Movie And A Beer

On this special Halloween episode of Movie And A Beer we watched the early 80's Pioneer Horror/Slasher flick Eyes Of Fire.  Directed by Avery Crounse, the movie is set in 1750 and traces an adulterous preacher and his followers as they are forced out of a colonial village. They become stranded in a remote forest that is cursed and haunted by spirits. We spent some time discussing how this is somewhat of an experimental film due tor its surreal handmade optical effects and eerie atmosphere. It's not something we would go out of our way to watch. 

Luckily we had three pumpkin beers to sip along the way from some amazing breweries to include Laurelwood Brewing (OR), Anderson Valley Brewing (CA), and Hopworks Brewing (OR). All of these pumpkin/gourd beers were great in flavor, excellent in approach, and made it worth watching the movie. Give the episode a listen to hear more about these and why narration is sometime important when presenting random clips of film that don't make a story. 

On this exciting Marvel superhero episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched the Thunderbolts*. The movie follows an unconventional team of antiheroes -- Yelena Belova, Bucky Barnes, Red Guardian, Ghost, Taskmaster and John Walker. After finding themselves ensnared in a death trap set by Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, these anti-hero's find themselves thrown into a mission that will not only bring them together, but force them to examine their not so super-hero past. 

While enjoying the action on screen, we sipped three fresh hop beers. First up was a Fresh Hop Mexican Lager from Xicha Brewing, followed by a Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Oak Union, and last but not least, a Fresh Hop IPA from Grand Fir Brewing. Give the episode a listen if you're interested in learning about the what and why of Fresh Hop beers as we spend a little time discussing the process and what it does to the beer. 

We shift gears for this episode of Movie And A Beer and explored the 1973 western classic by with Clint Eastwood, High Plains Drifter. This is one of the few supernatural and non-traditional approaches to the typical presentation of 'old west' characters and story. There isn't a clear delineation between who's good and bad as you follow what happens when a stranger that comes to a small town just to end up helping them and exacting his revenge. Given chances to redeem themselves, the townsfolk don't make the right choices and end up realizing what they've done too late. 

For the episode beers, we went with a couple of traditional "pre-prohibition/classic American" style lagers to sip with the movie. First up was Outlaw Light Lager (CO) and second was Freight American Lager (OR). Both went well and provided a nice level of comfort while we enjoyed the movie. Give the episode a listen to hear some discussion about the impact of this movie on the Western genre and how effective it is in what it's presenting. 

Here we are, 200th episode for Movie And A Beer. This time around we wanted to watch a classic and fun movie from the 1990's and ended up with Jurassic Park. Directed by Steven Spielberg and based off of a great book, it blends many elements of horror, suspense, drama, and sci-fi all wrapped around some amazing special effects. The story follows two dinosaur experts, played by Sam Neill and Laura Dern along with a mathematician played by Jeff Goldblum as they experience the Jurassic Park that was built around dinosaurs being brought back to life using questionable genetic methods. Of course, throw in a couple of grandkids, a hurricane, and a greedy employee that shuts down the park to steal it's secrets and you get a great suspenseful drama that entertains while teaching you about dinosaurs while trying to escape from them. 

Along for the ride were three Oktoberfest beers from Wayfinder (OR), Tiny Giants (OR), and Level Beer (OR). We were lucky enough to have examples of both the lighter Fest style and Marzen styles and a fresh hop iteration. All three were winners, so we lucked out there. Give the episode a listen to hear about that and our thoughts on the film as it compares to other Spielberg movies. 

The year 2023 brings us a crazy yet amazing film titled Beau Is Afraid. A movie by Ari Aster who's known for their horror films, brings you a story that is part horror, part psychological thriller, and part fantasy. It stars Joaquin Phoenix as Beau, a troubled and challenged man who is discovering that his memories of his mother aren't all what they seems to be, but what he accepts and deals with throughout the movie. Following Beau as he travels to visit his mother, there's trauma, drama, and really well acted scenes that are framed by a visual beauty that helps bring you along for the journey. 

As this was a three hour movie, we sampled three different lighter beers to help us cope with it all. First up was a German style pilsner from Fast Fashion (WA), followed by a west coast pilsner by Ghost Town Beer (CA), and lastly we finished it up with a collaboration 4th anniversary beer by Living Haus (OR). All three went well with their respective parts of the film, but you may find other things to help support you through the experience. Listen in for our perspective on this strange but engaging film and some ideas on what you might want to drink along with it. 

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we visit 2004 and experienced an amazing horse race across the Arabian Desert in Hidalgo. Rugged cowboy Frank Hopkins (Viggo Mortensen) is an expert horseman who is at the end of his career and performs (mostly drunk) in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Honor is at steak when Sheik Riyadh (Omar Sharif) challenges the Americans to a long-distance horse race that is called the Ocean of Fire. Hopkins has the support of his friends and travels to the Middle East with his American mustang Hidalgo. Loss and challenges abound as they cross the desert and face the impossible.

While the movie is over 2 hours long, we were able to sip on three great beers along the way to help us cope with the dry desert on the screen. First up was an American Lager collaboration between Grand Fir (OR) and Pelican Brewing, second up was a Kolsch by Van Henion Brewing (OR), bring up the rear was a Mexican style Lager from Norte Beer (OR). Each brought something unique to the film and we discuss a bit of the history and cultural approaches the film takes. Give the episode a listen to hear about this and much, much more. 

We revisit 1999 with The Mummy, a romantic comedy blended nicely with an action film staring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. These two along with a large group of excellent supporting characters are mixed up in an expedition of treasure-seeking explorers in the Sahara Desert in 1925. Stumbling upon an ancient tomb, the hunters unwittingly set loose a 3,000-year-old curse in Hamunaptra by accidentally resurrecting The Mummy named Imhotep at the City of the Dead. 

With a two hour movie, we decided to go with three beers while watching. We started with a West Coast IPA from Grains of Wrath (WA), second was a Hazy IPA from Long Beach Beer Lab (CA), and lastly a Rice Lager from Wayfinder Beer (OR). All three were decent, some went along better than expected. Listen to the episode to hear about these and some history around action films of the late 1990's. 

On this wartime and historical drama driven episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched Pressure, a 2026 film directed by Anthony Maras. Based on a play about the decision made by the Allied Commander General Dwight D. Eisenhower (Brendan Fraser) to go or not to go on June 5th, the projected D-Day invasion of France. The weather forecast is the driving force behind the choices made and decision to delay D-Day. The two main weather forecasters, Scottish Captain James Stagg (Andrew Scott) and his American counterpart Irving Krick (Chris Messina) burn up the screen with conflict and challenges to their scientific methods. The story is gripping, the acting is pretty decent, and the location and historical footage that is included make this a worth while watch.

We had a couple of beers to go with this movie. First was a Summer Shandy from Block 15 (OR), followed by an American IPA by Kings and Daughters Brewing (OR). One really didn't go with the film while the other was spot on. Give the episode a listen to hear why, and a rundown on what the scientific method is and what it matters in this movie. 

2025 Japan brings us this episode of Movie And A Beer with Rental Family, a drama that follows Phillip, an American actor (Brendan Fraser) who lives and works in Tokyo and struggles to find purpose until he lands an unusual gig acting or playing different roles to help people find some happiness and joy in their lives. Directed by HIKARI, this film has great actors and the story brings traditional Japanese life to the screen in a way that is honorable to their culture and expectations, while showing they can also be rigid and challenging. 

We had a couple of great beers along the way, first was a Portland Xtra Pale Ale from Vice Beer (WA) and then a West Coast IPA from Obelisk (OR). While one really stood out, both were decent and were worth checking out. Give the episode a listen to hear about those beers and some great discussion about this unique experience in Japan. 

On this fantasy driven episode of Movie And A Beer, we review The Yinyang Master, a Chinese release from 2021. This is a big screen adaption of the mobile game "Onmyoji" which is a story about a feud that erupts between the human and demon realms. It closely follows Yinyang master Qing Ming as he teams up with disgraced guard Yuan Boya to vanquish a demonic threat as a conspiracy looms. While this story is not terribly complex, the visuals and overall impact of the writing is well thought out and worth the two hours to watch it. 

We enjoyed a couple of beers along the way, first up was a  Czech style lager from Ruse Brewing (OR), second up was a Dark Lager from Single Hill Brewing (WA). Give the episode a listen to hear about these and a great discussion about the story and how it provides a great perspective on topics like slavery and forgiveness.