Tag: movie cocktails

Musicals

Bye Bye Birdie

LizLockeLeave a comment
Image credit: Bye Bye Birdie, 1963

When the temperature becomes unbearable during the long slog of an Austin summer, look for me at The Paramount. I’m not sure how a historic theater manages to have the coldest air conditioning in the entire state of Texas, but there’s nothing better than shivering under that arctic blast as you enjoy a classic film under gilded crown molding. I recently had the pleasure of watching Ann-Margret flutter her arms and hair in front of that famous blue backdrop in Bye Bye Birdie (Disc/Download), and like the ad executives of Sterling Cooper, I quickly fell under the spell of this Technicolor teenage dream.

Inspired by Elvis’s draft into the US Military and the cultural fallout with teen girls across the nation, Bye Bye Birdie is a fun musical full of colorful swing dresses, Dick Van Dyke charm, and pastel princess phones. I could watch this with the sound off and be thoroughly entertained, which speaks to how well the visuals and choreography work together. Paul Lynde is perfect as the put-upon father and wisecracking businessman, always getting the biggest audience laughs with his trademark smirks. And while Elvis is not the person playing teen idol Conrad Birdie (I think we can all agree, it should have been Elvis), Ann-Margret distracts us from this travesty with her pink capri pants and magnetic enthusiasm. To put this in modern moviegoing terms, she is Barbie. Her boyfriend Hugo? He’s just Ken. Possibly, Allan…

Speaking of Hugo, I took inspiration from the popular Hugo Spritz for this week’s cocktail, transporting it from an Italian café to Sweet Apple, Ohio. Perfect for sipping during the Telephone Hour, while watching Bye Bye Birdie, I recommend drinking this Hummingbird Spritz.

Hummingbird Spritz

2 oz Brut Hard Cider

1 ½ oz St. Germain

¼ oz Mint Simple Syrup

2 oz Club Soda

Lemon Slice (dried)

Edible Glitter

Fill a stemmed glass with ice. Add cider, St. Germain, and mint simple syrup. Stir gently to combine, then add Club Soda. Top with a dried lemon slice and sprinkle a pinch of edible glitter.

This drink sparkles as brightly as Birdie’s gold jumpsuit and is extremely refreshing on a hot day (almost as refreshing as that Paramount air conditioning!). If you’re looking to put on a happy face during this never-ending heat wave, I can honestly, sincerely say this movie, and this drink, will do it. Cheers!

Comedies

Pink Flamingos

LizLocke2 Comments
Image credit: Pink Flamingos, 1972

Everyone should grow up with a fun uncle; one who lets you watch and read inappropriate things, encourages you to stay up late, and treats you like an adult even if you’re still in elementary school. He might wear Birkenstocks year-round, or perhaps Hawaiian shirts, and he definitely enjoys good food, good conversation, and good movies. My fun uncle was named Len, and sadly, he left this world far too soon. Len’s film collection was unparalleled, and I recently embarked on the complicated task of organizing his Criterion titles and distributing them to good homes. For reference, Len had the entire Collection, including every spine released before his death in December 2022. Several hundred went into my personal library, so it feels appropriate to celebrate Len and his final, incredible donation to my life with one of his favorites—Pink Flamingos (Disc).

I can’t remember if I first watched John Waters’ magnum trash opus on Uncle Len’s ancient TV set, or if I rented it later in my hometown. However, I’m certain Len was the one who first clued me in to this movie’s existence. I probably asked about the Divine magnet on his fridge, and he probably countered with the story of watching Pink Flamingos at a midnight screening in the 1970s with Mink Stole in attendance. One got the feeling that Len had a personal connection to this movie, and re-watching the Criterion edition now, I can see why. It’s made for people on the fringes of society, or maybe just the ones who wanted to march to the beat of their own drums. They didn’t follow the rules, and they didn’t wait for permission. One look at Divine’s strut down a Baltimore sidewalk, and you instantly understood—this person is weird, and in this universe, “weird” is a good thing. As a teenager, I loved Pink Flamingos for its unapologetic rejection of society’s (and cinema’s) norms. In my own life, I longed for the confidence of a Maryland drag queen.

I’m not sure what Babs Johnson served at her birthday party (apart from Amyl Nitrite poppers), but given her mama’s obsession with the Egg Man, I’ll bet an egg-white cocktail would have gone over well. While watching Pink Flamingos, I recommend drinking a Special Delivery cocktail.

Special Delivery

2 oz Gin

1 oz Pineapple Juice

½ oz Lime Juice

½ oz Grenadine

Egg White

Combine all ingredients in a shaker without ice. Shake vigorously for thirty seconds, then add ice. Shake again until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass.

“Special Delivery”

“Shock cinema” isn’t normally my bag, but I have a lot of respect for directors with a unique voice. Watching a John Waters movie feels like a tiny act of rebellion in and of itself, and even as a middle-aged adult, I can’t help but worry my mom’s going to walk in, shake her head, and ban the movie from the house. Thankfully, I had an Uncle Len in my life, who told me it’s okay to be different. It’s okay to like the weird stuff. “Weird” is a good thing. Cheers!

Classic Films · Dramas

The Misfits

LizLocke2 Comments
Image Credit: The Misfits, 1961

They had me at Thelma Ritter. I knew going into The Misfits (Disc/Download) that it would be the most depressing corner of Reno Divorce Month, but I pushed through for Thelma. A pure delight in every picture she graced, this character actress could make even the most difficult watch something to look forward to. She was the shining star who guided us home.

John Huston’s film about the decaying mythology of the west is a tough but important film. It was the last one for both Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe, and knowing this fact makes every scene seem like a race against the clock. Those mythological creatures, the biggest box office stars of their day, just… gone. The sixties ushered in a period of revolution in cinema, where “dream factories” shuttered their doors and an actor or actress was only as popular as their last role. But then there was Thelma, like a bridge between worlds. She could exist in movies like All About Eve as well as Technicolor confections like Pillow Talk and A New Kind of Love without missing a beat. It made sense that she would be cast in the role of Isabelle Steers, the owner of a Reno boardinghouse, because Thelma was an actress who rolled with the times. Her character was there for the quickie marriages and quickie divorces, just as the actress was there for the rise and demise of the Hollywood studio system. A dependable presence in a world of fleeting dreams.

I love the scene where Thelma calls Nevada the “Leave It” state. As in, “Ya got money you want to gamble? Leave it here. You got a wife you want to get rid of? Get rid of her here. Extra Atom bomb you don’t need? Blow it up here. Nobody’s gonna mind in the slightest.” Taking inspiration from this quote, and the scent of sage as she and Marilyn are rolling through the desert, while watching The Misfits, I recommend drinking a “Leaf-it” State.

“Leaf-it” State

2 oz Blood Orange Juice

2-3 Fresh Sage Leaves

2 oz Bourbon

¾ oz Lime Juice

¾ oz Simple Syrup

1 Egg White

Muddle sage leaves with lime juice and simple syrup in a shaker. Add bourbon, blood orange juice, and egg white. Dry shake (without ice) for 30 seconds. Add ice to the shaker, and shake again until well-chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass, and garnish with a sage leaf.

“Leaf-It” State

I can’t let this post go by without mentioning Eli Wallach, my favorite scroodily-doo, who is equal parts sweet and horrible in this movie. Out of the three men Marilyn accompanies on a mustang-hunting expedition, he’s the one I kind of want to rope up and leave in the desert by the end. Montgomery Clift, I just want to hug, and Clark—well, I guess I’d want to ask why his character was sweet on Marilyn when Thelma was there the whole time. Cheers!

Classic Films · Comedies

The Women

LizLocke2 Comments
Image credit: The Women, 1939

The d-i-v-o-r-c-e train chugs along this week with one of my all-time favorite classic film comedies, George Cukor’s The Women (Disc/Download)! Featuring an entirely female cast and adapted by screenwriters Anita Loos and Jane Murfin from Clare Boothe Luce’s play, this film is an incredibly clever take on the upper echelons of New York society. From the nail salon to the Reno boardinghouse, these ladies come with sharp claws, sharper tongues, and fabulous clothes. When “Gowns and Fashion Show by Adrian” appears in the opening credits, you know you’re in for a good time.

If you’re looking for a shining example of Golden Age star-power, look no further than The Women. The entire cast reads like a who’s who of the Max Factor appointment book. Frequent Cinema Sips readers know I love a soap opera, so naturally I adore this tale of unfaithful spouses and society gossip. Norma Shearer brings a tough elegance to the character of Mary, who finds herself at the center of a cheating scandal involving her husband and a perfume counter girl (Joan Crawford), but it’s the fast-talking Rosalind Russell who gets the great lines and even greater fashions. From a blouse covered in glittery eyes to headpieces that defy gravity, she’s the one to watch. Oddly, this black & white movie is interrupted by a long Technicolor fashion show sequence, which is jarring and fantastic all at the same time. I love the clothes, I just… don’t know what they’re doing there? I probably would have cut the scene in favor of more Reno time because Mary gains a terrific group of gal pals on the train to Nevada. I wanted more time with them, more lazy days on the ranch, more Marjorie Main as the salty boardinghouse owner- just more!

As Olga the loose-lipped manicurist will attest, Jungle Red is the color for nails. I decided to make a Spritz twist on the classic Jungle Bird cocktail because it’s appropriately named, appropriately colored, and good for those hot Reno days spent waiting for Buck Winston to call. While watching The Women, I recommend drinking a Jungle Cat.

Jungle Cat

1 ½ oz Campari

¾ oz Pineapple Gum Syrup

3 oz Sparkling Wine

1 oz Soda Water

Lime Slices

Combine Campari and pineapple syrup in a shaker without ice. Shake well to combine, then pour into a glass filled with ice. Top with sparkling wine and soda water, and garnish with lime slices.

I love that this movie includes several different reasons for the Reno Divorce because it shows how complicated marriages (and their dissolutions) can be. There’s the reluctant divorce, the resigned divorce, even the aborted divorce! But in the end, I don’t even care what happens to the men in their lives- I just want these women to get the good apartment, maybe get a new Adrian gown, and most of all, get revenge. Cheers!

Classic Films

It Started in Naples

LizLocke1 Comment
Image credit: It Started in Naples, 1960

By the time anyone reads this, I’ll already be gone. That’s right- I’m pulling a Clark Gable (and a Jack Lemmon, and a Richard Burton, and an Elizabeth Taylor, and a Matt Damon) by heading to the Campania region of Italy for some much needed R&R. This week’s movie might be called It Started In Naples (Disc/Download), but for me, it finishes there too. Lucky for you Cinema Sips readers, you don’t need a passport to come along if you watch this charming romp.

In the second-to-last movie he ever made (and the final one released in theaters before his death), Clark Gable stars as a buttoned-up American tasked with collecting his orphaned nephew in Italy. The sunshine foil to his grumpy curmudgeon? The boy’s cabaret singer aunt, played by the always-delightful Sophia Loren. She lives a bohemian life on the island of Capri and is more than happy to let this little rascal skip school, shill for her on the street, and generally never take a bath. Also the cute old landlord from Roman Holiday hangs out in her kitchen eating spaghetti all day, and if I were this kid, I wouldn’t want to trade such a fun life for a trip to Philadelphia either (no offense, Philly). Clark has some great one-liners, Sophia reverts to her zany, sexy Houseboat persona, and there are several scenes in tourist hotspots like The Blue Grotto, the Faraglioni rocks, and the Mount Solaro chairlift. Although I’m skipping Capri in favor of Ischia on my trip (I’m more of an Avanti! / Cleopatra / Talented Mr. Ripley gal), I feel like I got to see the highlights thanks to this movie.

If you want to really want the experience of an Italian vacation at home, then I highly recommend picking up a bottle of Campari to make this sour variation on the classic Americano cocktail. Refreshing on a hot day, you can almost picture the Bay of Naples sparkling below you. While watching It Started in Naples, I recommend drinking a Campania Spritz.

Campania Spritz

2 oz Campari

1 oz Sweet Vermouth

3/4 oz Lemon Juice

3/4 oz Simple Syrup

2 oz Sparkling Water

Pour sparkling water into a Collins glass and fill with crushed ice. Set aside. Combine Campari, Vermouth, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into prepared glass. Stir gently to combine.

I can’t help but marvel at how much Clark Gable looks like my late father in this film, and it’s kind of spooky given that I planned my trip to Naples and Ischia in the wake of my dad’s death two years ago. Now that I’m finally taking it, it feels (in many ways) like both a beginning and an end: an end to my 30s, an end to dealing with the aftermath of death and all its entanglements, and an end to being too fearful to really live. But it’s also the beginning of what I hope will be an exciting chapter in my new life as a published author, and the beginning of living more fully in the present, appreciating each day as the gift that it is. Gable didn’t know when he went to Naples that his time was almost up, but that’s what makes this movie even more poignant to me. It’s about finding joy and connection in unexpected places, and that’s just what I intend to do on this long-awaited trip. Cheers, and I’ll see ya in a few weeks!

Classic Films · Dramas

Romeo and Juliet

LizLocke2 Comments
Image credit: Romeo and Juliet, 1968

Picture the scene: it’s the mid-90s, you’re in middle school English class, and the teacher has just wheeled in the bulky cart with the huge TV and VCR. She fiddles with the input, frantically pressing buttons, until finally, miraculously, that swooping Nino Rota score fills the air. Lord, was there anything better than a movie day in school?? Franco Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet (Disc/Download) will always be a fond English class memory for me, even though I happened to watch it the same year Baz Luhrmann’s fantastic fever dream came out. I love both versions, but if you’re looking for true authenticity of time period and setting, you can’t beat this 1960s classic.

Starring Leonard Whiting and Olivia Hussey as our titular star-cross’d lovers, this adaptation is like a sumptuous trip to Renaissance Italy. Shot on location in Tuscan villages, watching it makes you feel like you just stepped into a Botticelli painting. The costumes are incredible, with expertly tailored velvets, brocades, and silks, in addition to sculptural headpieces and masks at the Capulet ball. I also love the “cat-like” hat Michael York wears as Tybalt “Prince of Cats”, in addition to the mere casting of York, who’s always struck me as having a particularly feline face. It’s the visual details that make this movie special, in addition to the theme popularized by Mancini. When that tenor comes out to sing “A Time for Us”, I still get goosebumps. Sure, Luhrmann’s version made the text more accessible to modern audiences, but there’s something to be said for watching this production of Shakespeare’s play the way he probably envisioned it while writing. In fair Verona, where he laid his scene.

Speaking of Verona, I decided to make a cocktail of the same name because it fits quite well with the tone of this movie. Strong, a little sweet, and perfect for sipping slowly. While watching Zeffirelli’s Romeo and Juliet, I recommend drinking a Verona cocktail.

Verona

2 oz Gin

1 oz Amaretto

1/2 oz Sweet Vermouth

1/4 tsp Lemon Juice

Orange slice for garnish

Combine gin, amaretto, sweet vermouth, and lemon juice in a mixing tin with ice. Stir until chilled, then strain into an old-fashioned glass filled with one large ice cube. Garnish with an orange slice.

I love that Zeffirelli cast relatively unknown actors for these roles, and I’m not going to lie- my Jordan Catalano-loving heart definitely swooned over Leonard Whiting the first time I saw him, with his tights and eyelashes-for-days. This movie has a timeless quality to it because these actors will always be impossibly gorgeous, the sets and costumes will always look authentic, and the words of Shakespeare will always be immortal. I’m forever grateful for those English class “movie days”, and only hope that future generations get to experience the thrill of a good adaptation like I did. Cheers!

Classic Films · Comedies

A New Kind of Love

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Image credit: A New Kind of Love, 1963

It’s such a delight when, after nearly forty years on this planet, and thousands of movies watched, you find a new-to-you classic that features everything you happen to adore. A New Kind of Love (Disc/Download) was a delightful discovery for me this week, for it contains literally all my favorites: 1960s fashion, gorgeous people jetting off to Europe, copious amounts of alcohol, witty dialogue, and Thelma Ritter.

Starring Paul Newman as a womanizing reporter and Joanne Woodward as a “tomboy” department store buyer who makes her living knocking off the top couturiers, this delightful comedy skewers the business of high fashion while still celebrating its glamour. This movie must have been an absolute ball for costume designer Edith Head, particularly in the scene where designer looks are translated into burlesque costumes. You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Paul Newman slowly unraveling a pearl onesie off a stripper. The plot is a little less progressive than I’d like (Woodward feels she has to doll herself up at the Elizabeth Arden salon in order to attract a man, Paul Newman mistakes the “new-and-improved” version for a high-class prostitute, chaos ensues…), but it’s still fun to watch this madly-in-love couple pretend that they’re not madly-in-love for a couple of hours. We know what’s behind all those winks and smirks.

As part of Woodward’s glow-up, she takes part in the St. Catherine’s Day celebration where unwed maidens parade through the streets of Paris. Let’s join in this party (it actually looks like a lot of fun!) with my sparkling version of the classic Maiden’s Prayer cocktail, featuring a splash of pink champagne. Zsa Zsa would approve!

Maiden’s Prayer

1 oz Gin

½ oz Cointreau

½ oz Orange Juice

¼ oz Lemon Juice

2 oz Pink Champagne

Orange Twist

Combine gin, Cointreau, orange, and lemon juices in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Top with pink champagne, and a twist of orange.

The true MVP of this movie (and pretty much every movie on her resume) is Thelma Ritter. All this woman wants is to eat some onion soup with the boss she’s had a crush on for years, in a dress that doesn’t cut off her oxygen supply. She shouldn’t have to rely on sponge rubber to get the job done—Thelma is fabulous in any city, in any decade, in any outfit. Cheers! 

Classic Films · Comedies

Come September

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Image credit: Come September, 1961

If you’re looking for a 1960s romp through Italy, look no further than the Rock Hudson/Gina Lollobrigida classic Come September (Disc/Download). It may be about thirty minutes too long, it may operate on a premise that makes no sense, but in terms of adorable dresses, catchy songs, and Rock looking quite dashing on a Vespa, this is a fun cinema vacation.

In Come September, Rock plays a wealthy businessman who decides to visit his Ligurian coast mansion in September. However, he soon discovers that his butler (Walter Slezak) has secretly turned his house into a hotel during the off-season. Rock arrives to find it full of teenage girls, including the always-delightful Sandra Dee. Rather than kick them out, he… lets them stay? I’m still not sure why, other than to give us lots of “grumpy Rock” scenes, followed by “stern father-figure Rock” scenes, but nevertheless, it’s Rock with a house full of ladies. Then his Italian lover (Gina Lollobrigida) shows up for a roll in the hay, but somehow, she’s stuck rooming with Sandra Dee and subject to bed checks by the girls’ chaperone. Again, no idea why. Bobby Darin then arrives with a car full of guys (including a very young Joel Gray), but Rock makes them sleep on the front lawn in a tent. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this movie is bonkers, but somehow, it works.

There’s one memorable scene where Rock drinks Bobby Darin’s crew under the table, and brandy is the weapon of choice. Let’s pretend we’re sipping a cocktail on the veranda of his mansion, watching the chaos unfold. While viewing Come September, I recommend drinking an Italian Stinger.

Italian Stinger

1 ½ oz Brandy

1 ½ oz Galliano

Orange Twist

Combine brandy and Galliano in a glass filled with ice, stirring gently to combine. Top with a twist of orange.

This would be the movie that introduced Bobby Darin to Sandra Dee, and after marrying in real life, they would go on to make two more equally delightful sixties rom-coms together. Now that’s the kind of “Multiplication” I can get behind. Cheers!

Classic Films · Dramas

Blow-up

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Image credit: Blow-up, 1966

In my 1960s-set novel Follow the Sun, there’s one movie that gets mentioned more than any other: Antonioni’s Blow-up (Disc/Download). This is no accident. For a book that celebrates the style, fashion, photography, and sexual freedoms of the era, this film captures those themes better than any other. It’s a movie about looking without seeing, and one that feels as revelatory now as it probably did then. Movies, and audiences, would never be the same again.

Like an art-house Hitchcock film, Blow-up follows a successful London photographer who inadvertently witnesses a murder in the park, capturing the minutes just before and after the crime with his camera lens. Thomas (David Hemmings) thinks he’s photographing two people in the midst of an afternoon tryst, but after the woman (Vanessa Redgrave) harasses him and then tries to seduce him to get the film back, and a strange man is seen walking around his car, he gets suspicious. Blowing up the negatives, he begins to see what his eyes failed to register in the moment: there was another person there; a person with a gun. After that, Thomas starts to unravel. He doesn’t know what to do with this information, or if it’s even real. He may be witness to a potential murder, but London is still swingin’ all around him. Pencil-thin models are parading around in their colorful, sculptural clothes, Jeff Beck is smashing his guitar, and Jane Birkin shows up for an audition and a three-way tryst amid his purple seamless backdrop. The scenes of Thomas examining his photos are such a contrast to the debauchery of the rest of the film that it creates an incredible tension. Only by standing still can he (and we) start to see what was right in front of him.

Purple is such a prominent color in this movie that I naturally had to make a purple cocktail. This drink is made with one of my favorite British botanical gins (Plymouth), along with violet liqueur to give it a nice coloring. You could also use Empress 1908 Gin if you want to go full purple. While watching Blow-up, I recommend drinking an Aperture cocktail.

Aperture

2 oz Plymouth Gin

1/2 oz Velvet Falernum

1/2 oz Creme de Violette

3/4 oz Pink Lemon Juice

Lemon Twist (for garnish)

Mint (for garnish)

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a coupe glass. Garnish with a lemon twist and mint.

If you appreciate sixties fashion, then you’ll love this film as much as I do. Watching Verushka slide across the screen in her slinky sequined black dress that leaves almost nothing to the imagination captures the sexual freedom of the era every bit as much as later scenes that were much more explicit in nature. When I decided to make one of my Follow the Sun characters a minor player in this cinematic masterpiece, it was done with reverence for both the film and the beautiful women populating it. Part of the fun of writing a book set in another time period is imagining what it was like to exist in that era. Blow-up, with its mod clothes, strange, dreamlike plot, and haunting jazz score by Herbie Hancock, is a movie that lets the imagination run wild. Cheers!

Comedies

Hairspray

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Image credit: Hairspray, 1988

There have been several iterations of John Waters’ tale of racial integration in 1960s Baltimore, but this week I feel like watching the most “Divine” one of them all. That’s right, we’re going back to the original (Disc/Download) in order to learn how to tease our hair, do The Bird, and tell our racist elders to take a hike.

Starring Ricki Lake as iconic plus-sized heroine Tracy Turnblad, Hairspray is one of the many movies of my childhood that got me interested in the sixties. The dresses, the bouffants, the music—I loved it all. As a kid, I was intrigued by the concept of ironing one’s hair (like literally ironing it on a board!), and the confusing ritual of teenagers watching other teenagers dance live on TV. I suppose the concept mostly died out with MTV’s The Grind, but maybe it continues on YouTube? Someone under the age of 35 will have to investigate. For now, I enjoy the retro charm of Tracy and Link on the Corny Collins show, her fashion makeover at the Hefty Hideaway, and the greatest stage mom of them all, Edna Turnblad.

If there’s one thing Mr. Pinky knows how to do, it’s create a haven for full-figured gals. I wish this shop existed in real life- with the same dresses!! Let’s celebrate this dream retail destination with a pastel Pinky’s Margarita.

Pinky’s Margarita

2 oz Silver Tequila

1 oz Cointreau

3/4 oz Lime Juice

3/4 oz Cranberry Juice

Lime Wedge for garnish

Combine all ingredients in a shaker with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into a glass filled with fresh ice. Garnish with a lime wedge. (Optional: Salt Rim)

This movie makes me nostalgic for one of my all-time favorite shows, American Dreams. It was cancelled too early, but the memories of this gloriously soapy, fictionalized version of Dick Clark’s American Bandstand remain. As we’re celebrating all things 1960s this summer with the release of my upcoming novel Follow the Sun, make a little space for Tracy and her gravity-defying hair. Cheers!