goes, anyway). With their laid-back vibe and their "Hooray Beer" advertisements, the folks at Red Stripe have worked hard to indelibly link their product with thoughts of relaxing on a beach in the Caribbean. Unfortunately, the Red Stripe we drink here in the United States is not made in Jamaica. It is made in the not-so-tropical climates of La Crosse, Wisconsin and Latrobe, Pennsylvania. This isn't a bad thing (if anything, it means you get fresher beer), it just puts a slight dent in that whole island vibe Red Stripe tries to promote. It also dovetails nicely with the plot of Club Paradise, wherein a movie set on a (fictitious) Caribbean island stars such noted island dwellers as Robin Williams, Peter O'Toole, Rick Moranis, and Twiggy. Sure, it also has Jimmy Cliff, but his storyline takes a back seat to the antics of, among other things, two scrawny white guys trying (and failing) to get laid. But the point of this post is not to decry the unfairness of whitewashing in Hollywood movies. If it was, there are better, more current examples of this to choose from. Club Paradise is not the place to draw the line. The movie was such a flop that you would be hard-pressed to find many people today who even remember it. And I'm not here to tell you it's a hidden gem of 80s comedy. It's really not. It's a mess of a movie, with a dozen or so funny people failing to be funny in any discernible way. But I'll be damned if I don't find it oddly charming. Maybe it's just nostalgia, but no movie with Peter O'Toole and Robin Williams can be all bad, even if O'Toole was nominated for a Razzie because of his performance in this one. There's something about this feature-length failed SCTV skit that just does it for me. It's a similar reaction many people have to Red Stripe. They know deep down that there's nothing special about it; it's just another bland macro lager (owned by Heineken as of 2015). But drinking one takes them back to that time they vacationed in Jamaica, and all the good times they had, and all the interesting people they met, and by some strange alchemy the beer tastes better than it should. So, maybe a similar thing will happen when you pair Red Stripe with Club Paradise. Alone, they are both middling products, but together they may transcend their shortcomings and provide you with a much needed two-hour vacation. It's not Jamaica, but it's as close as some of us are ever going to get.
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Movie Tagline: When the smoke clears, it just means he's reloading
A pistolero is a gunman, a killer. A bandit who lives and dies by the gun. El Mariachi, the former-musician-turned-gunslinger, is such a man. In fact, Desperado was originally titled El Pistolero. The name was more in line with the original movie (El Mariachi), but the studio requested it be changed because, you know, they like to assert unnecessary control over things. But, whatever its title, Desperado remains an action-packed homage to the films of Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah (with a healthy dose of John Woo thrown in for good measure), rife with operatic gunfights and ultra-violence. Whereas Peckinpah and Leone used violence to make a point about the corruption of humanity or the brutality of the world, Robert Rodriguez is more interested in pure entertainment. There is no greater message to Desperado, no overarching themes of retribution and redemption. This is action for the sake of action. It is unapologetically gratuitous, right down to the over-the-top, telenovela-style sex scene between Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek complete with soft focus, sexy Latin guitar music, and a ludicrous amount of candles. Just as Rodriguez continues the fine tradition of ultra-violence that Peckinpah pioneered, so too does Excel Brewing continue the tradition of making a Vienna-Style Lager with a Mexican twist. While nearly extinct in its native land, the Vienna Lager continues to thrive in Mexico, and while authentic examples are increasingly difficult to find, there are still some quality ones to be found. Similar to a Märzen but lighter and more bitter, the Vienna Lager is a refreshing, highly-drinkable beer, and El Pistolero is a fantastic illustration of this. El Pistolero is a seasonal beer from Excel Brewing, an offshoot of the Excel Bottling Company, a "Mom & Pop" soda maker out of Breese, Illinois, most famously known for their Ski Original. The story goes that Excel was founded in 1936 from reward money obtained from catching a bank robber, with Ski coming in 1961 and firmly planting Excel as a Southern Illinois mainstay. With the addition of a brewery in 2012, Excel is committed to making quality beverages for children and adults alike, all the while keeping their operation small and independent. That same independent spirit is what makes Excel pair so well with Robert Rodriguez. Not one for the mainstream, Rodriguez makes movies he wants to make, the way he wants to make them. His first feature, El Mariachi, was made for a paltry $7000, some of which Rodriguez raised by participating in medical testing studies. Rodriguez resigned from the DGA in 2004 due to an issue with the directing credit on Sin City, and these days he makes films via his own studio in Austin, Texas, known as Troublemaker Studios. He is all about DIY filmmaking, frequently serving as editor, sound editor, director of photography, camera operator, steadicam operator, composer, production designer, visual effects supervisor, screenwriter, and director. If it's adventure and excitement you're after, look no further than the works of Robert Rodriguez. And if you need something to wash down all that ultra-violence, look no further than Excel Brewing.
Movie Tagline: Not every gift is a blessing
If you haven't seen The Sixth Sense by now, then you really shouldn't be reading this. But, also, I can't think of many other movies that have been spoiled as thoroughly as this one, so I doubt it much matters anymore. Psycho, I guess. That one's pretty spoiled (and if it wasn't before, it will be as soon as you click that link). I had my own run-in with people who couldn't keep their mouths shut with this one, but that was in 1999. Seventeen years ago, if I want to make myself feel really old. But, spoilers aside, these pairings are meant to enhance your enjoyment of the movie, not detract from it, so if you don't know and don't want to know what the deal is with The Sixth Sense, I suggest you skip this one. Anyway, if you're still reading, you know what The Sixth Sense is about. Kid sees dead people. John McClane tries to help. John McClane is a ghost. Credits. It took the world by storm, and rocketed its young lead, Haley Joel Osment, to stardom. To call this movie a sleeper hit doesn't even begin to describe just how under the radar it was. According to IMDb, Entertainment Weekly's Summer Movie Preview of 1999 (which listed 134 other films) didn't even mention The Sixth Sense. Even The Blair Witch Project got a mention in that list, and that was the sleeper to end all sleepers. And, yes, I'm sure the twist ending was what made the movie the event that it was, but before you get to the twist there's a whole beautiful, dark, twisted movie to get through. Given the landscape of horror movies in 1999, it's amazing how subdued and patient this one is. This was the year of Jan de Bont's The Haunting; of Lake Placid; of Stigmata; of The Rage: Carrie 2. The Sixth Sense could have ended up like any of these movie disgraces, but the talent of its young writer/director and the solid performances of its cast helped elevate it to high art. Unfortunately, M. Night Shyamalan has since squandered most of the good will this movie earned him, with his signature twist endings yielded lower returns with each passing attempt. He seems to be taking some baby steps toward repairing his reputation, but time will be the ultimate judge. Just as Shyamalan has to regain the trust of his viewing audience, so too does Rogue Ales & Spirits have to occasionally remind people that they are more than just a brewery coasting by on their name and a few gimmicky beers. Things were all good in the 90s for Rogue, with their Dead Guy Ale being one of the ultimate expressions of what craft beer was capable of. And you have to admire their insistence on growing their own ingredients, from barley and hops, to pumpkins and hazelnuts, to honey bees and free-range chickens. But sometimes Rogue seems to get lost in their own sense of awesomeness, just like M. Night. They start doing things like collaborating with Voodoo Doughnut to make beers like their Bacon Maple Ale, or the Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ale, or the Lemon Chiffon Crueller Ale. They seem to be asking "Can we?" instead of "Should we?" on some of their beers. Which is a shame because when they set out to craft solid, well-made beers like Dead Guy, or Hazelnut Brown, or Chocolate Stout, they can knock it out of the park, no problem. So this pairing is dedicated to two potential masters of their respective crafts, both of whom walk a fine line between art and kitsch. They are both capable of amazing things, as they have proven numerous times in the past, but they have to resist their own worst impulses in order to keep from slipping into self-parody. So toast to them and hope they keep up the good work.
Movie Tagline: Four perfect killers. One perfect crime. Now all they have to fear is each other.
I've been having some real issues with taglines as of late, so let me get this out of the way right now: 1. They are not perfect killers, they are thieves. Maybe just call them criminals in general, but definitely not perfect killers. 2. There are six of them, not four. Mr. Blue, Mr. Pink, Mr. Brown, Mr. White, Mr. Orange, and Mr. Blonde. Yes, two of them are only in the movie for a short time, but they still count. 3. This crime was not perfect; it was an absolute disaster. That's the whole point of the movie. If it was the perfect crime, there wouldn't be an issue. 4. They have a lot more to fear than each other. Like, the cops. They should be afraid of the cops showing up and arresting or shooting everyone. Anyway, I feel better. Let's get on with it. This week we're looking at Reservoir Dogs, the debut feature of America's favorite foot fetishist, Quentin Tarantino. With a reported budget of $1.2 million, Tarantino's crime thriller tells the story of a botched jewelry heist committed by five professional criminals and one undercover police officer. It uses a disjointed narrative structure that goes back and forth between the aftermath of and scenes leading up to the heist, while never actually showing the heist. It features rapid-fire dialogue, bloody violence, tons of pop culture references (with a particular fondness for movies and music from the 70s), and the trunk shot. All in all, it is a perfect showcase of Tarantino's modus operandi. It is fitting, then, that it pairs so well with Ska Brewing's Modus Hoperandi, a beer whose label looks like a Reservoir Dogs reference all its own. From its deep golden color to its piney, grapefruity smell, this beer is the work of someone who knows what they are doing. Someone who loves beer the way Tarantino loves movies. With a blast of hops up front that give way to a balanced, smooth finish, it is everything you want in an American IPA. While Modus offers a smooth finish, I can't say the same for Reservoir Dogs. But, then again, nothing goes smoothly for these unlucky crooks. But that doesn't mean you can't enjoy watching them bicker and fight and accuse one another of being rats. Just do so with a Modus Hoperandi in your hand and everything will go smoothly for you. Because drinking Ska beer is a hell of a lot better than listening to ska music. |
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