Tag: cocktail

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!

Action/Adventure/Heist · Children's

Hook

LizLockeLeave a comment
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!

Classic Films · Comedies

Beach Blanket Bingo

LizLocke1 Comment
Image: Beach Blanket Bingo, 1965

Despite an enduring love of Gidget, 1960s swimwear, and rear projection scenes, the Frankie Avalon/Annette Funicello beach movies somehow never made it to the top of my watch list. Luckily, this cinema oversight has been corrected this week with the fifth “Beach” movie in the series, Beach Blanket Bingo (Disc/Download).

Like Ryan Gosling’s Ken, as far as I can determine, Frankie Avalon’s job in the 1960s was “beach”. What a gig! There were many gorgeous girls prancing around him in bikinis, but none as charming as Annette. She had oodles of charisma, along with an unflappable comb-over hairstyle that could survive wind, waves, and even a skydiving helmet. I love the mermaid side character in BBB, with Lorelai acting as a precursor to Daryl Hannah’s “Madison” in Splash. It’s a shame the romance between the mermaid and her beachbum lover Bonehead gets interrupted time and again with the antics of a middle-aged motorcycle gang masquerading as adolescents. Honestly, if this movie had been nothing more than mermaid rescues and drinks at the local bar with Frankie and Annette singing their hits, I would have been a happy viewer. Who needs skydiving and lame kidnapping plots when you have “beach”???

Although the sexcapades of these teenagers seem pretty chaste by today’s standards, there’s a surprising amount of double entendre and suggested nudity. We’re left to imagine what may have happened during Bonehead’s date with the mermaid, which results in the loss of her dress by the end of the night. For this reason, it seems like a great time to mix up the classic eighties resort drink, a Sex on the Beach.

Sex on the Beach

1 ½ oz Vodka

½ oz Peach Schnapps

½ oz Chambord

1 ½ oz Orange Juice

1 ½ oz Cranberry Juice

Add the vodka, peach schnapps, Chambord, and cranberry juice to a hurricane glass. Fill with ice. Top with orange juice, and garnish with a cherry and cocktail umbrella.

Like other 1960s teen movies, the cameos in this are incredible. Paul Lynde as the scheming music manager, Don Rickles as the nightclub owner, and even Buster Keaton as an aging pervert! The plot doesn’t make sense, but it doesn’t need to. As long as you’re okay with a film based entirely around shimmying teens and retro bikinis, you’ll do just fine. 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!

Uncategorized

SPECIAL REPORT: Arizona Tiki Oasis 2025

LizLocke2 Comments
Liz Locke at Arizona Tiki Oasis 2025

Aloha to all you Cinema Sips readers! I’ve just returned from my first trip to the Arizona Tiki Oasis festival, and gosh does real life seem dull by comparison. No elaborate tropical headpieces at the grocery store. No parasols on the morning dog walks. No elaborate drinks prepared for me by the nation’s top mixologists. Take me back to the desert!!!!

As many of you know, April is also the month of the Turner Classic Movies festival, but due to scheduling conflicts and the rising cost of passes (and a rising annoyance at standing in long lines while premium passholders breeze right into packed screenings), I decided to devote my vacation time to cocktails instead of movies this year. I like that pretty much everything at Tiki Oasis is a la carte, particularly since my husband and traveling partner is a non-drinker. I could attend mixology seminars while he met mug makers and Hawaiian shirt vendors, and we only had to buy as many cocktails or mocktails as we wanted. An ideal couples trip for us!

AZ Tiki Oasis batch cocktail + mocktail in the former Scottsdale Trader Vic’s

The first night, we lucked out when a fellow Polynesiac handed us two unused tickets to the VIP party. Whoever you are, bless you. Thanks to this generosity, I was able to discover a new favorite gin: Rangoni Spirits’ Brando Motu Gin. That’s right, Marlon Brando has a gin! This might just inspire me to watch Apocalypse Now again—a movie that has thrice put me to sleep. But maybe with a Tiki cocktail like the “Colonel Kurtz’s Downfall”, I’ll have better luck.

Day 2 was largely spent away from the festival sightseeing around Phoenix, though we did return for a Sunset Soiree with lovely views of Camelback Mountain. The Hotel Valley Ho is a perfect host for the fest, with tons of scenic overlooks and mid-century modern styling. Speaking of, if you are a lover of 1960s fashion, then you’ll definitely find a hive of mod fashionistas at Tiki Oasis. I thought I was the only one who loved caftans and weird hats—not so! Walking into any party was easy and fun because no matter what, you could strike up a conversation about someone’s outfit. Finally, I’d found my people.

My new hat! Very “Sandra Dee in A Summer Place“

The next two days were largely taken up by seminars, including a great one by Jeff “Beachbum Berry” himself, whose recipes I’ve featured here on Cinema Sips. A natural storyteller, he had some fascinating tales of how the Tiki movement got started and where it’s headed in the future. I also got to learn about the “Lost Rides of Disneyland”, and take a tour of the Hotel Valley Ho- site of Natalie Wood and Robert Wagner’s first wedding ceremony, and refuge to many stars over the decades. This made the Valley Ho the perfect complement to AZ Tiki Oasis, due to huge role Hollywood played in the popularization of Tiki during the 1930s and ’40s.

Beachbum Berry lecture w/ refreshments
Lost Rides of Disneyland

All in all, it was inspiring to see how passionate the Tiki community continues to be. This was a smaller festival compared to the main Tiki Oasis that happens in San Diego every August, but it was perfect for a first-timer like me. I can’t wait to share some of the recipes I discovered as we go through more movies this summer, but in the meantime, here’s one I particularly enjoyed: the Mister Bali Hai. Cheers!

Mister Bali Hai

1 oz Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

1 oz Pineapple Juice

½ oz Coffee Brandy

1 oz Myers Dark Rum

¾ oz Tanduay Silver Rum

Combine all ingredients with 12 oz crushed ice in a shaker. Shake to chill, then pour entire contents of shaker into a double old-fashioned glass or tiki mug. Top with more crushed ice, and garnish with dried lemon and swizzle stick.

Mr. Bali Hai

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!

Comedies

Moonstruck

LizLocke2 Comments
Image credit: Moonstruck, 1987

As a writer, I try to give the people what they want. And if social media is any indication, the people want Moonstruck (Disc/Download). A movie I’ve always enjoyed, it wasn’t until a recent rewatch that I understood the power of this romantic comedy. You want positive feedback? Announce that you’re watching Moonstruck and wait for all the people to chime in to say how much they looooove Moonstruck. And they will chime in because this movie is just that delightful.

Starring Cher as a widowed Brooklyn bookkeeper who lives with her Italian-American family and is suddenly juggling the affections of two brothers, Moonstruck succeeds because of two things:

  1. The fantastic script by John Patrick Shanley
  2. Nicolas Cage

All of the actors in this are brilliant, but Cage has the most difficult role. He has to be angry, slightly unhinged, sporting a wooden hand, yet somehow sexy enough for a smart, mature woman like Cher’s character Loretta to give him the time of day. Sexy enough for the audience to give him the time of day. Spoiler: he’s all that and then some. This guy is a wounded wolf who wears his vulnerability on his sleeve, particularly when Loretta graces him with her presence at the opera. The moment she removes her coat and he thanks her for taking the time to look nice for their date, I absolutely swoon. If your partner doesn’t acknowledge you and look at you the way Ronny looks at Loretta, you’re with the wrong person.

Because Loretta comes from a big Italian family, food and wine are the backbone of so many Moonstruck scenes. For a celebratory occasion, only a little bubbly will do. I love a good spritz, particularly one that uses the Italian liqueur Amaro. You could try the Sicilian variety Averna in honor of Ronny and Johnny’s “dying” mother, or you could go authentic Brooklyn by picking up a bottle of Forthave Spirits Marseille Amaro. Either way, you’re in for a treat. While watching Moonstruck, I recommend drinking a “That’s Amaro!”

That’s Amaro!

2 oz Amaro

3 oz Prosecco

1 oz Soda Water

Lime Wheel garnish

Build drink over ice, stirring gently to combine. Garnish with a lime wheel.

Watching Moonstruck always makes me feel like I just spent the night having dinner with family. There’s a familiarity to these characters and the way they interact that transcends cultural backgrounds. I may not have grown up in a multi-generational household, and as a child most of my access to fettuccini and manicotti was through Stouffer’s, but the happiness and frustration of being with people who know you better than you know yourself is universal. As is, apparently, our love for this movie. Cheers!

Classic Films

McCabe & Mrs. Miller

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Image credit: McCabe & Mrs. Miller, 1971

How do you make a Western that a pink-loving, romance-obsessed millennial female like me will actually enjoy? Easy.

  1. Fill it with gorgeous Leonard Cohen songs.
  2. Cast two of the most beautiful humans alive in 1971: Warren Beatty and Julie Christie.
  3. Make bath time fun again.
  4. Tell the costume department to invest in a really big fur coat. I’m talking massive. Make him look like a very fancy bear.

This week on Cinema Sips, I’m featuring the Robert Altman classic, McCabe & Mrs. Miller (Disc/Download). You won’t find a lot of Westerns on Cinema Sips because I’ve never been a fan of dust and dirt and long, lonely vistas; however, there’s something about McCabe & Mrs. Miller that hooks me. The modern music is certainly part of it, but I think it’s also the way ordinary realities are depicted. The characters speak like normal people, instead of holdovers from the Victorian era. They talk about real issues, like same-sex attraction, and menstruation, and what it is that humans really want on the edge of a barren frontier. It’s not sex and it’s not religion (despite the proliferation of brothels and churches); it’s comfort. In many cases, power.

I’m going to warn you, McCabe has truly heinous cocktail preferences. He enjoys a double whiskey with a raw egg, and frankly, seeing that yolk drop into the glass makes me want to vomit. Let’s make a tastier egg-white version instead, adding a little marmalade in honor of Mrs. Miller’s cockney roots. While watching McCabe & Mrs. Miller, I recommend drinking a Marmalade Whiskey Sour.

Marmalade Whiskey Sour

2 oz Bourbon

1 oz Lemon Juice

½ oz Simple Syrup

½ oz Orange Marmalade

1 egg white

Combine ingredients in a shaker without ice first. Shake vigorously for thirty seconds, then add ice. Shake for another thirty seconds until chilled and frothy. Strain into a glass filled with fresh ice.

I’ll have to remember this movie when I’m sweltering through a Texas summer because one look at the snow-covered mining town makes the room feel ten degrees cooler. But even when the snow is falling outside, and the wind is howling, it’s still fun to snuggle up under a furry blanket, pour a drink, and contemplate whether any Western hero was ever as cool as John McCabe, before or since. Certainly, he was the best-dressed. Cheers!

Classic Films · Comedies

Lover Come Back

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Image Credit: Lover Come Back, 1961

When life is busy and stressful, I find myself yearning to seize the Day. Doris Day that is. Because no problem is too great that it can’t be solved by making a date with my favorite Classic Hollywood gal pal and her coordinating pastel outfits. In Doris’s world, I don’t have to think about my endless home renovations or work demands—I can just relax and enjoy the familiar tropes of mistaken identities and enemies-to-lovers. She’s basically a classic Shakespearean comedy wrapped up in a pillbox hat.

If you’ve seen Pillow Talk, then you’ve essentially seen this week’s film Lover Come Back (Disc/Download). Doris and Rock follow largely the same formula where she’s a competent career woman (this time it’s advertising instead of interior design), and he’s a playboy rival determined to take her down while simultaneously taking her to bed. Even Tony Randall pops up again as Rock’s wealthy best friend/boss, who inadvertently sets the madcap plot in motion by putting fake commercials for a fake account on the air. Suddenly, everybody’s wild to see the mysterious new product model Rebel Davis is selling, known only as “VIP”. Rock has to find a scientist to invent it, Doris mistakes Rock for the scientist, and by the end he’s got her trying to convince him to give her his formula, and his virginity. We’re missing the dreamy Rex Stetson accent in this, but we do get Rock with a beard, so I’ll take that tradeoff.

Lover Come Back is a great movie to watch with your favorite cocktail because VIP turns out to be an alcoholic wafer cookie that’s equal to a triple martini and comes in a rainbow of colors. Apparently it tastes like an after-dinner mint, and you know what that means—time to break out the Crème de Menthe! For everyone who has ever been stuck with this green bottle in their bar after making one lousy Grasshopper, here’s another drink to make you feel like it wasn’t a totally wasted purchase. While watching Lover Come Back, I recommend drinking this VIP Martini.

VIP Martini

1 oz Chocolate Vodka

2 oz RumChata

½ oz Green Crème de Menthe Liqueur

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice, and shake until chilled. Strain into a chilled martini glass.

If you want to crank up the fun, take a drink every time Doris shows up in a new hat, or every time a VIP commercial plays. By the end, I kind of want to try it in every color. Guess that makes me the target audience—a ten-cent drunk. Cheers!

Comedies

Sex and the City (the movie)

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Image credit: Sex and the City, 2008

Look, I know, we’re all extremely disappointed/fatigued by the Sex and the City franchise at this point. And Just Like That… ruined it beyond repair, shining a spotlight on all the problems of the original series, while failing to distract us with witty jokes and fabulous clothes (they weren’t that witty, or that fabulous this time around). There was also a very, very bad movie sequel Sex and the City 2, which we will not talk about. But when it comes to the first Sex and the City movie (Disc/Download), I’m not ashamed to admit- I actually like it!

Here’s the absolute truth: if you enjoyed the television show, you’ll enjoy this movie. And back in my early-twenties, I adored the show. Back then, it felt like my only real responsibility was being home in time to watch it each week. But as Carrie astutely points out in this film, your twenties are for having fun, thirties are for learning the lessons, and forties are for paying for the drinks. Now that I’m pushing forty, I’m working hard to pay for the drinks and simply don’t have time to care about trivial things such as how large Carrie’s closet is. I’m building my own large closet now, thank you very much. And it’s super stressful!!!! So while I may not have the energy for a weekly date with Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha, I don’t mind them swooping in on their cloud of privilege to distract me for a couple hours in the form of a movie.

I recently came across a cocktail in one of my favorite recipe books Experimental Cocktail Club that’s a surprising and delicious take on Carrie’s signature Cosmopolitan. This one keeps the pretty pink color, but has a much more interesting flavor profile. While watching Sex and the City, I recommend drinking this Big (Cosmo) is Dead.

Big (Cosmo) is Dead

1/2 oz Velvet Falernum

1 oz Aperol

1 oz Lime Juice

1 oz Vodka

2 dashes orange bitters

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a martini glass.

*Adapted from Big Cosmo is Dead recipe in Experimental Cocktail Club by Mitchell Beazley.

I may have had my quibbles with these characters over the years (STEVE- YOU ARE FAR TOO GOOD FOR MIRANDA!!!), but they’ll always have a fond place in my heart. We grew up together, found love together, drank cocktails together. Sometimes, it’s nice to pay a visit to your old friends, even after you’ve gone your separate ways. Because when something is really, really funny, you’ll always find time to laugh. Cheers!