Movie Tagline: Choose life. Choose a job. Choose a starter home. Choose dental insurance, leisure wear, and matching luggage. Choose your future. But why would anyone want to do a thing like that?
With the recent announcement of a sequel, now seemed like a perfect time to write about the one of the most influential drug movies of the 90s, Trainspotting. This film is responsible for bringing so many talented young people to prominence, including Ewan McGregor, Johnny Lee Miller, Robert Carlyle, Kelly MacDonald, Kevin McKidd, and director Danny Boyle. It is also a very divisive film, as people like to argue about whether it demonizes or glamorizes the use of hard drugs. I think the truth lies somewhere in the middle. After all, who's to say a movie can't do both. Things are rarely ever so cut and dry. One thing is for sure: these are all very talented people making a product that is aggressively unconcerned with being attractive. No one in this movie comes off as anything other than a total dirtbag. Even Spud, who is arguably the most likeable character, is still a degenerate junkie. Renton, the protagonist, is a junkie who (unknowingly) has sex with a 14 year old and eventually screws over all of his junkie friends. And both of these characters have notable issues with their bowels, in scenes that push gross-out comedy to new lows (highs?) with their graphic depictions of diarrhea. You know a movie is good when it has multiple depictions of diarrhea. Which brings us to The Brown Note, one of the most controversial beer labels in existence. A cursory search of the BeerAdvocate forums will reveal an intense hatred for this label. In a world of awful Evil Twin and Flying Dog and Hoppin' Frog labels, this one takes the top prize. And it's not hard to see why. Even in the realm of beer labels, which are not known for being subtle or mature, this one is extreme. It paints a picture of a series of poor life choices on par with those of the characters in Trainspotting. Unfortunate tattoos, unhealthy weight gain, a missing limb, and, of course, fouled underpants. But, like with Trainspotting, this is a work of art that is not afraid to be ugly. Against the Grain is not concerned with offending people. But the product inside is capable of overcoming the defiantly unappealing label. This is true of most of their beers, whose labels all tend to be remarkably unpleasant. And it's true of The Brown Note, which has perhaps the biggest hurdle to overcome with its label. But it is a very solid Brown Ale, with rich malty notes and a light-bodied mouthfeel that lends itself to having more than one. Easy drinking and mild, the controversy of this one stops with its label. Skirting controversy is a good way to drum up interest, and Trainspotting was no stranger to controversy. Presidential candidate Bob Dole called the film morally depraved, and accused it of glorifying drug use during his campaign, although he later admitted that he had not actually viewed the film. This seems to be a common occurrence for fear-mongering movie protesters. But the hyper-realistic action and the vivid colors of the movie only serve to reinforce the crazy lengths these characters will go to in order to feed their various addictions. And they are not all addicted to heroin. There are many varieties of addiction on display here: alcohol, sex, caffeine, attention, normalcy, violence. People can get addicted to anything. At the end, when Renton "chooses life", he is still an addict. He is just choosing to be addicted to something else. Something a little less destructive. And, hopefully, something that involves crawling into fewer toilets.
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Movie Tagline: Once in a lifetime you get a chance to do something different
Summertime is upon us once again. For all you tan, social, outdoorsy types, that means two things: beer and baseball. Luckily for you, the pasty, red-eyed, ghoulish folks here at Cinemarone have got the perfect pairing for the summer. We have the hilariously heartwarming, female empowering, Geena Davis starring, feel-good movie of 1992, A League of Their Own, paired up with the smooth, refreshing, peachy goodness that is O'Fallon Brewery's Wheach, or Peach Wheat Beer. A League of Their Own is a quintessential summer movie. It is arguably director Penny Marshall's best movie (the only real contender for that title would be Big, another Tom Hanks movie) and it must have seemed like a breath of fresh air in a year that saw such dark and/or heavy movies as Unforgiven, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Basic Instinct, Alien 3, The Crying Game, Candyman, Malcolm X, Bad Lieutenant (the original, not the Ridiculous Cage one), and A Few Good Men. To paraphrase: There's no bloody final shootout in baseball. There's no Ice Pick Killer in baseball. There's no surprise penis in baseball. You get the picture. But, in case you don't: There's no "We didn't land on Plymouth Rock, Plymouth Rock landed on us" in baseball. There's no "You can't handle the truth" in baseball. Okay, now that I've got that out of my system, let's continue. A League of Their Own tells the story of the first year of the AAGPBL, which came about because of World War II. With so many able-bodied men fighting in the war, there weren't enough of them left to put together a proper season of baseball. The obvious solution: the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. While the movie treats the idea of an all-women baseball league as something that took the unwashed masses a while to get used to, in reality the AAGPBL was a huge hit from the outset. But that's a minor difference that only helps to add another dimension to the story, so it's hard to fault the screenwriters for it. All in all, the movie is a fairly accurate depiction of the events as they took place. Many of the characters were either inspired by or directly based on real people. The women who played in the league were actually required to attend charm and beauty school. Tom Hanks is a notorious urinater. All of these things are real. And the Rockford Peaches, which the movie follows, are the inspiration for this pairing. Because nothing says summer like a peach. And there's no better peach beer than O'Fallon Wheach. Wheach is a smooth, clean wheat beer in its own right. The fresh peach flavor is an added bonus. It is a light and refreshing brew, with a moderate amount of carbonation, making it good for any occasion. But summer is when this one really shines. Its crisp, fruity flavor and low bitterness make this one so good on a hot day, especially when you are floating down the river sipping it out of a can. Or when you are watching the Rockford Peaches win people's hearts and minds as they climb to the top of the standings. If you love women's baseball, Wheach is the beer for you. Unless you're a Racine Belles fan, in which case you can go straight to hell.
Movie Tagline: Love is desolate. Romance is temporary. Sex is forever.
Catherine Breillat is probably the most controversial female filmmaker ever. Actually, no, Catherine Breillat is definitely the most controversial female filmmaker ever. Her 1976 film debut, A Real Young Girl (Une Vraie Jeune Fille), was banned from theaters until the year 2000 because it depicts the sexual awakening of a 14-year-old girl in graphic detail. This frank treatment of sexual themes permeates her entire filmography, as does a focus on gender politics, intimacy, violence, and sibling rivalry. It would be impossible to select her most controversial movie, as they all offend people in one way or another. Fat Girl (À ma sœur!) has an extended scene where a man coerces a teen into anal sex. Anatomy of Hell (Anatomie de l’enfer) shows a man drink tea made from a used tampon. The list goes on and on. But we've decided to focus on a different Breillat effort, 1999's Romance (Romance X). Romance is about a young woman, Marie, and her search for intimacy. Her boyfriend refuses to have sex with her, which leads her down a path that includes random sexual encounters, a series of relationships, and a sadomasochistic engagement with a much older man. She eventually gets her boyfriend to have sex with her, whereupon she gets pregnant. But this doesn't repair the rift between the couple, and she eventually leaves him in spectacular fashion. Romance is an odyssey of sexual awakening, which makes it sound like it belongs on a premium cable channel's late-night lineup (we're looking at you, Cinemax). But it is told firmly from the point of view of the female protagonist. This movie is in no way filtered through the male gaze. It is very true to its feminine sensibilities. And that's not to say it's "girlie". This is a very adult movie, in case you couldn't tell by now. But Breillat is not interested in a masculine point of view. Cinema (and, indeed, the world at large) doesn't need any more insight into that. In her own words: "There is no masculine psychology in my cinema. There is only the resentments and desires of women. A man should not attempt to recognize himself in my male characters. On the other hand, he can find [in the films] a better understanding of women. And knowledge of the other is the highest goal."
Breillat's movies are graphic in their depictions of sex and, to a lesser extent (though she may argue they go hand in hand), violence. But she is not a pornographer, as many have tried to label her. She uses frankness, sometimes to an almost clinical degree, to explore women and their understanding of their own sexuality. She shows us how women are made (by men, usually, but not exclusively) to do things they don't want to do. How they are made to hate their bodies for not being perfect. How they are afraid to voice their displeasure with something for fear of being labeled a difficult woman. A shrew. A bitch. They are marginalized and abused, but if they try to take back control over their bodies they run the risk of being labeled as loose. A tramp. A whore. Breillat tackles these topics head-on, and she is not afraid to rattle a few cages in getting her message across. Her films are bold and distinctive. Once you are familiar with her work, you can tell right away when you are watching a Catherine Breillat movie, which goes to show that she is a true auteur.
To be honest, it can easily be seen as an insult to pair this dense study of feminine sexuality with a beer called "MILF". But the reality is that Mother's Brewing has created a supremely dense, complicated beer that has all the nuance of a Catherine Breillat movie and still manages to be emotionally explosive (also like a Catherine Breillat movie). Lots of care and thought was put into this beer. Brewed with cocoa nibs and raisins before being aged in rum, sherry, bourbon, brandy and whiskey barrels, this massive beer takes on the flavors from the spirit and wood of each and every barrel. The smell of this dark beauty is fruity, spicy, boozy; amazingly complex. The taste is even more complicated, with flavors melding from one to the next with wild abandon. Every drink of this beer is different. Every time it touches your tongue you pick up something else. In lesser hands, this beer could have been a mess; a hodgepodge of disparate flavors competing for dominance. But it isn't. Every aspect works in harmony to create something truly unique. So, with this in mind, hopefully we can be forgiven for the seemingly insensitive nature of this pairing. Just like Breillat's films being called pornographic by people who can't handle their graphic nature, MILF might be too extreme for some people's tastes, but that doesn't make it any less of a towering artistic achievement.
Movie Tagline: You're either on their side... or in their way
For some reason, we've been pairing a lot of crappy movies lately. Gleaming the Cube, Black Sheep, Club Paradise, Dark Star; these are not movies of value. They are oddities and missteps. And while we hold out hope for finding the perfect beer to pair with The Room or Birdemic: Shock and Terror, we also know that we need to step up our game and start pairing movies that are actually good. Movies that have something to say, or are intellectually stimulating in some way. Movies that, at the very least, don't make you dumber for having watched them. Unfortunately, we aren't quite there yet, and today we are going to talk about Double Team. Not to be confused with Double Impact, the "Jean-Claude Van Damme plays twins" movie, Double Team is the one where JCVD and Dennis Rodman star as the titular double team, with Mickey Rourke rounding out the cast as villain and international terrorist, Stavros. And those are absolutely the only people who you will recognize from this one. To describe the "plot" would be an exercise in futility. Suffice it to say, this is a ridiculous movie. Between fireproof Coke machines, Dennis Rodman's basketball puns, and the tiger, it is difficult to say which part is the most ridiculous. But there is definitely a sick thrill to be had in watching Dennis Rodman try to be an actor, even a goofy action movie actor. He was a solid basketball player, a middling professional wrestler, and a terrible actor. It may seem wrong to refer to him in the past tense, but the only things he has done of note lately have been endorsing Donald Drumpf for president and supposedly befriending North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. With that kind of career trajectory, past tense is more than appropriate. Thankfully, we have not chosen our beer because of its similar quality to Double Team. No, we have chosen Schlafly Double Bean Blonde because it brings together a different kind of dynamic duo: coffee and chocolate. After brewing this basic blonde ale, it is rested on cocoa nibs from Ghana. Then cold coffee from St. Louis-based Kaldi's Coffee is added to round it out. The Double Bean has the rich, full flavor of coffee and chocolate, but being a Blonde Ale it is still easy-drinking and light-bodied. Which is nice because that allows you to drink more beer faster. Which will come in handy when you are watching Double Team. We promise to do a good movie next time.
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.
Movie Tagline: The most precious things are lighter than the air
First, a word about Smoked Beers. The original smoke beer, or Rauchbier, came from the Bavarian city of Bamberg, and was a beechwood-smoked Märzen. Its smoky flavor came from drying the malted barley over an open flame. Two breweries, Schlenkerla and Spezial, still make a version of this beer. Indeed, they are largely responsible for keeping this unique style alive through the years. But, more recently, brewers have sought to revive and update the smoked beer. From pilsners to stouts to sours, every style seems to be getting the smoked malt treatment. And as much as we would like to talk about each and every one of them, we are going to limit ourselves to one: a special smoked beer from Schlenkerla called Eiche. Also called Schlenkerla Oak Smoke, Eiche is only released during the Christmas season. It was never produced on a large scale because oak was always deemed too valuable a timber to simply burn. Beech was always the timber of choice because of its abundance in German forests. But the Oak Smoke was and is a special treat. This makes it go well with Smoke, a 1995 movie featuring Harvey Keitel as Auggie, the owner of a New York smoke shop frequented by a cast of accomplished character actors, including William Hurt, Stockard Channing, Jared Harris, Ashley Judd, and more. It is fairly unconventional for a slice-of-life 90s movie. It is delicately assembled, and dialogue-driven, with no big scenes to punctuate the small ones. Even the most memorable, telling lines are delivered so casually they can get lost in the shuffle if you are not listening closely. It is revelatory, but quiet; epic in a very small, personal way. Harvey Keitel is the glue that holds the movie together. He helps these frantic New Yorkers slow down and pay attention to the little things in life. He is a philosopher who draws stories out of people, and makes them look at their lives in different ways. And when it's his turn to tell a story to cap off the movie, Keitel nails it. This came out during a weird stretch in his career. Maybe not weird, but weirdly varied. He was a crook with a code of ethics in Reservoir Dogs (1992); a vile, tortured soul in Bad Lieutenant (1992); an outcast neighbor in The Piano (1993); a con man and loving father in Imaginary Crimes (1994); cool and collected as The Wolf in Pulp Fiction (1994); and a priest who's lost his faith in From Dusk Till Dawn (1996). For a guy who could easily make a career out of playing tough guys and gangsters, Harvey Keitel sure does like to keep you guessing as to what he will do next. But Smoke has more in its arsenal than just Keitel. Everyone turns in a solid performance here. And director Wayne Wang does a fantastic job of weaving the stories together so they don't seem too forced or rushed. In other hands, this movie could have easily devolved into contrivance and cliche. But it is well crafted and subtle, hitting all the right notes. Just like Schlenkerla Oak Smoke.
Movie Tagline: Anyone is an enemy for a price
Myrcenary gets its unique spelling from the organic compound myrcene, which is found in the hop flower and is largely responsible for its fragrance. While there is plenty of competition in the Double IPA market, this one still manages to stand out. It's not the gold standard used to judge all other DIPAs, but it very well could be. It rivals Hopslam, Pliny the Elder, Enjoy By, Double Jack, and Heady Topper. Those beers are all considered by beer aficionados to be as good as beer gets, and I am here to tell you that Myrcenary is in league with every single one of them. Odell may not get the recognition of your Dogfish Heads or your Russian Rivers, but they have been kicking out quality beers since 1989. And Myrcenary is their best year-round offering; it's one of their best beers, period. According to Odell, Myrcenary is "brewed with a blend of hops containing the highest levels of myrcene," leading to "a tropical fruit-like flavor, a pungent floral aroma, and a clean getaway." A clean getaway is not in store for the players in the 1998 John Frankenheimer movie Ronin. Most of them are mercenaries themselves, tasked with retrieving a silver briefcase with unknown contents before some Russian gangsters can get it. With a cast of great actors (including Robert De Niro, Sean Bean, Natascha McElhone, Jean Reno, and Jonathan Pryce) and a solid, twisting plot, Ronin rises above your common, mindless action movie to achieve real greatness. It is that rare action movie that doesn't insult your intelligence. Like Myrcenary, the recipe for success with Ronin lies with its components. Every actor is perfectly cast, with their characters highlighting specific acting strengths. Sean Bean's character, Spence, plays up Bean's ability to appear strong while showing an inner vulnerability. It's a similar characteristic he portrayed with Boromir in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. Natascha McElhone's Deirdre is strong and confident; she can hold her own against this dangerous group of men around her. Jean Reno's Vincent is cool and collected, like all French mercenaries should be. And, of course, there's De Niro. With his recent filmography, it is easy to forget just how intimidating and magnetic he once was. Not that I think he can't be that way now; I just think he's taking it easy in his golden years. The movies he makes now are like being retired from acting without actually retiring. They're easy, and he probably has a good time making them. But, back in 1998, he was taking roles like Sam in Ronin. Sam is a former CIA agent (maybe) who goes rogue to make some money (so he claims) doing illegal mercenary work. He is cold and calculating, but he is not completely unscrupulous, and he is not to be trifled with. When he is not outrunning cops and gangsters in a realistic yet exhilarating car chase through the narrow streets of Paris, he is performing self-surgery and tracking down backstabbers. It's not just the acting that makes Ronin such a refreshing departure from the over-the-top action movies of today. It features realistic car chases, with none of the physics-defying silliness you see in a Fast & Furious movie. There is no unnecessary exposition. We get the information we need to follow the action and nothing else. We don't even find out what's in the briefcase. It's a MacGuffin; it doesn't matter. And, thankfully, there's no shoehorned romantic subplot. There's sexual tension between De Niro and McElhone, naturally, but it doesn't take up screen time. It just happens. Ronin is one of those movies that, like Myrcenary, gets some recognition but still manages to seem woefully underrated. It's not De Niro's best movie, but the guy was in Goodfellas, so what are you going to do? It's still a stellar movie, and you should drink a stellar beer like Myrcenary when you watch it.
Movie Tagline: The only good bug is a dead bug
What can you even say about Starship Troopers? It is loud, brash, violent, bloody, dumb, fascist, vapid, ugly, and, most importantly, it is a fantastically entertaining satire of the military industrial complex and all the bullheaded macho bullshit that goes with it. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (of Basic Instinct infamy) and based on a novel by Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers has only recently garnered the recognition it deserves as an intelligent skewering of militarism and propaganda. For years it was taken at face value, which is unfortunate because at face value it is, as I mentioned previously, loudbrashviolentbloodydumbfascistvapidugly. When you realize that Verhoeven was intentionally making his film vapid and fascist, you can move on to an examination of what he was actually trying to say. Numerous blogs and websites have had their say on this topic, so I won't spend too much time on that. But I will say that I was just as guilty as many critics back in the day insofar as I dismissed Starship Troopers for years as being nothing more than stupid Hollywood garbage. Now, thankfully, I know better. Along those same lines, I once dismissed Against the Grain as a purveyor of gimmicky, overpriced brews whose label art was the main reason for their above-average price tags. But, having opened my mind and actually sampling some of their beers, I can see the appeal. They are pricey, sure, but so was Starship Troopers. And some of their stuff is downright sublime. Rico Sauvin does not reach the heights of some other Against the Grain beers, but it is unique and delicious in its own right. Its fruity aroma resembles that of white wine, and its tropical flavor follows suit. And, naturally, the label art is tastelessly obscene in the best possible way. Rico Sauvin, the man, seems to share some peccadilloes with Starship's Johnny Rico, including tattoos, military service, and sexual hangups. You will notice lots of strange similarities like this when pairing these two. Neither are the best work their creators have done, but both are underrated, entertaining, and well worth your time. Even if it's not Robocop, Starship Troopers is still subversive and raucously entertaining, and even if it's not the best beer you've ever had, Rico Sauvin is full of flavor and will not leave you disappointed. Come on, you apes, you wanna live forever? |
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