Category: Dramas

Classic Films · Dramas

Picnic

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Image: Picnic, 1955

In my professional opinion, summertime calls for fruity cocktails and shirtless classic film heartthrobs. This week’s film Picnic (Disc/Download) is full of hot people who can’t handle their passion or their liquor, and I think of it as a precursor to my other favorite movie in this hyper-specific genre, Splendor in the Grass. William Inge has always been the king of summer lust.

On first glance, the town in this movie gives me goosebumps because it looks so similar to where I spent my summers in rural Ohio. The actual location is Kansas, but it could be any Midwestern town where houses come with a big backyard, a nosy old woman or two, and a wholesome charm that makes you feel safe enough to ride a bike through the streets with no adult supervision. In Picnic, this wholesomeness contrasts with the dangerous new energy introduced by a handsome drifter (William Holden). He catches the eye of his old chum’s girlfriend (Kim Novak), and works an unmarried, old-maid school teacher (Rosalind Russell) into a drunken lather. Holden and Novak have amazing chemistry, and it makes sense why they’d both throw their lives down the drain for a chance at passion: a life without it would be no life at all.

The movie gets its title from the town’s Labor Day picnic, and what’s a picnic without a giant wall of watermelon?

This cocktail is summer in a glass, and it’s the perfect choice to cool you off when William Holden starts looking too damn hot. While watching Picnic, I recommend drinking this Watermelon Cosmo. 

Watermelon Cosmo

½ cup fresh watermelon juice

2 oz vodka

¾ oz Cointreau

½ oz lime juice

Mint sprig, fresh watermelon (garnish)

Pulse seedless watermelon cubes in a blender until you have about a cup. Strain through a fine mesh sieve, and put ½ cup strained juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Add vodka, Cointreau, and lime juice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with a cube of fresh watermelon and a sprig of mint.

Picnic is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, and until I get the opportunity to experience its full CinemaScope brilliance, the living room will simply have to do. No bugs, plenty of cocktails, and no chance of sunburn—my favorite kind of picnic. Cheers!

Dramas

Milk

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Milk, 2008

Since my summer vacation includes a stop in San Francisco during Pride Month, now seems like a great time to watch one of my favorite biopics, Milk (Disc/Download). Gus Van Sant’s film about trailblazing politician Harvey Milk is essential viewing for anyone who wants to learn more about the gay rights movement, and it’s also a perfect reminder of why the fight continues today.

In our current world, a politician like Harvey Milk seems almost unfathomable. He fought against bigots like Anita Bryant and John Briggs not with hateful rhetoric or kowtowing to the middle, but by taking the radical stance that queer people must come out of the closet and face their oppressors head-on. He reasoned that if more people knew how many of their friends, co-workers, family members, and community members were gay, they would realize the fight is personal. They would understand that gay rights is human rights because these are human beings they already know and love. It was a winning strategy that got an archaic bill targeting gay and lesbian educators defeated, and it raised Harvey’s name recognition throughout the country. Finally, this marginalized community felt like they had a protector in government. But of course, this being America, hope was defeated by gun violence and an entitled, petulant man with a terrible haircut. Some things never change.

As much as I want to make a “Burn in Hell, Anita Bryant” orange juice cocktail, I’m choosing to celebrate the hero instead of the villain. This drink is sweet and smooth, just like Harvey himself. While watching Milk, I recommend trying this Harvey Milk Punch.

Harvey Milk Punch

2 oz bourbon

3 oz whole milk

½ oz crème de cacao

½ oz maraschino liqueur

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Grated nutmeg (garnish)

Shake all liquid ingredients vigorously with ice. Strain into a rocks glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with grated nutmeg.

Milk unfortunately features some truly trash men among its cast, but I’m willing to look past their well-publicized misdeeds in order to focus on the characters they portray. There have certainly been great strides made in LGBTQ+ rights since Harvey inspired a city and a nation, but sadly, America is in a period of backsliding. I hope the pendulum swings the other way soon, just as I hope we have great leaders who will inspire us with messages of love, not hate. I’m ready to be recruited. Cheers!

Dramas

One Battle After Another

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: One Battle After Another, 2025

Another Oscar season in the books means another Best Picture winner crowned, and this year, the honor went to One Battle After Another (Disc/Download). It’s been a long time since I felt like the recipient of this award actually was the best picture of a given year, but leave it to Paul Thomas Anderson to deliver a movie critics, voters, and this jaded moviegoer can all agree on. This calls for a celebratory cocktail.

I’ve been a superfan of PT Anderson since Boogie Nights, and while Magnolia remains my favorite of his films, One Battle After Another is a worthy addition to the California canon. In this tense thriller/drama, Leonardo DiCaprio plays a stoned revolutionary who must balance fighting the forces of evil with raising his teenage daughter. He sacrifices the excitement of the cause, along with his libido, to be the stay-at-home dad she needs, until the day his peace is threatened by the vengeful Colonel Lockjaw (Sean Penn, quite obviously playing Greg Bovino). This sets off a chain reaction of good guys on the run, bad guys in Patagonia vests calmly plotting the next Holocaust, and great teachers like Sensei Sergio just trying to help the people of his community.

As soon as I heard the phrase “The French 75”, I knew I loved this movie. A bunch of badass female fighters named after my favorite cocktail? Heck yes! I’ve already done the gin version of this drink on the blog, but a recent trip to New Orleans proved to me that the classic cognac version is where it’s at. While watching One Battle After Another, I recommend drinking this Classic French ’75.

Classic French ‘75

1 ½ oz cognac

½ oz simple syrup

½ oz lemon juice

2-3 oz champagne

Lemon twist

Combine cognac, simple syrup, and lemon juice in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a cocktail glass. Top with champagne, and garnish with a lemon twist.

Screenshot

It’s pretty amazing when script development, shooting schedules, and studio timelines all align to give us the movie we need at the exact moment we need it. Who could have predicted that all the chaos and horror of the last fifteen months would be happening right when One Battle After Another releases and sweeps award shows? I guess many people knew; perhaps people smarter or more cynical than me. Hollywood tends to reward movies that project a certain image of what the film community wants to believe of itself, and by awarding the Best Picture Oscar to One Battle After Another, Hollywood has sent a clear message that they do not stand with ICE. They’re telling us to have faith that this regime will be defeated, by The French 75s, or The Whiskey Sours, or whatever mocktail name sober Gen Z wants to give their coming revolution. I’ll be ready with the shaker. Cheers!

Dramas

The Cutting Edge

LizLocke2 Comments
Image: The Cutting Edge, 1992

The Winter Olympics may have snuck up on me this year, but that doesn’t mean I’m not fully prepared with the perfect watch. The Cutting Edge (Disc/Download) has everything I want from a figure skating competition, without the constant commentary and commercial breaks. These non-negotiables include: sequined costumes, sexual tension, and laughably terrible music. Who needs NBC?

Starring Moira Kelly as a bratty figure skater and D.B. Sweeney as her cocky partner, The Cutting Edge has all the hallmarks of a great enemies-to-lovers romance novel: snarky banter, characters who are somehow both the best in their respective fields, drunken confessions, and an impossible goal. Kate has clashed with every partner she’s ever had, so now she needs an arrogant hockey player to come in and upset her perfect world. He teaches her to relax a little, she makes him rediscover his competitive spirit, and together, they manage to pull off a flawless Pamchenko Twist. Do they win the gold? Who knows? Who cares! The kiss is the payoff, not the medal (although, I actually would like to know if they won the gold medal).

During Kate’s first Olympics attempt, her partner drops her flat on the ice. Moira Kelly’s butt must have been so sore making this movie! Let’s sooth those aches and pains with a drink best served ice cold, the Tequila Lemon Drop.

Tequila Lemon Drop

2 oz blanco tequila

¾ oz lemon juice

½ oz simple syrup

Sugar (rim)

Lemon Twist

Run a lemon wedge around the rim of a coupe glass, and dip in sugar. Set aside. Combine blanco tequila, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into prepared glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

I don’t typically watch the Olympics, but I always enjoy movies set in this world. The drama, the rivalries, the grudges, the hook-ups—all the stuff you don’t get on TV. Plus, thanks to The Cutting Edge, I’m now familiar with what a toe pick is. Perhaps, a little too familiar… Cheers!

Classic Films · Dramas

Love Affair

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Love Affair, 1939

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired. Now that the holiday hosting is nearly finished, all I want to do is lay on the sofa with a cocktail and a comfort watch. Even though Love Affair (Disc/Download) was a new-to-me pick in 2025, it’s a film that’s been retold so often, it feels like an old friend at this point. Or perhaps, an old lover.

Starring Charles Boyer and Irene Dunne as a pair of star-crossed paramours who meet aboard a cruise ship, Leo McCarey’s original film sparkles in a different way than his remake An Affair to Remember. The dialogue seems looser, more natural, with Dunne and Boyer sharing flirtatious banter as they enter a romance that seems impossible from the start. She’s a nightclub singer, he’s a playboy who dreams of painting, and as is the case for so many young creatives, two struggling artists put together do not equal one lavish champagne budget. But nevertheless, they decide to try. They shrug off the relationships of convenience like a mink stole on a warm summer day and agree to meet six months later at the top of the Empire State Building. I think you know where this goes, so I won’t rehash the ensuing melodrama, but boy, does it make my heart clench. I don’t know if men “get” this movie, but I definitely do.

While on the cruise, the lovers try in vain to stay away from serious topics, trying to keep everything “beautiful and bubbling like pink champagne”. Life, as they find out, doesn’t work that way. But in movies, we can wish for it anyway. While watching Love Affair, I recommend drinking this Pink French ’75.

Pink French ’75

1 oz pink gin

1 oz simple syrup

3/4 oz fresh lemon juice

Pink Champagne

Lemon twist (garnish)

Pour gin, simple syrup, and lemon juice into a shaker with ice. Shake to chill, then strain into a champagne flute. Top with pink Champagne, and garnish with a lemon twist.

If wishes are the dreams we make when we’re awake, then my wish for 2026 is that we all carve out time for more pink champagne moments. Life can be heavy, hard, and full of disappointment, but that just makes it even more essential to celebrate the tiny wins and joys where we can. Reality may not be beautiful and bubbly all the time, but for the length of a classic comfort watch, it can be. Cheers!

Dramas · Holiday Films

Babygirl

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Babygirl, 2024

The last time I did a Dystopian Christmas series was in 2017, and back then, I featured the Stanley Kubrick film Eyes Wide Shut. I thought this would be the end of my anti-holly jolly picks, until (supposedly) seventy-seven million Americans decided they wanted Dystopia: The Sequel! So, in the spirit of “you asked for it”, I’m watching a Christmas movie for these darkest of times: Babygirl (Disc/Download).

I’ve always thought of Babygirl as the spiritual follow-up to Eyes Wide Shut. Both films take place at Christmas, both star Nicole Kidman, and both fall into the “psycho-sexual thriller” genre. But where Eyes Wide Shut features Tom Cruise gallivanting to orgies and basement jazz bars while Nicole stays home wrapping gifts, in Babygirl the tables are turned. Here, she finally gets to explore the phrase, “If you men only knew…”

As robotics exec Romy Mathis, Kidman plays a woman who seemingly has it all. Great job, two kids, a devoted husband (played by Antonio Banderas), and a fabulous selection of cashmere coats. But still, it’s not enough. She longs to explore her sexual kinks, and she does so with the hot new office intern (Harris Dickinson). I see echoes of Belle du Jour as Romy puts herself in debasing, risky situations, addicted to her secrets and powerless to stop. One can’t help but be enthralled by the chemistry Romy shares with her younger lover, but also by the tension of waiting for it all to implode.

In one particularly interesting scene, Romy shows up to the office happy hour where her paramour sends over a glass of milk. I prefer to mix that milk with some other ingredients, so while watching Babygirl, I recommend drinking the classic Tiki staple, a Rum Cow.

Rum Cow

1 oz dark Jamaican rum

½ oz simple syrup

1 ½ oz milk

Pinch of grated nutmeg

Fill a shaker 1/3 full with ice, then add rum, simple syrup, and milk. Shake to chill, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Dust with grated nutmeg.

Babygirl definitely isn’t for everyone, but if you’re the type of person who likes psychologically fraught tales about adult relationships, you’ll probably enjoy this. Even if you’re only here for the cashmere coats and Harris Dickinson’s hotel striptease, it’ll be worth your time. Cheers!

Dramas

Gosford Park

LizLocke3 Comments
Image: Gosford Park, 2001

As autumn finally starts to creep into my neck of the woods, I’m inspired to watch a film that celebrates rainy weather, tweed, and strong cocktails. If you’re a Downton Abbey fan, then you’ll be particularly interested in this week’s pick: Gosford Park (Disc/Download). One of the late-career masterpieces from Robert Altman, this Julian Fellowes-penned film predates the popular television show and kickstarted my love of Maggie Smith as the sassy Dowager Countess.

The 1930s British class system might seem like an unusual topic for an iconic American director to tackle, but when you watch Gosford Park, it makes total sense. Like most of Altman’s other films, it’s got a large ensemble, with scenes unfolding naturally as though the camera is just a lucky observer. What is happening in the background is just as important as whatever’s happening in the foreground, and watching the intersection of Upstairs, Downstairs, and Interloper is like a crash course in British society. Add to that an Agatha Christie-style murder mystery, and you’ve got what is probably my favorite Robert Altman film of all time.

If you’ve seen Downton Abbey, then you know what Gosford Park looks like. Women in beautiful 1930s gowns seated around a candlelit dinner table. Men in tweed suits toting their hunting rifles out into the English countryside. Cocktails and revelry among visiting American film producers and nervous social climbers. Maggie Smith yelling at a servant from the back of her Rolls Royce. It’s in ode to the beginning shots of her car traveling down a rainy country road, soft piano music playing in the background, that I selected this week’s tipple. While watching Gosford Park, I recommend drinking a classic cocktail from the Prohibition era, the Rolls Royce.

Rolls Royce

1 ½ oz London Dry gin

½ oz dry vermouth

½ oz sweet vermouth

¼ oz Bénédictine

Stir all ingredients with ice, and strain into a Nick & Nora glass.

I’m not usually a fan of Agatha Christie mysteries, however this film offers something a little different than the typical whodonit. The first half is entirely devoted to understanding the specific societal roles these characters inhabit, and how their paths intersect. By the time someone turns up with a knife in their back, you’re less interested in who than why. Gosford Park is the perfect film for a cozy night in, as you picture yourself sitting in the parlor of an English country estate, watching the drama unfold. Cheers!

Dramas

Interview with the Vampire

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Interview with the Vampire, 1994

Not all gothic vampire movies have to be scary. Case in point: the super campy, super queer, Interview with the Vampire (Disc/Download). It’s the kind of movie that makes you wonder how it ever got made, and also, why did we ever stop making things like this?

Based on the novel by Anne Rice, Interview with the Vampire is told from the perspective of Louis, a sensitive vampire who abhors murder. He was ushered into the dark life by Lestat, the vampire rogue who delights in the seducing and killing of humans. Brad Pitt plays Louis with all the excitement of a wet napkin, while Tom Cruise turns in perhaps the most charismatic performance of his career as Lestat. He’s funny, wild, sexy, and deserves as many sequels as the Mission Impossible franchise. I know which character I’d rather watch half a dozen iterations of, and it’s not Ethan Hunt. The movie also has the good fortune of casting lil’ miss Kirsten Dunst in the role of Claudia, a plague victim turned child vampire whom Louis and Lestat raise as their own, like one little modern vampire family. I’ll say it again: how did this get made, and why can’t we make more??

In addition to its giant stars and impressive special effects, the film also boasts incredible costume and production design. One gets the sense that we’re really seeing New Orleans at the tail end of the 18th century, and it’s remarkable how much of its style has endured into the modern day. I found a terrific cocktail book on my last visit to NOLA, which charts the supernatural lore of the city through its bars and cocktails. I chose to make a recipe from the book that felt like something Lestat would drink, right before draining an unsuspecting victim’s blood in the shadowy nook of a centuries-old bar. While watching Interview with the Vampire, I recommend drinking this Jazzy Vamp.

Jazzy Vamp (adapted from recipe in Hauntingly Good Spirits: New Orleans Cocktails to Die For by Sharon Keating and Christi Keating Sumich)

1 oz Cognac

½ oz Lemon Juice

½ oz Rose Cordial

3 oz Champagne or Prosecco

Lemon Peel and Luxardo Maraschino Cherry (garnish)

Fill a cocktail shaker with crushed ice. Add the lemon juice, cordial, and Cognac. Shake well and strain into a champagne flute. Top with champagne or prosecco, drop in a cherry, and garnish with a lemon peel.

More than anything in this film, I love how Louis thinks he’s seen his last sunrise in 1791, but thanks to the invention of moving pictures, he gets to watch them again over a century later. Whether it’s through F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise, or Robert Towne’s Tequila Sunrise, he seeks out the thing he’s been missing most, becoming a cinephile in the process. Is it weird how desperate I am to hear his review of Before Sunrise? Cheers!

Dramas

All the Real Girls

LizLocke2 Comments
Image: All the Real Girls, 2003

If you thought Nora Ephron had the monopoly on romance and cozy fall vibes, think again. As David Gordon Green proves with All the Real Girls (Disc/Download), you don’t need to be a wealthy Manhattanite to fall in love under the changing leaves—it can happen even in rural America.

In addition to being a great example of the stellar indie film scene of the late-90s/early-2000s, All the Real Girls marks the debut of Danny McBride, an actor I find myself inexplicably drawn to. Even though his role here is small (in typical McBride fashion, he plays a character named “Bust Ass”), it’s obvious this man was meant to be a star. Or even better: a Gemstone. This is also an early film in Zooey Deschanel’s career, defining her as a sensitive soul with big eyes, delicate mannerisms, and a pretty good North Carolina accent. Her character Noel falls for her brother’s best friend, Paul (Paul Schneider). They get together against the brother’s wishes, and although everyone assumes womanizer Paul will break her heart, it’s Noel who shatters his. The story feels real and lived in, as though it could have happened to someone you know. Or maybe it happened to you.

The characters in this movie seem to enjoy their tall boys, but watching that beautiful autumn scenery makes me want to curl up with a cozy cocktail. While watching All the Real Girls, I recommend drinking this Cinnamon Rum Old-Fashioned.

Cinnamon Rum Old-Fashioned

2 oz Aged Rum (I used Appleton 12-yr)

½ oz Cinnamon Syrup

2-3 Dashes Angostura Bitters

Orange Peel

Cinnamon Stick (garnish)

Place a large ice cube in a glass and add the rum, cinnamon syrup, and bitters. Stir gently for about twenty seconds to combine, chill, and dilute. Twist the orange peel over the glass to express the oils, then drop in. Garnish with a cinnamon stick.

I’m not sure why David Gordon Green pivoted to lowbrow comedy and horror after this movie, but I keep hoping he’ll return to the foothills of Appalachia for another romantic drama. Maybe this is as foolish as wishing fall would come to my street in Central Texas sometime before December, but a girl can dream. And in the meantime, I’ll just enjoy the changing seasons on my movie screen. Cheers!

Dramas

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image: Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, 1974

Don’t you just love a diner? The smell of pancakes, maple syrup, and coffee. The sound of a waitress asking whether you want toast or a biscuit (biscuit; always a biscuit). And most of all, a cross section of humanity, the whole place filled with hangovers and hard workers. Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore (Disc/Download) is a bit like the diner it depicts: quiet some times, abrasively loud at others. Let’s pour a drink and park ourselves in a comfy booth.

Martin Scorsese made this film in between Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, and although it has the realism, incredible performances, and artistic flair of those two films, Alice Doesn’t Live Here is an odd choice for a guy who would make his name in the gritty neighborhoods of New York City. This romantic drama (I use the term “romantic” loosely) follows newly widowed Alice (Ellen Burstyn) on the road to Monterey, CA with her son Tommy. Along the way, she finds a bad romance with Harvey Keitel, a good romance with Kris Kristofferson, and a job as a waitress in Tucson. It’s a far cry from her dream of being a lounge singer, but at least it’s work. Tommy starts hanging out with the local troublemaker (Jodie Foster, who I’m convinced came out of the womb sounding like a jaded middle-aged woman), and pretty soon, Monterey starts to seem like a silly childhood fantasy. They’ve already started building a better life without even realizing it.

Regarding diner food and brunch beverages, I’ve always wondered why I rarely see an espresso martini made with maple syrup. Coffee and pancakes go together pretty well, right? I tried it for myself this week, and I’m very pleased with the results. Now I just need the pancakes. While watching Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, I recommend drinking this Maple Espresso Martini.

Maple Espresso Martini

2 oz Vodka

1 oz Chilled Espresso

1/2 oz Coffee Liqueur (I used Mr. Black)

1/2 oz Maple Syrup

2 dashes Black Walnut Bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake for about thirty seconds, then strain into a coupe or martini glass.

The thing I love most about this movie is how it depicts the changing ideas of what it meant to be a woman in the 1970s. Alice is a complex character who’s forced to adapt into a society that still demeans women, yet now expects the world from them. She’s both cautionary tale and inspiration, and definitely someone I’d love to take a road trip with. Cue the Elton John. Cheers!