Tag: movie cocktail

Action/Adventure/Heist · Classic Films

From Russia With Love

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from-russia-with-love
Image credit: From Russia With Love, 1964

International intrigue! Fighting gypsy women! Venomous shoe daggers! Only in a Bond film, folks. While I appreciate the more recent James Bond films for their sincerity, I can’t help but love the original 60’s variety. The cheese-factor is just unparalleled. This week, I’ll be watching an absolute classic in the Bond oeuvre, From Russia With Love (DVD/Download).

Admittedly, I get a little lost with any Bond film. There are just too many sinister villains, subplots and gorgeous women to keep track of. I mainly watch for the charisma of Sean Connery, the Bond girl clothes, and the clever spy gadgets. And Miss Moneypenny, who is really the Girl Friday of these films, oozing smarts and unconventional sex appeal. As the opening titles appear, and we get to watch the producer’s names projected on the gyrating skin of a belly dancer, you pretty much know what you’re in for with this one. Sure there’s some Cold War-era intrigue that takes us from Istanbul to Venice on the Orient Express, but who are we kidding- we’re all here for the double entendres in James Bond’s bedroom.

Although the film is called From Russia With Love, we never really see Russia. We do however see Russian-accented Bond Girl Daniela Bianchi, who plays double agent Tatiana Romanova. She falls head over heels in love with Bond, because well, he’s Bond. While watching From Russia with Love, I recommend drinking a Moscow Mule.

Moscow Mule

1 ½ oz Russian Vodka

4 oz Ginger Beer

½ oz Lime Juice

Combine ingredients in a copper mug over ice and stir gently to combine. Garnish with a lime slice.

moscow-mule

Everyone has their favorite Bond, but for me it will always be Sean Connery. That furry chest, that light Scottish brogue, and the twinkle in his eye gets me every time. Even in a jaunty sailor cap, he still looks stylish, cool, and definitely a man of mystery. Cheers!

(*For anybody curious, I will absolutely be watching this movie and drinking this cocktail on January 20th, 2017).

Comedies

The American President

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the-american-president
Image credit: The American President, 1995.

One more day. One more day and what has been the most contentious presidential election that I can ever remember will finally be over. Whoever wins, whatever side you’re on, I think we all can agree on one thing- politics is a lot more pleasant in Hollywood.

Perhaps the best example of this is The American President (DVD/Download), starring Michael Douglas as a widowed POTUS and Annette Benning as his feisty lobbyist girlfriend. Written by West Wing creator Aaron Sorkin and directed by Rob Reiner, this 90’s era romantic comedy just sparkles in its idealism. A president wooing his lady with a Virginia ham and glamorous state dinners? Taking dating tips from his pre-teen daughter? Adorable. And what’s also great is that Annette Benning is no pushover. She stands by her environmentalist beliefs, is unafraid to tell the president that his crime bill is too soft, and does it all wearing some killer pantsuits. Her only enemy? Dupont Circle. And Republicans.

Despite the attacks from political opponents, the President still manages to find time to spirit his girlfriend away to Camp David. A night in front of the fire in a secluded cabin?  Sounds like heaven.  The only thing that would improve it?  A cocktail of course! While watching The American President, I recommend drinking a Sparkling Maple Whiskey Cider.

Sparkling Maple Whiskey Cider

1.5 oz Cabin Fever maple whiskey

4.5 oz Spiced Apple Cider

4.5 oz Ginger soda

Combine all ingredients in a glass filled with ice and stir gently to combine.

maple-whiskey-cider

I try not to get too political on social media or on this blog, because of course I respect the opinions of others and I never want to sound like I’m belittling anyone who thinks differently than I do. We all have our reasons for supporting a particular candidate. But isn’t it great that cocktails are completely non-partisan?  Republicans and Democrats alike enjoy unwinding with a tasty beverage.  If you’re looking for an escape on election night, I proudly endorse this Hollywood political fantasy, and a strong cocktail (or three).  Cheers!

Children's · Sci Fi

Flight of the Navigator

LizLocke2 Comments
Flight of the Navigator
Image credit: Flight of the Navigator, 1986.

As kids across America flock to see what passes for entertaining children’s movies these days, I can’t help but reminisce about some of my own summer favorites from childhood. All month long on Cinema Sips, I’ll be featuring kids movies that are near and dear to my heart, along with a cocktail pairing to make it just that much more fun. Because let’s admit, as much as we tell kids to cherish their youth, sometimes it’s pretty great to be an adult.

Kicking things off is that Fourth of July classic, Flight of the Navigator (DVD/Download).  Oh how my brother and I loved to shout “compliance!” at each other in the late 1980’s, in that weird pseudo Pee-wee Herman voice.  The story of a boy who gets abducted by aliens, then returned 8 years later having not aged a day, is the stuff of bad sci-fi, but somehow it works here.  Maybe it’s because of the Disney Soarin’ music, or the creepy puppets, or just the bad 80’s hair (ahem Sarah Jessica Parker).  But whatever it is, I loved it then and my feelings have not faded.  If anything, my appreciation for Twisted Sister has only deepened.

Inexplicably, the 1980’s technology in this film includes the R.A.L.F., or Robotic Assistant Labor Facilitator.  It’s basically a big cardboard box that delivers papers and food.  A prehistoric Amazon drone if you will.  This acronym, and the movie’s Florida setting inspired my cocktail this week, the R.A.L.F. (or, Rum And Lime Flip).

R.A.L.F.

2 oz Dark Rum

1 oz Lime Juice

1/2 oz Pineapple Juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1 whole raw egg (yolk included)

Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker filled with ice.  Shake vigorously until chilled, and the egg has emulsified.  Strain into a coupe glass.

RALF
Sculptures by Chris Bathgate

No, your eyes do not deceive you- that is not a time-traveling Bruiser, come to visit us in 2016.  In fact it’s my look-a-like dog Peaches, who was very excited to see her doppelgänger on screen this week.  She thought the frisbee scene was aces, but she’s still not sure about the scary giant eyeball on the ship.  Really, neither am I.  Cheers, and Happy Fourth of July!

Dramas

How Stella Got Her Groove Back

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How Stella
Image credit: How Stella Got Her Groove Back, 1998

This week Cinema Sips is on the road, vacationing at a lovely five star resort along the Caribbean sea. I’ve been dreaming of a trip like this ever since I first saw this week’s film How Stella Got Her Groove Back (DVD/Download). And no- it wasn’t all a fantasy involving shirtless Taye Diggs (although that’s VERY nice). Really, I just wanted to go lay on a beach while waiters ply me with cocktails all day. Mission accomplished.

Based on the bestselling book by Terry McMillan, the film tells the story of Stella Payne, who travels to Jamaica with her best friend (played marvelously by Whoopie Goldberg) and falls in love with a hot younger man. Unfortunately, the real-life story of McMillan’s Jamaican husband turning out to be gay discredits the fairy tale a bit, but it’s still a great movie. I just have to keep telling myself that there’s no way Taye Diggs would use Angela Bassett for a green card. Nope, no way. After all, have you SEEN that woman’s body?! Let me just go over here and kill myself. After one more trip to the buffet, that is.

Right now I’m enjoying my fair share of tequila and mescal cocktails, but while on a tropical vacation, I hate to play favorites. After all, there are so many great rum beverages to enjoy! While watching How Stella Got Her Groove Back, I recommend drinking a Jamaican Holiday.

Jamaican Holiday

1 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz pineapple juice

1.5 oz Jamaican Dark Rum

.75 oz simple syrup

1 dash angostura bitters

Cherry and paper umbrella for garnish

In a shaker filled with ice, combine all the ingredients and shake until chilled. Strain into a glass filled with crushed ice, then garnish with paper umbrella and a cherry.

Jamaican Holiday

Sure, this movie has some cheesy moments- the smooth jazz soundtrack being one of them. But it’s also a great story about friendship, love, and daring to seek out the pleasure in life. That could mean taking a luxury vacation, or just laughing with a friend over the phone. But… Jamaica sure looks nice. Cheers!

Classic Films · Holiday Films

Miracle on 34th Street

LizLockeLeave a comment
miracle on 34th street
Image credit: Miracle on 34th Street, 1947

If you haven’t begun your holiday shopping yet, what in the world are you waiting for?? Smart folks like me start in November, but if you still need a little incentive, I suggest watching this week’s film Miracle on 34th Street (DVD/Download) to put you in the gifting mood.

Recently deceased acting legend Maureen O’Hara stars in this classic holiday film about a Macy’s department store Santa Claus who just might be the real deal. O’Hara plays an unlucky-in-love divorcee raising her daughter (played by a very young Natalie Wood) to be skeptical of all things intangible- including holiday miracles. Then Kris K. comes along (that’s Kringle, not Kardashian), and he seems like more than just a kind-hearted old man. Claiming to be Santa Claus, he attracts psych evaluators and small children alike. I love that this film from the 1940’s features a strong independent woman like O’Hara, her character an event director at the flagship store. Heck, that’s an impressive job even now. And the sappy message of the movie (Santa is real if you believe!) gets a much needed boost by terrific acting performances and sharp dialogue. At times, I feel like I’m watching a classic Howard Hawkes film, instead of one of the most beloved Christmas movies ever made.

One of my favorite scenes involves Kris Kringle showing off his impressive Santa skills while talking to a Dutch girl. He speaks to her in Dutch because, of course, Santa speaks the language of all children. This inspired my cocktail this week, using the Dutch spirit Genever, a stronger, early version of the typical gin we know today. While watching Miracle on 34th Street, I recommend drinking a Sinterklaas.

Sinterklaas

2 oz Genever

2 oz Apple Cider

½ oz honey syrup (equal parts honey and water)

1 dash Angostura bitters

Cinnamon stick for garnish

Combine ingredients in a small saucepan, and heat on the stove until it just barely simmers. Pour into a heat-safe glass or mug, and garnish with a cinnamon stick.

Sinterklaas

Your current thoughts about Santa Claus are probably dependent on your age (and I doubt I have many 6 year old readers of this blog), but this movie is so great that it makes me want to believe in Santa Claus. At the very least, it makes me long for the days when department stores were classy and sophisticated, instead of overrun with cheap merchandise and bad lighting. Best of luck with your holiday shopping, and if you find yourself in a Macy’s this Christmas, plan on having a cocktail afterwards- you’ll need it. Cheers!

Dramas

The Bridges of Madison County

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image Credit Warner Bros Pictures, 1995, Bridges of Madison County
Image Credit Warner Bros Pictures, 1995, Bridges of Madison County

Sorry to do this again to my readers, but I’ve got another tearjerker for you this week (okay maybe not a tearjerker for everyone, but for me, watching this means I’m sitting there, a blubbering mess on the sofa, while my husband rolls his eyes.) The Bridges of Madison County (DVD/Download) is a film that I consider to be one of the most romantic ever made. I’m definitely a sucker for love stories with unhappy endings, and maybe it’s because I like knowing that I’ve already seen the best of what this couple has to offer. I’m not missing out on anything after the movie ends. The romance in The Bridges of Madison County only exists for the two hours I’m watching this film, and that’s okay. The fact that it’s a slow burn of a romance makes it even better.

The Bridges of Madison County is based on the bestselling novel by Robert James Waller. Adapted by screenwriter Richard LaGravanese and directed by Clint Eastwood, the film also stars Eastwood as wandering National Geographic photographer Robert Kincaid, who meets Meryl Streep’s character Francesca Johnson while on assignment photographing covered bridges in Iowa. Francesca is an Italian war bride who came to America in hopes of grand adventures with her husband, but now finds herself shuffling around a country kitchen in middle-of-nowhere Iowa. Her husband and two children leave town for the weekend to attend a farm show, leaving Francesca alone. Alone, that is, until a rusty pick-up driven by Clint Eastwood pulls into her driveway and her life changes forever. Eastwood is absolutely magnetic in his role, and even though he was in his mid-60’s when he made this film, I dare you to find a sexier romantic lead in recent history (I’m certainly stumped). Something about his lithe frame and piercing blue eyes just gets me every time.

My drink this week pays homage to Francesca’s Italian roots. I was lucky enough to be gifted a bottle of Cocchi Americano by some very lovely and generous friends (one of whom is from Iowa!), along with a recipe for a White Negroni. I’d made the mistake of ordering a classic Negroni while on honeymoon in Italy, and I was definitely not a fan (I still wonder if I was served cough syrup). However, I’m a big fan of this version. Boozy and bright with a twist of lemon, this is a great drink to sip while you’re watching Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood flirt with the idea of running off into the sunset together.  When viewing The Bridges of Madison County, I recommend drinking a White Negroni.

White Negroni

2 parts gin

1 part Cocchi Americano

1 part White Vermouth

Lemon twist

Mix liquid ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Strain into a chilled coupe glass, and garnish with a generous twist of lemon.

white-negroni

Of course Meryl Streep does a phenomenal job with the Italian accent in this, and while stocky and average in appearance at the beginning, she seems to transform under the gaze of Clint Eastwood into a beautiful, vibrant woman. As she reminisces later on, “I was acting like another woman, yet I was more myself than ever before.” I love this idea, that finding one’s true soulmate can change you into the person you were meant to be.  Toward the end of this movie, I’m definitely shouting at the TV when Meryl has her hand on that car door handle, and weeping like a baby at that final scene on the bridge.  I would say they don’t make romantic tearjerkers like they used to, but then came The Notebook.  That’ll have to wait though, I’m all cried out. Cheers!