Movie Tagline: The true story of a real fake
From Steven Spielberg's unofficial "running man" trilogy of the early '00s comes Catch Me If You Can, the story of Frank Abagnale Jr, a con artist who has been called the most famous imposter ever. Before being caught at age 21, Abagnale had impersonated a physician, lawyer, airline pilot, and a teaching assistant, to name a few. He was also an expert at forging checks. After being caught in France in 1969, Abagnale spent five years in various prisons in a number of countries. Upon his release, he eventually founded a firm that advised companies on issues of fraud. He took his criminal knowledge and used it for good. Catch Me If You Can has a lot of fun with Abagnale's ability to dupe people. He is never made out to be a bad guy; just someone who doesn't follow the rules. He never harms anyone, not physically, anyway. He breaks some hearts along the way, but that will happen when you're being played by Leonardo DiCaprio.
But, overall, he is presented as a good person. He just likes to get into mischief. To trick people. To be elusive. That's what we like to call a segue.
The brewers of Elusive IPA, from Public House Brewing, also seem to be having fun. With so many new breweries popping up all over the country, what's becoming elusive is finding a solid lineup of beers from a small local brewery. Not that there aren't new breweries that make good beer; there are just way more who make one or two decent beers and then a bunch of mediocre ones. The market is so saturated right now that it's hard to wade through all the new offerings to find the good stuff. The diamonds in the rough, if you will. And Elusive is one of those. Well-balanced, with the sweet malt backing up the grassy hoppiness, it has a complexity of flavor that is sorely lacking in a lot of the new, local beers I have tried of late. And while Elusive was my favorite of the Public House lineup, it is by no means their only good beer. They also make an award-winning Cream Ale, a traditional German Hefeweizen, and a solid Dry Stout; all of which are unexpectedly complex and rewarding in their own ways. Now, I'm not saying the brewers at Public House are the Steven Spielbergs of beer brewing. That would be 1.5 units of hyperbole. But I will say that they are expert craftsmen who don't need to kick out whalez (possibly my least favorite beer nerd term) to demonstrate their abilities; just like Señor Spielbergo doesn't have to reinvent the wheel every time he makes a movie. He just makes it, and his abilities shine through even if the material isn't the best. His directing prowess elevates the work. A similar compliment is due to Public House, whose brewers take the time to craft solid products instead of kicking out as many beers as they can to scoop up some of that craft beer craze money as fast as they can, quality be damned.
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Movie Tagline: This summer a man will face his destiny. A hero will be revealed.
Historically (that is, since the mid-90s), Fourth of July weekend has been the preferred time for Hollywood studios to release their heavy-hitters. Even since Will Smith's storied run of holiday weekend hits, Hollywood has tried to replicate that level of success. Michael Bay's shiny Bayhem noise orgies known as the Transformers franchise have had some success, most notably with the first and third installments. But in recent years, movies have struggled putting butts in seats in record numbers. Not since Despicable Me 2 have we had a movie gross nearly $100 million on its opening weekend. And it's not going to happen this year, either. This isn't a bad thing, as opening weekend box office gross is likely the least relevant statistic to use when gauging whether a movie is good or not, but it is interesting to look back on a time when July Fourth movies were such an event. And while we recognize that Will Smith is and always will be the king of the July Fourth weekend, we are going to focus on a movie that is suspiciously devoid of any Fresh Prince action. No, we are going to talk about what many consider to be the best superhero movie ever made: Spider-Man 2. The highest grossing Fourth of July weekend release of all time, Spider-Man 2 is an amazing feat of genre storytelling. This is a superhero movie through and through, but it is one that is equally thrilling, intense, melancholic, frightening, romantic, and silly. Not only this, but it is emotionally satisfying. The scary bits are effectively creepy. The romantic bits are believable, not sappy. The melancholy is earned, not shoehorned in for dramatic effect. With this movie, Sam Raimi successfully performs a juggling act that few other directors would even attempt. And it is a joy to watch him work. With a director like Raimi at the top of his game, who needs Will Smith anyway? Surly Brewing Co. has the perfect beer to go with such a spectacle. It's called #MERICA!, and it is as American as beer gets. AB InBev is currently trying a gimmick where they have renamed Budweiser "America" for the summer. Well, this is a beer that actually earns the title. A pre-Prohibition American Lager (one of the few beer styles to originate in America), #MERICA! uses corn as an integral ingredient, and the flavor really comes through. A little sweet, a little floral, and a little grassy, this crisp, straw-colored lager is what a Budweiser should taste like if they are going to start calling it "America" all of a sudden. Yes, the link between Spider-Man 2 and #MERICA! is thin at best, but it's in what the two things represent that the real connection lies. Both are celebrations of America; it's good tendencies and its bad ones. It only takes one look at the label to know that #MERICA! is a tongue in cheek name. With its hashtag and exclamation point and aggressively red white and blue color scheme, this beer is maybe being a little bit ironic with its packaging. But it is also a stellar representation of a beer style that was conceived in America. It is silly, but it is also proud of its heritage. And Peter Parker's journey in Spider-Man 2 can be seen as a metaphor for America in 2004. He is Spider-Man, but the weight of that reality is so much for him to bear that he starts to slip. His schoolwork, his personal relationships, even his responsibilities as Spider-Man; it all pulls him in different directions. He doesn't know what he should do. America itself was finding its way during this same stretch of time. With the War on Terror in full swing, no one knew who to trust or how far we would go to regain a sense of control. Some of our ideals were sacrificed, our alliances were tested, and our moral center started to slip. Anyway, to reign this line of thought in, Spider-Man 2 is complicated. But #MERICA! is easy. Just pop one open and drink it down while watching a conflicted superhero do his thing.
Movie Tagline: There are no clean getaways
No Country for Old Men, adapted from a novel by Cormac McCarthy, won the Academy Award for Best Picture. That's usually not a great way to measure how good a movie is, but in this case it is no small feat considering the tidal wave of amazing movies that were released in 2007. Namely: There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, Michael Clayton, Juno, Gone Baby Gone, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, Into the Wild, Atonement, Eastern Promises, My Winnipeg, Hot Fuzz, Lars and the Real Girl, Before the Devil Knows You're Dead, Taxi to the Dark Side, American Gangster, Grindhouse, Persepolis, 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Orphanage, La Vie en Rose, Ratatouille, Rescue Dawn, Knocked Up, Sunshine, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and I'm Not There. That's nearly 30 movies that could (and in many cases, did) define a person's career. They are all outstanding movies from such renowned directors as Paul Thomas Anderson, David Fincher, Ridley Scott, David Cronenberg, Ben Affleck, Julian Schnabel, Quentin Tarantino, Robert Rodriguez, Guy Maddin, Judd Apatow, Todd Haynes, Danny Boyle, Jason Reitman, Edgar Wright, Werner Herzog, and Sidney Lumet. So, to say that the Coen Brothers made the best movie of the year (according to whatever old white dudes choose who gets to win things like that) is, in this case, a staggering achievement. But, anyway, that's just a tangent about how awesome 2007 was for movie fans. To get to the matter at hand: No Country for Old Men is the story of a drug deal gone awry and the fallout that ensues. That's a tidy little log line that doesn't come anywhere close to describing the chaos and dread that unfolds onscreen. Even people who have never seen the movie are most likely aware of the most memorable thing in it: Javier Bardem as Anton Chigurh, a dead-eyed sociopath with a weirdo haircut that kills people with, among other things, a Captive Bolt Pistol. Chigurh is the stuff of nightmares; he would not be out of place in a straight-up horror movie. He is a reptile in a human suit, and he is absolutely mesmerizing to watch. But he is just one piece of the bloody puzzle that is No Country. There are also inspired performances from Josh Brolin, Tommy Lee Jones, Kelly MacDonald, and Woody Harrelson, not to mention the supremely talented supporting cast. In addition to the cast, the Coen Brothers relied on esteemed cinematographer Roger Deakins to saturate the landscapes of Texas with sepia tones and tension. Working with natural light for the daytime scenes and brooding shadows in the night scenes, Deakins brings a strong sense of film noir to the story, which makes perfect sense for a tale this bleak and pessimistic. Not many beers can compete with a movie with such a pedigree. Thankfully, we have Stone Brewing around to bring us the sadistic Crime. You know Stone founder Greg Koch has a mind as dark as Cormac McCarthy's when he comes up with something like this. A blend of Arrogant Bastard Ale, Double Bastard Ale, and Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale, each aged in their own Kentucky bourbon barrels, with criminal amounts of serrano, jalapeño, and who-knows what other chile peppers added to up the ante even more. The result is not for the faint of heart. It's a beer made for the masochist in all of us. It all starts with a blast of hops, which then mellows into a nice, rich bourbon flavor, and finishes with a peppery heat that is downright incendiary. This beer is as challenging to drink as No Country is to watch, making it one of the few beers in existence that can stand up to such a masterpiece of visual flair and complex storytelling. This pairing does, however, come with a couple of conditions. For one thing, Crime is not what you would call "readily available". Many times it comes as a shared case with its companion beer, Punishment. Meaning that if a store gets any of these beers, they only get six bottles of each. Many don't even get that. So it can be a bit of a task to even find a bottle of Crime. And, if you do, you should be prepared to pay $20 for it. And again, if you make it that far, you still have to drink it, and that can be difficult in and of itself. So, in an attempt to offset the whole rigamarole of obtaining and drinking one of these limited, aggressively flavored beers, we are going to throw in a secondary pairing to last you through the rest of the movie and hopefully cool your mouth off a little. So, after you have seared your taste buds off with Crime, you're going to want to move on to a Lone Star. Or, rather, a series of consecutive Lone Stars. Called the "National Beer of Texas", because Texas isn't interested in your so-called facts, this American Lager will be perfectly flavorless after the endurance contest that is Crime, allowing you to throw them back with abandon. That will help you deal with the morality (or lack thereof) and other adult issues being put forth in No Country for Old Men. And since the movie is largely set in Texas, drinking Lone Star keeps you on topic. So, in conclusion, this pairing is much more of a challenge than our usual pairings. But it is a highly rewarding challenge. One that will put you through the wringer both physically and emotionally, sure, but "adversity is the diamond dust Heaven polishes its jewels with". There's a cute little quote from Thomas Carlyle to make you feel better about burning your taste buds off while simultaneously losing all faith in humanity. You're welcome.
Movie Tagline: From the Dark Side to Our Side
Grigori Rasputin was an influential figure in Russia in the early 1900s. How much influence he exerted over Nicholas II, the last Tsar of Russia, is uncertain, but the upper class in Russia at the time were not keen on a peasant being so close to the imperial family (he was much loved by Empress Alexandra as well). Rasputin was supposedly poisoned, shot in the head, bludgeoned, shot three more times, castrated, and then drowned in a river. This was after being stabbed in the stomach two years previous. The details of his murder have been exaggerated, but only slightly (he was not castrated, and he was dead before being thrown in the river). But his brutal death has only helped to cement his status as a crazy, mystical, villainous badass. That reputation has led to Rasputin being portrayed as the antagonist in a number of movies, ranging from the animated Anastasia movie from 1997 to the film we are looking at here, Hellboy. Directed by Guillermo del Toro and starring America's Caveman, Ron Perlman, Hellboy tells the story of a demon who is raised to be a defender of Good. Working as part of the Bureau of Paranormal Research and Defense, Hellboy and his companions do battle not only with Rasputin, but also a mechanized Nazi assassin named Kroenen, a reincarnating hellhound named Sammael, and a giant, tentacled behemoth that threatens to destroy the world. It is a dark movie, but it is also full of snappy dialogue, fun action setpieces, dark comedy, and a surprising amount of heart. Speaking of heart, I absolutely love Old Rasputin. It is one of the best all-around Russian Imperial Stouts out there. Even if you aren't going to drink it while watching Hellboy, it's worth checking out for the sheer deliciousness of it. It is rich and luscious, big and bold, complex and decadent. If you are a stout drinker, you probably already know about this one. If you're not, Old Rasputin might make you change your mind about that. Like with Rasputin himself, there's something mystical in the murky depths of this oily brew. And, like our pal Hellboy, it's not evil, it just looks like it might be.
Movie Tagline: In the cutthroat world of Donkey Kong, only one can rule.
Who knew watching grown men play Donkey Kong could be so entertaining? It helps that the two combatants in this quest for supremacy are made to look like archetypes of good and evil. Steve Wiebe is an earnest teacher who got into the game while unemployed. He is a family man who is down on his luck that somehow turns playing Donkey Kong into a way of getting back on track, both professionally and spiritually. Being successful at Donkey Kong gives him the confidence to achieve his goals in other aspects of his life. He is easy to root for. Not like Billy Mitchell, the former record-holder from the 80s with a comical amount of swagger. Billy is so easy to dislike, he somehow comes back around to being weirdly likeable again. Not very much, but likeable in the way unrepentant bad guys are in movies. Their commitment to being as bad as they can be is admirable. Also admirable is the way The King of Kong is edited. It takes this silly competition between two middle-aged dudes and turns it into an epic tale. It also, like documentaries tend to do, plays fast and loose with actual events and timelines. Wiebe and Mitchell claim to be on much friendlier terms than depicted in the movie. Seth Gordon, the director, concedes to this, but also states that his version of things is much more entertaining. And it's hard to argue with him, as his movie is way more fun and complex than one might think possible from a documentary about playing arcade games from the 80s. Speaking of something more complex than its package would indicate, 8-Bit Pale Ale from Tallgrass Brewing Company is a delightful little beer that packs a Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!-sized wallop. Using a "Hop Rocket" to infuse this APA with a blast of Australian Galaxy hops makes 8-Bit taste truly unique, with a tropical, almost melon-like aroma with hints of stone fruit and apricot. It's hoppy, but not over the top. It's a Pale Ale, after all, not an IPA. The hops hit you right up front, but then they mellow out to reveal some sweetness. There is so much flavor in this 5.2% ABV American Pale Ale, you have to try it to believe it. Outside of the beer, the can is the real reason to pair 8-Bit with The King of Kong. This thing lives up to its name, with a version of a classic arcade icon on the label and everything done in 8-Bit style. It is a masterwork of pixelated art. It even shows off the Galaxy Hop Rocket. It is the best, if not the only, beer to drink while watching a Donkey Kong competition.
Movie Tagline: Are you watching closely?
Christopher Nolan has made quite a career for himself out of crafting movies with big budget, high-octane action set pieces tempered with complex character studies and challenging intellectual and philosophical ideas. His films are not always easy to dissect. They deal with complex concepts; memory, space, justice, right and wrong, vigilantism. One thing's for sure: mindless popcorn movies they are not. His 2006 effort, The Prestige, uses movie magic to show us the lengths a pair of competing magicians will go to in order to best one another with their own versions of an illusion called The Transported Man. As the stakes get higher and higher, their illusions even begin to fool one another. Their magic seems almost real. But it's not. One uses a trick that I will not spoil here, while the other uses the magic of science to create his signature illusion. That magic takes the form of David Bowie as Nikola Tesla, and an invention that involves electricity and hats. Magic hats. That's where Magic Hat Electric Peel comes in. Such great correlation there. The thing about Magic Hat is, unlike Christopher Nolan, they have never made anything that really blew me away. And while Electric Peel isn't life-altering, it is easily the most compelling beer I've ever had from them. It's a grapefruit IPA, well-balanced, with a solid bitter grapefruit peel flavor. It is 6% ABV, which is on the high side of average for Magic Hat. Overall, it's quite the pleasant surprise. And surprise is the name of the game in The Prestige. It is a movie that keeps you guessing until the very end. It is full of twists and turns that reward repeat viewing because even when you know what happens, it is great fun to go back and see how it was done. And the performances are great. Nolan regular Michael Caine is a human exposition machine, but he still manages to instill his character with a great deal of heart. David Bowie is mesmerizing, as always. His Tesla is more magician than scientist, which suits Bowie better anyway. Scarlett Johannson is solid, even if her wonky English accent is distracting. But, best of all, you get to watch Batman square off against Wolverine! It's like these two things were made for each other; two solid, compelling offerings that fit together perfectly. Electric Peel may not be the best grapefruit IPA out there, but it is a worthy addition to the style. The Prestige is far from Nolan's best movie, but it is a massively entertaining movie with style to spare. So transport some beer from a glass to your mouth and see who does the best version of that most magic of illusions, The Transported Man.
Movie Tagline: The courage to do the impossible lies in the hearts of men
Master and Commander is the story of the HMS Surprise, a British frigate tasked with tracking down a French privateer called the Archeron. Set during the Napoleonic Wars, it is a meticulously researched portrait of maritime life in this period of time. It is exciting, gut-wrenching, inspirational, frustrating, and heartbreaking. It has everything you might want from a historical epic (except for women; there's not a single female character in this movie). Similarly, Ballast Point's Victory at Sea has everything you would want from an imperial porter. Robust and slightly sweet, this award-winning porter is infused with vanilla and cold-brewed coffee from Caffe Calabria. Its 10% ABV will keep you warm through the cold winter months, and its roasted notes and sweet caramel undertones will put a smile on your face. If you go to the Ballast Point website, they say they are at the point where science meets art. By respecting tradition, and at the same time tinkering and testing new methods, they were able to reinterpret classic styles, develop proprietary yeasts, and help to reinvigorate the craft beer industry. This concept of the marriage of art and science runs through the B-plot of Master and Commander as well. The captain of the HMS Surprise, Jack Aubrey, has along with him on the voyage his good friend and surgeon, Stephen Maturin, a naturalist. Maturin is interested in studying the wildlife they come across on their journey, using his artistic ability to capture portraits of the plants and animals they discover. He uses art for the advancement of science. The two are inextricably linked at this point in history. The same could be said for the craft beer industry today. So go on an epic adventure with a colorful cast of characters as they explore new lands and pursue an enemy with superior firepower. While they risk life and limb out on the open seas, you can kick back and enjoy a Victory at Sea of your own. Theirs may be hard fought, but yours will only cost you around $13.99 for a six pack.
Movie Tagline: Before the Silence, there was the Dragon
Red Dragon is the second adaptation of the 1981 Thomas Harris novel of the same name (the first being the superior Michael Mann film Manhunter from 1986). The novel introduced the world to Hannibal Lecter, who proved to be such an iconic character that there have been four onscreen portrayals of him to date. As long as there are people who don't mind diminishing returns, there will always be a Hannibal Lecter movie on the horizon. And Brett Ratner will always be willing to direct it. Which is why this movie pairs so well with Shock Top Belgian White. You see, both Red Dragon and Shock Top Belgian White are hackneyed knockoffs of (mildly) superior products. They are both derivative and unnecessary. Brett Ratner is to Michael Bay what Shock Top is to Blue Moon, and Michael Bay is to coherent, cohesive filmmaking what Blue Moon is to a proper Belgian Wit. So these two are derivatives of something that is already banal and insulting. They are a secondary distillation, ensuring that any quirks or originality are weeded out and destroyed. They are products that have been manufactured to be inferior. Red Dragon is a farce, with Anthony Hopkins' once terrifying Hannibal Lecter reduced to a cartoon as he tries (with far less screen time) to chew more scenery than Ralph Fiennes' Francis Dolarhyde. With a slight scar instead of a disfiguring harelip and no speech impediment to speak of, the Dolarhyde of Red Dragon has his motivation removed. He is insane just because. Kind of like how Shock Top makes beers called Honey Bourbon Cask Wheat, Shockolate Wheat, Twisted Pretzel Wheat, Spiced Banana Wheat, and Strawbanero Wheat. Just because. Really, though, neither the movie nor the beer are terrible. The movie has some great actors in it, and some of them even manage to eke out a good performance. Philip Seymour Hoffman is especially good (duh). But it's not very scary or disturbing. It's also not very compelling. Anthony Hopkins turns in a winking, sarcastic performance. Edward Norton is on cruise control. I had forgotten that Harvey Keitel was even in this movie. The whole affair ends up being all kinds of bland. Like a Shock Top. But, hey, once you make it through Red Dragon, you can move right on to The Silence of the Lambs and remind yourself what a good psychological thriller is supposed to look like.
Movie Tagline: Shoot first. Sightsee later.
The beer of choice for this pairing is a quadrupel from Brouwerij De Halve Maan in Bruges. A quadrupel, or quad, is a Belgian style ale with a deep, dark color and a rich malty palate. They are particularly strong beers; this one comes in at 11% ABV. It is a complex beer. It smells of candied fruits and toasted caramel, and tastes malty and robust. There is a lot going on with this beer, just as there is a lot going on in Martin McDonagh's directorial debut, In Bruges. The movie can be summed up rather easily. From IMDb: "Guilt-stricken after a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, that last place in the world Ray wants to be." That all seems pretty straightforward. But the beauty of In Bruges lies in the nuanced performances of its three main actors and in how the story manages to be heartbreakingly sad, riotously funny, and genuinely moving throughout. And it does all this without feeling like disparate scenes pieced together. The movie melds all these tonal elements together into one cohesive and compelling story. A story with the breathtaking city of Bruges as its backdrop. So, it is not just the city of Bruges that links these two things together. They share a complexity and a craftsmanship that are both refreshingly unexpected and thoroughly welcomed. All in all, this beer and movie pairing works so well because you will be surprised and delighted by each of them in turn, over and over again.
Movie Tagline: Behind every great love is a great story
It is loved by millions, most of whom are younger women, to the bewilderment and annoyance of countless other millions. Now, am I referring to the movie or the beer (whose full name is the inexplicably long Blue Moon Belgian White Belgian-Style Wheat Ale)? Yes. Yes, I am. The Notebook is the story of a poor but passionate guy who falls in love with a rich but passionate girl. Their passionate relationship is torn apart by societal norms, parental concerns, and World War II. It features obsessive letter writing (in a world where telephones exist), home renovation as a romantic gesture, terrible 40s-era driving, and getting caught in a rainstorm while rowing a boat through a lake overrun with geese that naturally leads to making out in the rain. Blue Moon is brewed by the Blue Moon Brewing Company, an entity of the Tenth and Blake Beer Company, the craft and import division of MillerCoors. The Brewers Association has objected to the fact that Blue Moon's labels do not state that they are a MiilerCoors product, thereby allowing the beer to masquerade as a craft beer. The Confederation of Belgian Breweries had also expressed their disdain for Blue Moon being referred to as a Belgian White, and Blue Moon was forced to add the "Belgian-style" to the name. If Nicholas Sparks is the Coors Brewing Company of authors (and he totally is), then The Notebook is his Blue Moon Belgian White. It's a movie that manipulates its viewers into thinking it is heartfelt and romantic, when in reality it is simply derivative and trite. Kind of like how Blue Moon manipulates its drinkers into thinking it is an artfully crafted beer made by flannel-wearing craft brewers with great big bushy beards. Despite being insulting to the people who partake in them, these two travesties have gone on to become highly popular. Well regarded, even. They have encouraged their makers to create a plethora of other, similarly hackneyed products. Dear John, The Last Song, The Lucky One, Safe Haven, The Best of Me, The Longest Ride. Batch 19, Keystone Light Lime, Third Shift Amber Lager, Blue Moon Cinnamon Horchata Ale, Coors Light Iced T, Blue Moon Blackberry Tart Ale. None of these things would exist without The Notebook and Blue Moon Belgian White. But, for now, try to forget about all that. Crack open a crafty beer and watch the cinematic equivalent of a Valentine's Day card. If you're one of those sentimental drunks, you will definitely be crying before it's all said and done. |
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