Movie And A Beer

On this COVID-sode of Movie And A Beer we discuss an early 80's space drama titled Space Raiders with our special youth correspondent Otto. While the film reuses sets, scenes, special effects, and parts of other space based films from that period, it isn't horrible or bad. We really enjoyed it but warn you, the script is so predictable that we were able to say the lines along with the actors even if we had never seen the film before. 

The two beers that we enjoyed with the film were from Bellevue Brewing in WA and Ninkasi Brewing in OR. Otto was introduced to the joy's of Squirt, a wonderful old-school grapefruit soda that's been around for many decades.  

On this COVIDsode of Movie And A Beer we had the pleasure of reviewing the 2017 action flick Baby Driver and a few beers which we enjoyed while watching it. The film has a large ensemble cast of well-known actors and doesn't miss on the shooting and driving (even if the dialogue is thin and misses).

Out of the three beers we tried, we would all agree that a smooth and easy drinker would be best to go with it since the main character 'Baby' is more smooth than sharp. The beers were from Pizza Port Brewing, Wayfinder Brewing, and Block 15 Brewing. 

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we discuss the 2020 IFC independent release Tesla, which stars Ethan Hawke playing Nikola Tesla. This bio-pic is a mix of genres and storytelling that is both dry and interesting for history buffs while leaving everyone else a bit frazzled. 

We discuss the three beers we sampled during the viewing of the film and lament about how they didn't really go with the movie but were quality unto themselves. The beers were from Oakshire Brewing, Founders Brewing, and Stickman Brewing. 

Next up on Movie And A Beer is the classic 1989 film, Gleaming the Cube. Staring a young Christian Slater as Brian Kelly, a 16-year-old skateboarder who's skating skills are secondary to his investigation skills as he tries to solve the death of his adopted Vietnamese brother.

We discovered quickly that this film wasn't what we remembered as it's not just about skating, but examines the complex the social dynamics of the Asian culture in southern California in the late 1980's gazed through the eyes of a young skating punk. The beers we picked have amazing labels that reminded us of the film, so listen in to find out the what and the why. 

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss the binge-worthy show you can find on-demand, Season 01 of DEVS written by Alex Garland.  This futuristic 8 part TV series takes place outside of San Francisco and provides a fascinating glimpse into the world of technology, timelines, and prediction engines that balance the cause and effect of life. 

We run down the list of beers we sampled during the first set of episodes we binged on our own and then recommend a few styles that work with the start/middle and last episodes we watched together. 

In this 'stay at home' episode of Movie And A Beer, we take a look into the past at one of Tom Cruise's first acting roles from 1985, the legendary film LEGEND.  While you may be wondering why we would pick such an old film to review, we discovered that one of us had not seen it before and this demanded we watch it. Any chance to see Tim Curry in a head to toe red devil outfit is a MUST SEE event! 

While the movie does have issues, and most if not all of the special effects are really poorly done (including the glitter that's on everything), we did have a good time enjoying a couple of locally sourced beers. We spend some time discussing the finer points of the beers and how these might actually outweigh the quality of the film and acting. 

On this special double episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss a set of movies to pair up with a couple of wonderful beers from 10 Barrel Brewing. We grouped the films with a few things in mind, and offer up a broad selection of sci-fi classics and wonderful family films.

10 Barrel Brewing provided us with Guava and Raspberry Crush beers and asked "what would you watch with these?" We were lucky enough to discuss with some of their representatives the range and styles of movies that would go well with each of these sour beers and here's the list for each beer:

Guava Crush - Gremlins - Princess Bride - Cars
​Raspberry Crush - Evil Dead - Reservoir Dogs - ​​​E.T.

On this stay-at-home episode of Movie And A Beer, our youth correspondent Otto joined us for a wonderful Japanese animated movie, Spirited Away by Hiyao Miyazaki. Thought of by many as one of the greatest animated films ever made, this film brings you along on a journey of self-discovery and growth of a young girl as she struggles with trying to free herself and parents from the land of the spirits. 

We enjoyed three import beers from Japan during this episode (and taping) with young Otto sipping on a root beer from Henry Weinhard's. The beers included a Yuzu Salt Ale and Umami IPA, both from Yo-Ho Brewing, and a Kirin Ichiban special lager. You'll have to listen to the episode to learn about them and how they fit with this wonderful film.

On this pandemic stay-at-home episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched a couple of oldies-but-goodies in celebration of May the 4th (Star Wars unofficial holiday) from the TV cartoon Family Guy - Blue Harvest, which is a spoof on Star Wars Episode 4 (New Hope), and Something Something Something Dark Side, a spoof on Star Wars Episode 5 (The Empire Strikes Back). 

While we enjoyed these two wonderful episodes, we enjoyed a few beers that we obtained from a local bar/restaurant (to-go). We discuss the different styles and how they worked and what we recommend for you to enjoy at home during this difficult time. 

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we talk about the western film 3:10 to Yuma and the two beers we had during it. This film was directed by James Mangold and filmed in New Mexico. It includes Peter Fonda who was in the original film from 1957. 

The story follows outlaw Ben Wade who’s played by Russell Crowe. Ben and his gang terrorize the 1800s Arizona countryside where he frequently targets the Southern Railroad (stagecoach) until he is finally captured. Wade must be brought to trial and taken to federal prison for sentencing and hanging. Dan Evans who's played by Christian Bale volunteers to help take the prisoner to catch the 3:10 train to Yuma. Their relationship is a rough and challenging one throughout the film. Luckily we struck gold with one of the beers selected for this viewing and that brought the story to life. 

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we talk about the animated kids film Coco and the three Mexican beers we sampled while watching. We had with us a special guest who's going to be our kids-movie expert (as he's a kid). We all loved the film as it provides a great story and visual exploration into Mexican religious and cultural traditions. The family dynamic that drives the story is one that is relatable to most kids and those chasing their dreams.

We were excited to share this episode with someone that could provide us a real kids' perspective, and he got to discuss his rootbeer that he enjoyed during the film.  

On this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss the 2019 film Honey Boy which was written by and stars Shia LaBeouf. In the film, he plays James Lort the father to Otis Lort. We discovered that this film is a bit bitter and luckily we had a bitter beer to go with it.

The semi-autobiographical story of Shia is played by two actors, the older one in recovery, Lucas Hedges, and Noah Jupe, the 12-year-old version who's story and life are shared with the audience. Otis is a childhood actor and is just surviving day to day, balancing his chaotic life with a demanding and abusive father. While this is a challenging film to watch, we think it's a good characterization of what it's like to be a young actor and have demanding parents that don't let you be you.  

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss the 2019 Oscar-nominated film Ford v Ferrari starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale and the four (2 American and 2 Italian) beers we sampled while watching it. The film is a long one, over two hours and fit for young adults and kids that are interested in cars. The film covers the struggles of the Ford Motor Company in the 1950s as they attempted to beat Ferrari in the Le Mans 24 hr. road race. 

The two leads develop a strong bond in the film as the learn to trust each other and the cars they are building and experimenting on. While the film does have a lot of racing, there are some memorable moments that made the battle with Ferrari even more fun to watch. 

The four beers we sampled were of the lager variety, and we ended up enjoying all of them, with a split decision on who was the best. Listen in on the episode to hear the details and why we feel you should pick something lighter and enjoyable while viewing this great film.  

In this installment of Movie And A Beer, we review the recent adaptation of Little Women which is based on the classic novel of the same name, and the beers we enjoyed with it at two different theaters here in Portland Oregon. The story takes place in America during the civil war and follows the March family as the sisters grow up and become adults. 

As with all families, they go through lots of traumatic experiences, and this film covers those with an interesting approach to multiple storylines and flashbacks to trace their history and decision making. 

We watched this film at the St. Johns Twin Cinemas and Cinema 21 here in Portland. We were able to try a variety of beers and would like to recommend that you find a lighter beer to start with and perhaps move onto a heavier one about midway through, as the film and subject matter become more serious and what you enjoy with it should as well. 

In this double episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss a couple of challenging films, Jojo Rabbit and Marriage Story, and the wonderful beers we enjoyed while watching them. First up was Jojo Rabbit, a WWII comedy/satire that follows the ups and downs of a young 10-year-old boy Jojo during the end of the war and how his view of the Jews and the Nazi regime has been wrong all along. Written and directed by Taika Waititi, the film does have some light-hearted moments, but it's not all fun and games for young Jojo.

We enjoyed some German beers (imports) while watching this film, we highly recommend that you find a Kolsch, or Kolsch style beer to enjoy as it's a lighter film and sipping on a refreshing beverage that is lighter matched up closely.

The second film we review is Marriage Story, a film by Noah Baumbach that covers a messy divorce of an actress played by Scarlett Johansson and her director husband played by Adam Driver. This is what we would call a slow trainwreck that you're forced to watch for over two hours. While the beers we tried and enjoyed were worth the time spent, we have some questions and concerns about this film and how hard it is to watch. 

We purchased a few Irish beers to sample (Guinness, Smithwicks, and Harps) and an American Milk Stout from Left Hand Brewing to contrast against those. We discuss each briefly and highly recommend that you find something you'll enjoy while watching regardless of its origin - foreign or domestic. 

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss the WW1 film 1917 by Sam Mendez. A challenging and visually stunning film based in 1917 that follows a couple of soldiers as they traverse the German front line to deliver an important letter to another British military unit. 

We were able to enjoy this movie at the St. Johns Twin Cinemas here in Portland and enjoyed a couple of small pitchers of Ex Novo's Hoppy Pilsner. We all enjoyed this film but had some reservations about the beer. 

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we review the film Uncut Gems. This is a great film that follows a jewelry dealer in New York in 2012 as he gambles everything on that 'big win'. 

There are guest appearances by professional (NBA) basketball players and a few well-known Hollywood actors to support an amazing script/story and film. With the film, we enjoyed a locally produced beer, New England/Juicy IPA Orange Whip by Fortside Brewing in Vancouver WA.  

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we review Parasite, a dark comedy from South Korean (foreign film with subtitles), and briefly discuss the beers we drank at Cinema 21 in Portland OR while watching it.

This is one of the best movies of the past few years that we've seen. Amazing storytelling, amazing acting, plot twists, an examination of the society, and how rich and poor treat each other. 

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss Zombieland Doubletap, a followup film to the first Zombieland that came out 10 years ago. We watched this film and enjoyed three different beers at the Livingroom Theaters in downtown Portland OR.

We really enjoyed this "zom-bedy" (zombie comedy) as the writing and actors don't take themselves too seriously. They break the fourth wall occasionally and even make fun of the way they portray zombies. Overall a fun film and the beers we picked to go with it were spot on. 

In this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss the Joker, a film the three of us watched at Regal Cinemas at the Fox Tower in downtown Portland OR. We also discuss each of the beers we enjoyed while screening the film. 

This comic book movie isn’t as much of a superhero film that is a retelling of a comic book character's origin story. It's a direct homage to the 1970's movies that portrayed society and its faults directly. Director Todd Phillips casts Joaquin Phoenix as a mentally ill professional clown Authur Fleck whose life starts to unravel, leading to the birth of the "Joker".