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.
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