Category: Action/Adventure/Heist

Action/Adventure/Heist · Holiday Films

Batman Returns

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Image: Batman Returns, 1992

If you haven’t heard yet, it’s hell here. Never in my wildest nightmare did I think America would one day resemble Gotham City in Batman Returns (Disc/Download), but here we are. Gross billionaires have purchased even grosser politicians to do their evil bidding, “heroes” are kind of useless, and women have been pushed to their breaking point. Like Selina Kyle, we’re all going a little feral.

Batman Returns has always been my favorite Batman movie, for a lot of reasons. Tim Burton sets a perfectly campy tone, capturing the spirit of the earlier comic book and television show while still incorporating his signature brand of the macabre. Michael Keaton is my favorite actor to wear the cape, but in this film he’s met his true match in Michelle Pfeiffer’s Catwoman. They’ve both got secrets, which means they’re both holding back pieces of themselves. It’s an equal playing field that Batman’s never experienced before or since. Then there’s Danny DeVito as The Penguin, a character that seemed too weird to exist, until he did. By the year 2025, it’s not absurd to think that the general population would rally behind a rotund, sweaty, cartoon villain with childhood trauma and weird stuff going on with his hands. All it takes is fear mongering, and a lot of money from a corporate overlord who doesn’t care how much damage he’s inflicting on the planet, or its people.

Michelle Pfeiffer may have been responsible for a lot of unrealistic body goals in the mid-1990s with her skintight Catwoman suit, but she’s also responsible for a lot of little girls (me) thinking they could grow up and have a fabulous pink apartment full of kitschy knickknacks and neon signs. And if the mood strikes, there’s always a can of black spray paint to shake things up. While watching Batman Returns, toast the greatest female action hero with this Kitty Highball.

Kitty Highball

2 oz red wine

¾ oz ginger syrup (I used Liber & Co.)

½ oz lime juice

Soda water to top

Lime wheel (garnish)

Fill a Collins glass with ice and set aside. Combine wine, ginger syrup, and lime juice in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into prepared glass. Top with soda water and stir gently. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Gotham City looks great at the holidays, and it’s fun to experience Burton’s giant set pieces, such as exploding presents, enormous Christmas trees full of clown assassins, and snow-covered parks where Penguin feels right at home. It’s a movie that gets more and more relevant with time, but I hope it won’t stay that way forever. I’m ready for Batman Returns to go back to being a fantasy instead of a documentary. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Children's

Hook

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Image: Hook, 1991

Because Tiki bars seem to be shifting more and more toward the pirate end of the spectrum, it seems like a great opportunity to revisit one of my favorite fictional pirates, Captain Hook. If you were born between the years 1980-1984, you might love Steven Spielberg’s Hook (Disc/Download) as much as I do. And if you missed the boat (or pirate ship in this case), worry not. This movie suggests you’re never too old to fly to Neverland.

In the grand tradition of 1990s high concept films, Hook approaches the Peter Pan story in a very clever way. Peter Banning (Robin Williams) is now a grown adult, living a horrible existence as a stressed-out attorney. He misses his kids’ events, neglects his wife, and never has any fun. Ever. He doesn’t remember that he decided to abandon Neverland when he was twelve years old, having fallen for Wendy Darling’s granddaughter. He doesn’t even remember that his name used to be Peter Pan! When Peter returns to Wendy’s house at Christmas, his old nemesis Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his kids, forcing Peter to confront the truth about his origin story. In journeying to Neverland to rescue his children, Tinkerbell and the Lost Boys remind Peter that happy thoughts have the power to make him fly, and that joy and love are the most important things in life, not money.

Hook is a great movie to watch with a Tiki beverage because it really leans into the island escape fantasy. There are mermaids, beaches, jungles, and pirate ships galore, along with a truly epic coconut food fight. While watching Hook, I recommend drinking a Bangarang!

Bangarang!

1 oz Silver Rum (I used Planteray 3 Stars)

1 oz Dark Rum (I used Myers Dark Rum)

¼ oz Pot-Stilled Jamaican Rum (I used Smith & Cross)

½ oz Falernum

1 ½ oz Pineapple Juice

¾ oz Lime Juice

¾ oz Coconut Cream

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

2 Dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Suggested Garnish: orchid + dried lime wheel + edible glitter

Combine all ingredients except garnishes in a blender or drink mixer with 1 cup crushed ice. Flash blend for about 5-10 seconds, then pour entire contents into barrel mug. Garnish with an orchid and dried lime wheel, then sprinkle a little edible glitter (hello, Pixie Dust!).

Nelson’s Demise Barrel Mug by Dave “Squid” Cohen

I won’t go into too much detail about the cast because it’s epic and must be seen to be believed. But I will say that Bob Hoskins as Smee has me wishing I were a pirate wench, and Dante Basco as Lost Boy leader Rufio is still the stuff of geriatric millennials’ dreams. Revisiting a favorite childhood movie is always special because it’s a reminder that parts of you never grow up. Inside every adult, there’s still a kid who dreams of flying off to the second star to the right, straight on ‘til morning. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

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Image credit: The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 1997

Happy Jurassic Week to all who celebrate! Before I slide into my seat for Jurassic World Rebirth, I need to re-watch the six other films that came before. I’ve already covered Jurassic Park and Jurassic World on the blog, so now it’s time to reminisce about the film Steven Spielberg probably wishes he could forget: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (Disc/Download).

Before I get too far ahead of myself, I should say that I really do like this movie. I don’t find any of the Jurassic films unwatchable, though of course some are more successful than others. What keeps The Lost World from being as iconic as Jurassic Park is the convoluted script and heavier reliance on CGI over practical effects. CGI just wasn’t “there” yet in 1997, and the result looks hokey by today’s standards. However, I can overlook it because scene-stealer Jeff Goldblum is back as Dr. Malcolm, with an unexpected daughter in tow—a daughter who is also an aspiring gymnast and uses her parallel bar routine to knock out a Velociraptor???  Like I said, convoluted script. I enjoy watching Julianne Moore and Vince Vaughn give emergency medical care to a baby T-Rex, and the scene of mamma and daddy Rex attacking their trailer is fantastic. Also, the miniature dinosaurs that wear out their prey before moving in for the kill is a fun introduction to the canon. I’ve often had nightmares where a dozen cats or chihuahuas are clawing at me, so this plays into my existing fear of tiny creatures.

Because the movie takes place in the Costa Rican jungle, it seems like a great opportunity for a tropical rum cocktail. This is a variation on the traditional Last World, substituting in Rum and Yellow Chartreuse. While watching The Lost World, I recommend drinking a Lost Word cocktail.

Lost Word

2 oz Aged Rum

1/2 oz Yellow Chartreuse

1 oz Lemon Juice

3/4 oz Simple Syrup

Mint (garnish)

Combine liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint.

The final act of The Lost Island veers into King Kong territory, as the T-Rex is drugged and brought by ship to the port of San Diego. I love any monster movie where the creature roars against the backdrop of a city skyline and tosses over taxicabs, so if this was Spielberg’s nod to classic films, it sticks the landing. The Lost World may not be a “classic” itself, but at least it gives the people what they want: dinosaurs and Jeff Goldblum. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Classic Films

Mutiny on the Bounty

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Image credit: Mutiny on the Bounty, 1935

For swashbuckling fun and a trip to Hollywood’s version of the South Seas, you can’t beat 1935’s Mutiny on the Bounty (Disc/Download). Pair it with a coconut-laced Tiki beverage and make believe you’re on the bow of a ship with the wind in your hair…or is that the hurricane gale of a revolution?

Starring Clark Gable as compassionate seaman Fletcher Christian, and Charles Laughton as corrupt bully Captain Bligh, this is a terrific adventure film full of high-stakes drama and ocean vistas. For me, the main selling point is Clark Gable in a low-cut blouse (the way it sets his shoulders off… oof), but it’s also super satisfying to watch a man with morals defeat someone rotten to the core. Christian’s mad as hell and he’s not going take it anymore!! The ultimate reward here is freedom from tyrannical dictators, and with any luck, this seaman and his blouses can retire in peace to a thatched hut and an endless supply of coconuts. Would that we all could.

Although this movie was made during the start of the Polynesian craze (both in Hollywood films as well as nearby Don the Beachcomber’s), this week’s drink hails from the 1970s. My version, while not 100% authentic, includes some of the flavors mentioned in the movie, such as Brandy and coconut, so I have to believe Donn Beach would approve. After all, it sells the fantasy! While watching Mutiny on the Bounty, I recommend drinking a classic Tradewinds cocktail.

TRADEWINDS

1 oz Black Spiced Rum

1 oz Brandy

1 oz Apricot Liqueur

1 ½ oz Coconut Cream

1 oz Lemon Juice

2 cups Crushed Ice

Combine all ingredients into a blender. Blend for about 5-10 seconds, then pour entire contents into a Pilsner glass. Garnish with a lemon wheel and inside-out cocktail umbrella to signal a strong wind!

After filming on Catalina wrapped, the sets were turned into a Tiki bar named Christian’s Hut, bringing the magic of the movie to life, one drink at a time. I like to imagine Clark Gable would have enjoyed a highball or two, while wearing one of those low-cut blouses. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist

Hackers

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Image credit: Hackers, 1995

I love movies that serve as time capsules of a particular era, so when the opportunity to watch 1995’s Hackers (Disc/Download) came to me, I embraced it wholeheartedly. I assumed the acting would be bad, the special effects laughable, and the technology quaint. But the soundtrack and style…now that would be worth my time. 

Was I right in my assumptions? Yes and no. The actors (with the exception of Fisher Stevens and his unfortunate facial hair) are engaging, in the way that young celebrities juuust before they’ve broken out often are. There’s a star quality to Angelina Jolie even if this particular script doesn’t allow her talents to soar. She’s all red-eyeshadow-and-punk-wardrobe as teen hacker Acid Burn, existing on a separate ethereal plane of coolness. Likewise, Jonny Lee Miller with his roller blades and bleached hair make actual hackers seem a lot sexier than they probably were at the time. And that’s the essence of Hackers: it’s not particularly accurate, either in terms of high school representation or hacker culture, but it captures a fantasy of both. And as with most things, I tend to enjoy the fantasy more than reality. How do you make large data transfers and floppy discs seem exciting? By playing some Electronica and letting Matthew Lillard loose on an unsuspecting audience.

The teens in this movie attempt to hack the “Gibson” supercomputer, which seems like a great opportunity to drink a Gibson cocktail. This version is a little dirty, since everyone seems to be chasing a stolen “garbage file”.  While watching Hackers, I recommend drinking a Dirty Gibson.

Dirty Gibson

2 ½ oz Gin

½ oz Vermouth

1 tsp Onion Brine

Pickled Red Onion (garnish) Note: I made my own pickled onions for this, but they are also sold commercially.

Combine gin, vermouth, and onion brine in a shaker with ice. Stir to chill, then strain into a coupe or martini glass. Garnish with a pickled red onion.

Overall, I enjoyed Hackers. It’s nice to watch a version of hacking where some teenager just wants to broadcast reruns of The Outer Limits instead of stealing all our data and sending it to Russia. Those were the days. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Comedies

The Fall Guy

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Image credit: The Fall Guy, 2024

I didn’t post a “Best of 2024” list in December because in general, movies are terrible now. However, if I had made a list, The Fall Guy (Disc/Download) would have been included. In a barren wasteland of sequels, franchises, and edgy (read: depressing/scary/boring) indies, this movie stands out for its delightful script, star power, and rarest of all, its romantic plot line.

David Leitch is a director I’ve had my eye on since Bullet Train, and his winning streak of comedic action films continues with this tale of a washed-up stuntman trying to revive his career and his love life. Ryan Gosling is a natural fit for the sarcastic adrenaline seeker, while Emily Blunt is perfect as his former flame/current director who hides her vulnerability behind a tough, capable exterior. It’s only when she’s alone with Gosling that she lets the weight of her responsibilities fall for just a moment, and who better to catch her than the guy who’s made a career out of absorbing blows? Their banter is great, and while the film’s central plot about a stunt double trying to rescue his narcissistic leading man from a group of “very bad people” is a little far-fetched, it leads to some great action sequences featuring flaming boats, a mid-air helicopter grab, and the expert skills of Jean Claude, the French-speaking attack dog.

They say every great character or story has to have a goal, and in this case, that goal is drinking spicy margaritas on a beach somewhere, and maybe making some bad decisions. While watching The Fall Guy, I recommend drinking this Spicy Margarita.

Spicy Margarita

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt (for rimming)

2 oz Blanco Tequila

1 oz Cointreau

1 oz Lime Juice

3-4 slices Jalapeño Pepper (plus extra for garnish)

Run a lime wedge around the edge of a glass, and dip it in the salt. Fill with ice, and set aside. Fill a separate shaker with ice, and add the tequila, Cointreau, lime juice, and jalapeño pepper slices. Shake to chill, then pour through a fine mesh strainer into prepared glass. Garnish with more jalapeño slices.

If the only way to get romantic movies out of Hollywood is to fill them with extreme stunts and explosions, then I suppose I’ll have to accept it. But pretty please, also fill them with great actors like Gosling and Blunt, hilarious banter, and some really tasty cocktails. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Classic Films

High Sierra

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Image credit: High Sierra, 1941

Ida Lupino is having a moment. An actress I’ve always enjoyed, as well as a director I’ve idolized since the first time I saw The Trouble With Angels, this trailblazing icon is finally getting her due thanks to a new biography by Alexandra Seros and a highlighted collection on the Criterion Channel. Before most of the Ida films leave the Channel at the end of this month, I’m making it my beeswax to watch as many as possible, including one of her best: High Sierra (Disc/Download).

Although this film is more often remembered as a star-making vehicle for Humphrey Bogart, Ida’s performance is equally memorable. Her character Marie starts out as the unsatisfied plaything of two inept criminals, but when Bogey enters the scene as infamous bank robber Roy Earle, she knows immediately which guy deserves her attention: the one with the brains. Pining for Earle, while he pines for a young, innocent girl with a club foot (just go with me here), Marie is the steady, loyal presence he needed all along. Although any romance with a thief on the run seems doomed, at least for a short time, this desperado forms a little family with a good woman and an even better dog.

Speaking of dogs, it’s the adorable terrier Pard who helps us realize Earle (and Bogey) are complex characters. They’re not strictly “the heavy”, but they’re not fully innocent either. A complex man deserves a complex blend of liquors, so that’s just what I’m serving up this week. While watching High Sierra, I recommend drinking a Desperado cocktail.

Desperado

1/2 oz Blanco Tequila

1/2 oz Bourbon

3/4 oz Cointreau

1/2 oz Lemon Juice

2 Dashes Angostura Bitters

2 oz Sparkling Wine

2 oz Sparkling Water

Orange Slice and Cherry (garnish)

Combine tequila, bourbon, Cointreau, lemon juice, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a highball glass filled with fresh ice. Top with sparkling wine and sparkling water, and stir gently. Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Part noir, part melodrama, part heist movie, High Sierra checks a lot of my favorite boxes. It’s definitely one I’ll be watching again and again, specifically any time I need to travel vicariously to a 1940s Sierra Nevada mountain resort. Meanwhile, I have more Ida Lupino movies to get through, classic film books to read, and a clever dog to spoil. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Uncategorized

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom

LizLocke2 Comments
Image credit: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, 1984

A much-anticipated trip to experience the Indiana Jones Adventure at Disneyland prompted this week’s watch; the second installment of Spielberg’s Indy trilogy that I’ve always referred to as “the gross one”: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (Disc/Download). As a child, I couldn’t get past the monkey brain scene, but as an adult, I made it all the way through pits of fire and creepy crawlies, and a sprawling underground city of child slave labor. When I tell you I have earned that trip to Disneyland, believe it.

Although my favorite Indiana Jones movie will always be Last Crusade, the sheer weirdness of Temple of Doom bumps it up to second place in my eyes. Imagine, you create a character that looks like he came straight from the Golden Age of Cinema, a hero adults and children can all rally around, and then you… send him into a whirlpool of black magic and voodoo cults. You serve him eyeball soup and raw beetles. You give him a heroine who, while stylish and beautiful, is fairly annoying throughout the entirety of the film. If not for Short Round and the fabulous production design, there wouldn’t be much to recommend in this movie. However, the relationship between adventurer and precocious child is every bit as fun as the one between adventurer and precocious old man in Last Crusade. This movie takes the viewer on a circuitous, bizarre ride, but it manages to keep Harrison sweaty and shirtless for a satisfactory amount of time. And at this particular moment in my life, that’s enough for me.

Make no mistake, the banquet scene is still gross. It helps if you have a cocktail and a blindfold, and preferably an empty stomach. While watching Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, I recommend drinking this Temple ‘Tini.

Temple ‘Tini

1 1/2 oz Dark Spiced Rum

1/4 oz Banana Liqueur

1/4 oz Vanilla syrup

3/4 oz Cold Brew

3 dashes Ginger Bitters

Gummy snake (garnish)

Combine ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a gummy snake.

Although the Disney Imagineers built a ride inspired by the production design of Temple of Doom, I really wish they had instead focused on the Shanghai nightclub where this story begins. Like Rick’s Café, Club Obi Wan looks like the perfect place to sip a cocktail amid the chaos of war, or crowds of screaming children. A missed opportunity, Disney. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Classic Films

The Flight of the Phoenix

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Image credit: The Flight of the Phoenix 1965

Completing my month of “Desert Movies” (a theme I never imagined I’d tackle, but stumbled into and embraced): a Jimmy Stewart classic that was new to me, The Flight of the Phoenix (Disc/Download). Featuring a terrific opening credits sequence that’s equal parts cheesy and thrilling, this movie’s tone is all over the place. But like that busted old plane, it comes together in the end.

Serving as a bridge between ensemble war dramas of the 1950s and the disaster flicks of the 1970s, The Flight of the Phoenix features a seemingly incongruous cast but takes itself seriously enough that you wouldn’t put it in the same category as say, The Towering Inferno. It’s Classic Hollywood (Jimmy Stewart, Ernest Borgnine, Richard Attenborough)-meets-New Hollywood (Peter Finch, Ian Bannen, etc.). It’s a pilot from an analog era crash-landing with an engineer from the emerging digital age. Through these contradictions, the film stays interesting and engaging, even when the scenery doesn’t change a whole lot. We’re there for the acting and the script, not the desert vistas and sunburns. Admittedly, things drag a bit in the middle as the crash survivors attempt to turn the scraps of their old plane into something flyable (before dying of dehydration or getting killed by Libyans), but the exciting climax makes the wait worthwhile. That, and the terrific Connie Francis song “Senza Fine” that’s so out of place, yet incredibly welcome.

Before the plane crashes, the passengers and crew are both getting a little wild with the booze. Ouzo is the drink of choice in the main cabin, while Dickie Attenborough is imbibing something else on the flight deck. I found a great recipe for a classic cocktail that uses Old Tom gin, which very well could have been in his bottle, and my garnish is a Medjool date because that’s all the food these poor men had. Just… dates. While watching The Flight of the Phoenix, I recommend drinking a Phoenix cocktail.

Phoenix

1 1/2 oz Old Tom Gin

1/8 oz Bénédictine

2-3 dashes Orange Bitters

Orange Twist

Medjool Date

Combine gin, Bénédictine, and bitters in a shaker filled with ice. Stir to combine and chill, then strain into a Nick & Nora glass. Garnish with a twist of orange, and a skewered date.

It’s thrilling to watch Jimmy Stewart in the cockpit, given his decorated career as a military pilot during WWII. You get the sense that he truly loved filming these scenes, and he looks totally at home even when flying a scabbed together piece of fuselage. Yes, Jimmy’s a great actor, but he’s even better when the real hero inside of him shines through. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Classic Films

King Kong

LizLocke1 Comment
Image credit: King Kong, 1933

I’ve written before about my love of Kong, Godzilla, Indominus Rex, and pretty much any large prehistoric creature that roams the jungle and has a complicated relationship with humans. I’ve also written about my love of Tiki cocktails, so this week, I’m combining my two favorite things with the original 1933 King Kong (Disc/Download) and a banana-flavored tropical concoction.

For many years, my only relationship to the classic King Kong was knowing that Sandra Dee calls it a “wonderful old horror number” in A Summer Place, using it as a cover for why she has to stay out so late with her boyfriend. They have to watch it twice! Frankly, if the choice is between a double feature of Kong and Kong, or losing my virginity to Troy Donahue, I’d go with the ape every time. The movie is that good! For those familiar with the Peter Jackson 2005 remake, the original is extremely similar to that version, but isn’t bogged down by pacing problems. I’m sorry Mr. Jackson, but you don’t need three-and-a-half hours to show us how a giant ape was taken from his island and set loose in New York City. In 1933, they kept the character backstories tight, they kept the dinosaur fights to only the essentials, and they didn’t waste a lot of time once Kong hit Manhattan. Although stop motion animation is no match for our modern visual effects, it still blows my mind how ahead of its time this movie is. I feel the power of Kong’s strength, just like I feel his vulnerability, whether I can see every strand of hair on his head or not. That’s true movie magic.

One of my favorite cocktail trends of 2024 has been the resurgence of banana liqueur. I’m seeing it in so many things, from Spritzes to Old Fashioneds, making every drink it graces feel like a vacation. If you want to take a trip to Skull Island, try mixing up this Eighth Wonder of the World cocktail.

Eighth Wonder of the World

1 ½ oz Aged Gold Rum

¼ oz Kahlua Coffee Liqueur

¼ oz Banana Liqueur

½ oz Orgeat Syrup

1 ½ oz Pineapple Juice

¾ oz Lemon Juice

Dash Angostura Bitters

Pineapple garnish

Combine Rum, Kahlua, banana liqueur, orgeat, pineapple juice, lemon juice, and bitters in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a glass filled with fresh crushed ice. Garnish with a pineapple wedge.

If I had to pick a favorite iteration of King Kong, it is undoubtedly this original 1933 version. Not only does it feature the sensitive beast I know and love, but there are dinosaurs, an ocean crossing, a short runtime, and a feisty Pre-Code heroine. Fay Wray isn’t your average damsel in distress; she’s a survivor. It’s no wonder beauty killed the beast. Cheers!