Tag: Martin Scorsese

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!

Dramas

Taxi Driver

LizLockeLeave a comment

Image credit: Taxi Driver, 1976

Continuing through the year 1976, I can’t not make a stop at Taxi Driver (Disc/Download). In addition to serving as a fantastic time capsule of the period, Martin Scorsese’s magnum opus forever changed filmmaking, as well as our perception of the hero/antihero.

It’s hard to say what my opinion of this movie would have been if I hadn’t already been confronted with the concept of mass shooting from the age of sixteen, well before I ever saw DeNiro turn to the mirror and ask, “You talkin’ to me?” For by the time I got to college and actually watched this, it was too late. The image of a disturbed individual (or two, in the case of Columbine), walking into a crowded area, armed with hidden guns under a baggy coat, had already been implanted by news reports. So you’ll forgive me if I don’t find this scenario entertaining in a movie, even when it’s the phenomenal Robert DeNiro playing the tortured white male who just can’t deal. Maybe we’re supposed to relate to his character of Travis Bickle, a man who came home from Vietnam to a crumbling New York City, its sidewalks piled high with trash and sin, who feels out of place and aimless. Maybe we’re supposed to understand why he’d basically stalk Cybill Shepherd, then a teenaged Jodi Foster, as though he’s the one man who can save them from the big bad city. Sure, the climax and the night rides are beautifully shot, sometimes achingly so, but I can’t get over the simple fact that this guy who feels powerless thinks the solution is to take away power from others by any violent means necessary. That doesn’t make him a hero in my book, despite how good his abs look.

A common refrain from Travis is that he wants someone to come in and clean up the city. He drives through the streets of Manhattan, and all he sees is literal and figurative garbage. So while you’re watching Taxi Driver, lean into the theme with this Dirty Manhattan.

Dirty Manhattan

2 oz Rye Whiskey

1 oz Dry Vermouth

A few dashes Angostura Bitters

Green Olive

Stir together rye, vermouth, and bitters over ice until chilled. Strain into a martini glass, and garnish with a green olive.

Taxi Driver is one of those movies I think everyone should see, but only once. I personally don’t need the reminder that the world is a burning trash fire with no hope of anybody actually doing anything to change it; all I have to do is read the latest headlines. But nevertheless, I still feel the need to toast Marty Scorsese—he put his heart, and his beard into this one. Cheers!

Dramas · Uncategorized

The Departed

LizLocke3 Comments

The Departed
Image credit: The Departed, 2006

Sometimes, a movie comes along that seems outside your typical genre comfort zone, but is so good you can’t help but love it. I’ve never been big on gangster pictures or cop dramas, however Martin Scorsese’s The Departed (Disc/Download) is in a class of its own. This film is the twisty-turny, double-crossing magnum opus that would finally win our beloved auteur an Oscar; it’s also just the kind of immersive thriller I need right now.

Loosely based on real-life Boston crime boss Whitey Bulger, The Departed stars Jack Nicholson as the depraved head honcho, Matt Damon as the mobster infiltrating the police force, and Leonardo DiCaprio as the police officer infiltrating the mob. The story is complex, yet told in a way that there’s never a question of who’s betraying whom. We know Damon’s character is a sleaze, just as we know Leo’s doing bad things for the right reasons. Nicholson pulls off one of the best performances of his career, giving us a smart, egotistical villain who erases all fond memories of Melvin Udall in my mind. And then there’s Mark Wahlburg, who disappears halfway through the film, only to re-emerge in a final shocking twist. It’s a cornucopia of New England accents and Celtic punk music that puts me right into the world of underground Boston crime, with nary a friendly Dunkin’ Donuts in sight.

Undercover cop Leo has to constantly prove his loyalty to the criminal world, never letting any of his associates sense his fear and anxiety. Someone makes fun of him for drinking cranberry juice? Beat the guy’s ass and move on. While watching The Departed, I recommend drinking this Cranberry-Beet Down.

Cranberry Beet-Down

2 oz Frankly® Pomegranate vodka

¾ oz Cointreau

¼ oz Beet Juice

¼ oz Cranberry Juice

½ oz Lime Juice

Fresh Cranberries

Blood orange slice

Combine all ingredients in a shaker over ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with cranberries and blood orange slice.

Cranberry Beet Down

When you think about the kind of career Martin Scorsese has had, and continues to have, it’s remarkable that his pictures only get richer and deeper as the years go on. The Irishman wasn’t my favorite, but I admire that he continues to challenge himself and his storytelling capabilities. If the last two decades brought us The Departed and Hugo, I can’t wait to see what he does in the Roaring ‘20s. Cheers!

Dramas

The Aviator

LizLockeLeave a comment

Image credit: The Aviator, 2004
Image credit: The Aviator, 2004

I’m sure I’ve previously mentioned that I adore movies about old Hollywood. The glamour, the scandals- I can’t get enough. This week I’ll be watching Scorsese’s The Aviator (DVD/Download), one of the best films to feature re-imagined classic film stars. Cate Blanchett as Katherine Hepburn; Gwen Stefani as Jean Harlow; Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner- the list goes on and on. And yes, there is Leonardo DiCaprio as mogul Howard Hughes, but who are we kidding here- the ladies are the stars of this show.

The Aviator follows Howard Hughes’ career as a movie producer and aviation pioneer, his success overshadowed by a raging case of OCD. Hughes’ money and charm attract a cavalcade of beautiful starlets, but it’s Hepburn who really connects with him. I know, I know, she was meant to be with Spencer Tracy, but a part of me wanted her to end up with Howard Hughes. Cate Blanchett does Hepburn like nobody’s business, completely nailing the WASP-y New England accent and athletic stride. I was less impressed by Kate Beckinsale’s breathy portrayal of Ava Gardner, though of course I loved her costumes! Really though, the best part for me is the fabulous wallpaper in the bathroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel. That iconic giant palm-leaf design is a welcome distraction from DiCaprio’s sweaty overacting mess below it.

The 1930’s must have been an amazing time to be in Hollywood. Not just for the films (though those were good too), but also for the cocktails! Imagine sipping a gin cocktail at the Cocoanut Grove, a drunken Errol Flynn at the next table over, hitting on starlets left and right. Paying tribute to classic drinks and Hughes’ obsession with flying, while watching The Aviator I recommend drinking an Aviation cocktail.

Aviation

1 ½ oz gin

½ oz lemon juice

¾ oz maraschino liqueur

¼ oz crème de violette

Maraschino cherry (optional)

Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice, shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry (optional).

Aviator

Obviously, The Aviator focuses a great deal on Hughes’ aviation experience (including one harrowing plane crash over Beverly Hills), but it’s also a love letter to cinema. Watching the filming of Hell’s Angels is pure fun, and I love seeing how the coloration and technology of cinema changes over time. In short, come for the glitz and action, but continue watching for the style and history. Cheers!