Tag: movie cocktails

Comedies

In Her Shoes

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in-her-shoes
Image credit: In Her Shoes, 2005

I’ve featured director Curtis Hanson’s films LA Confidential and Wonder Boys on Cinema Sips in the past, but this week I’m excited to write about one of his less-frequently lauded movies In Her Shoes (DVD/Download). An unconventional choice for Hanson, this quasi-rom com could have veered off into Hallmark Channel territory, but with his skilled hand it became a beautiful film about the relationship between sisters, the joy and pathos of aging, and the quest we’re all on to find professional fulfillment. The fact that it features sugary pink drinks and designer shoes, well, that’s just icing on the cupcake.

Adapted from the wonderfully fun novel by Jennifer Weiner (one of my personal favorite writers), In Her Shoes is about two sisters (Toni Collette and Cameron Diaz) who have a falling out, and struggle to find their way back to each other.  Along the way they reunite with a long-lost grandmother (played by Shirley MacLaine), and discover the love and self-confidence both had always lacked. Sure there’s some romance, a lot of cute shoes, and bikini shots of Cameron Diaz after she moves into her grandma’s retirement community. But there are also some great scenes about the struggles many of us face in life, and that really triumphant moment when finally, at last, you figure out what you’re meant to do. Watching this movie just makes me hopeful.

In an effort to bond with her too-cool-for-school adult granddaughter, Shirley MacLaine spends an evening watching Sex and the City and drinking cosmos. It’s a cliche, but I’m sorry, cosmos are delicious!  And for this movie, the drink fits. While watching In Her Shoes, I recommend drinking a Cosmopolitan.

Cosmopolitan

1 ½ oz Vodka

1 oz Cranberry juice

½ oz Cointreau

½ oz fresh lime juice

Lime wedge

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

cosmopolitan

What always delighted me about this film was the spot-on depiction of Florida retirement communities. As a child of Florida snow-birds, I’ve always daydreamed about just running away to the land of early bird specials, white pants, water aerobics, and cocktail hour. It’s only the lack of decent Tex-Mex there that stops me. Fortunately, I’ve got In Her Shoes to remind me of what I’m missing. Cheers!

Comedies

Ghost World

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ghost-world
Image credit: Ghost World, 2001

My apologies in advance for the shameless promotion this week, but I just can’t help it. I am SO excited for the publication of my husband’s newest book Draw Like This!, a fun and instructional guide for budding artists. Seriously, I wish I’d had this book when I was in art class.  It would have saved me so much stress and eraser smudging. I’ve had my share of art teachers over the years, and many of them could have inspired Illeana Douglas’ character in this week’s film Ghost World (DVD/Download). Chunky jewelry, a checkered past, and a heavy appreciation of symbolism are apparently all you need to cut it as an art instructor. And if all else fails, set up a student critique and call it a day.

Based on the graphic novel by Daniel Clowes, Ghost World is probably in my top ten all-time favorite films. Perhaps it’s because I was Enid in high school- jaded against my hometown, indifferent about the future, and worshipful of anything weird or different. And yes, that includes Steve Buscemi (still a movie-star crush of mine). I had the colored hair, the sketchbook, the vinyl records, and the scowl.  The story of Enid and her best friend Rebecca (played by a very young Scarlett Johansson) growing apart is so honest, and very true of the journey most of us take in young adulthood. We have to figure out ourselves first before we can figure out how to relate to other people.

Let’s face it, late adolescence is all about making bad choices. Not that I would call drinking too much champagne and sleeping with nice-guy Steve Buscemi a bad choice per-se, but for Enid it isn’t the smartest move. While watching Ghost World, I recommend drinking a One Night Stand.

One Night Stand

Champagne

1 Tsp brown sugar

3/4 oz Brandy

3 dashes angostura bitters

Orange peel

Place brown sugar in the bottom of a coupe glass, and top with bitters.  Add brandy, then top with champagne until full.  Garnish with an orange twist.

draw-like-this

As I think about what it means to be an artist, I realize that making great art is not about shocking viewers or arbitrarily assigning deep meaning to something ordinary. To me, it’s about finding what you enjoy, sticking with it, and finding your own voice. Whether it’s writing or drawing, any good teacher would tell you that practice is what makes the difference between success and failure. Of course, it helps to have some really great technical advice along the way (like the lessons in Draw Like This!). And, maybe some chunky jewelry. Cheers!

Uncategorized

Julie & Julia

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julie-and-julia
Image credit: Julie & Julia, 2009

This month marks a milestone for Cinema Sips. It has officially been 3 years since I started this blog on cocktail and movie pairings, really as a bit of a lark, but with a small shred of hope that people would actually enjoy reading it. After 180 posts, I am proud to say that I have never missed a week, I have not yet had to check into the Betty Ford clinic, and I’ve made a grand total of $5.05 through affiliate links (I’ll take it!). In truth, there might not be a Cinema Sips without this week’s film Julia & Julia (DVD/Download). The story of a lost New York writer who blogs about her attempts at Julia Child’s recipes definitely got me thinking about blogging, and what in my life I could write about that other people might find interesting. My collection of vintage postcards? Eh, not so much. Cocktails and movies? Heck yes!

Directed by the late, great Nora Ephron, Julie & Julia is actually two movies in one. In one half we see blogger Julie Powell trying to find her path in life, using Julia Child’s recipes as a compass. In the other half we see Julia Child herself, learning the art of French cooking in 1950’s Paris, writing her masterpiece, and being generally adorable with her husband. Amy Adams plays Julie Powell and Meryl Streep steals the show as Julia Child. As with all of her roles, Streep is utter perfection, and Child’s zest for life becomes infectious through this performance. I have to admit, if I weren’t in a similar life situation to Powell, I might not have liked the modern-day half of the movie. Not anyone’s fault- it’s just hard to compete against Julia Child and Paris in the 50’s. But because I am a blogger, and because I also get terrified that the only person who reads this blog is my mother, I find comfort in watching her story unfold.

In thinking about my cocktail pairing this week, I asked myself what would Julia Child drink? The answer- whatever the hell she wanted! She might even get a little tipsy while cooking. After all, if no one’s in the kitchen, who’s to see? While watching Julie & Julia, I recommend drinking a French Martini.

French Martini

2 oz Vodka

1/2 oz Chambord raspberry liqueur

2 oz pineapple juice

Fresh raspberry for garnish

Shake all ingredients over ice until chilled, then strain into a martini glass. Garnish with a raspberry.

french-martini

Admittedly, when I started this blog I didn’t have much faith in my ability to follow through and keep up the weekly posts. But it’s the awesome feedback I’ve received over the years that has really motivated me. Cinema Sips has made me a better writer and photographer, and it’s made me more adventurous in trying new cocktails. For all the readers who have followed this blog, and all the readers still to come, you are the butter to my bread, and the breath to my life. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist

The Italian Job

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italian-job
Image credit: The Italian Job, 2003

I would never advocate drinking and driving, but who says you can’t drink and watch other people drive? This week I’m featuring a high-octane heist movie with cute cars, snappy dialogue, and Venetian scenery. The Italian Job (DVD/Download) is essentially the 4th Ocean’s Eleven film, wherein a ragtag group of attractive people steal gold from the bad guy. Although Mark Walburg is certainly no Clooney, those cute Mini Coopers zipping through tunnels and mansions makes up for it.

Although the film is called The Italian Job, precious little of it takes place in Italy. Nevertheless, I love the opening and closing shots of the Venetian canals. In real life I know St. Mark’s Square to be covered in dive-bombing pigeons, however in the movies it always looks so lovely. The bulk of the story takes place in and around LA as the professional bandits try to out-cross a double-crosser. The story isn’t terribly original, but it is a lot of fun. Supporting turns by Mos Def and Seth Green provide a good dose of comedy, and this is the one and only Jason Statham movie I have wanted to watch all the way through. So there’s that.

My cocktail this week is a little obvious, but no less delicious. Strong and smooth, like Charlize Theron cracking open a safe, it will have you dreaming of Venetian sunsets. While watching The Italian Job, I recommend drinking a Negroni.

Negroni

1 oz gin

1 oz Campari

1 oz sweet vermouth

Citrus peel

Stir gin, Campari, and vermouth together gently in a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with citrus peel.

negroni

The 2003 version of The Italian Job is one of the few remakes of a classic film that I actually like. I hesitate to even call it a remake of the 1969 version with Michael Caine because it’s really so different. I may have traded in my Mini for the Fiat Pop, but I’ll always have a fondness for Mini Coopers because of this movie. And now, Italian cocktails. Cheers!

Comedies

Tootsie

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Tootsie
Image credit: Tootsie, 1982

Anybody who knows me is aware that I am slightly obsessed with soap operas. Unfortunately my long-time daytime favorites were cancelled a couple years ago, and grief prevented me from latching on to a different show. But, the memories remain. Evil twins, medical emergencies, drug additions, torrid affairs- how could anyone not get hooked? Any time I want a taste of the ridiculousness, I head for my closet and pull out this week’s film, Tootsie. Dustin Hoffman as a man playing a woman to land a part on a TV soap opera is pure genius, and a fabulous love letter to the genre it skewers.

What shocks me about Tootsie is its expert handling of the still-contentious notions of feminism, sexual harassment in the workplace, and gender roles. As we are ensconced in a 24-hour news cycle about the first major US female presidential candidate, and the implications it has for women the world over, I can’t help but think- didn’t Dorothy Michaels already say everything that needed to be said on this subject in 1982? Did we just stop listening? As Dorothy, Dustin Hoffman becomes a better man as a woman than he ever was as Michael Dorsey. Dorothy tells off condescending directors, fights against chauvinism and harassment, increases the ratings for her show, and does it all while battling a five o’clock shadow. As our politicians fight about transgender bathrooms and reproductive rights, I can’t help but wish that everyone would stop and ask themselves the simple question- What Would Dorothy Do? Hand out electric cattle prods, that’s what!

The supporting cast of Tootsie is also stellar, with top notch performances by director Sydney Pollack, Bill Murray, Terry Garr, Charles Durning, and Jessica Lange. Oddly, the only Oscar awarded for this film went to Jessica Lange, for her performance as boozy soap actress Julie. In honor of Julie, who is never without a glass of white wine, while watching Tootsie I recommend drinking a White Wine Sangria.

White Wine Sangria

1/8 cup sugar

2/3 cup water

¼ cup mint leaves

1 bottle dry white wine

½ cup Cointreau

2 cups lemon-lime soda

1 sliced Orange, Lemon, and Lime

Boil sugar and water together until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, let stand 10 minutes. Combine sugar mixture, wine, mint, and Cointreau in a pitcher. Cover and chill 4 hours. Stir in soda and fruit just before serving in ice-filled wine glasses.

Sangria

Part of what I loved most about soap operas was the frequent incorporation of current events into the plotlines. From the AIDS crisis, to campus sexual assault, to mental health issues, daytime TV has always been at the forefront of social consciousness. The characters may make their point in designer clothing and perfectly coiffed hair, but like a cocktail, you need a little sugar to make the hard stuff go down easier. Dorothy Michaels may give a man a scathing lecture, but she’ll do it with a smile and a touch of charm.  Cheers!

Comedies

The Money Pit

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money pit
Image credit: The Money Pit, 1986

As I embark on my first major home renovation, one image keeps streaming through my head- Tom Hanks, clinging desperately to a staircase, as his house collapses around him. Granted, my project is just a simple kitchen, but it’s still shocking how quickly even the smallest project can become like The Money Pit (DVD/Download). Budget? Double it. Time? Double it. Sanity? Kiss it goodbye.

I was lucky to find a house that didn’t need a lot of initial work when I moved in eight years ago, unlike Tom Hanks and Shelley Long in The Money Pit. They land a bargain on an enormous mansion, only to find that it needs a staggering amount of renovation. Costs spiral as their relationship implodes, and this funny 80’s slapstick comedy becomes a cautionary tale of home ownership. It’s no wonder Shelley Long is basically drunk throughout this process -my own bar is also heavily stocked! Maybe then I won’t care when workers show up late (if at all), or when my house is enveloped in a cloud of dust, or when my savings account dwindles before my eyes. Enough martinis and you can survive anything.

As anyone who’s ever done a home renovation can tell you, the contractor is king.  Actually, he’s like a mythical creature who you pay enormous sums of money to, before waiting around hopelessly for an encore appearance.  The Shirk Bros. embody this archetype perfectly, and that name- spot on.  In ode to their musical tastes, while watching The Money Pit I recommend drinking an I Gotta Bee Me Martini.

I Gotta Bee Me Martini

4 oz vodka

1 oz lemon juice

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon warm water

Combine honey and warm water in a cocktail shaker and stir it until the honey is dissolved. Add vodka, lemon juice, and ice and shake vigorously until chilled. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Bee Martini

This cocktail seems easy enough for me to make while I’m held hostage in another part of the house for a week (or two, or three- we’ll see). Luckily I have a partner who’s in this all the way with me; someone who won’t accuse me of seducing an ex to pay for a new oven. After all, he knows I hate to cook. Cheers!

Comedies

Welcome to the Dollhouse

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welcome to the dollhouse
Image credit: Welcome to the Dollhouse, 1995

Middle school is rough. Nobody looks good, kids are cruel, and college seems hopelessly far away. As the current wife of a middle school teacher, I have observed that not much has changed in the last 20 years, including my perspective. I always say, if you liked middle school, you were doing it wrong. What got me through? The brilliantly dark and hilarious film Welcome to the Dollhouse (DVD/Download). Just knowing that somebody out there created a character like Dawn Weiner made me feel a little less alone, and to be honest, a little better about myself. No matter how bad you had it in middle school, nobody had it as bad as Weiner Dog.

Persecuted by her peers and her parents, Dawn is just trying to get through the day without being ridiculed, tormented, or embarrassed. It doesn’t help that she wears her elastic waist shorts practically up to her chest, and has some unfortunate Coke-bottle glasses. (Hey, I wore turtlenecks and sweatshirts. Together. No judgement here). What truly sets Dawn up for failure is her inability to realize the hopelessness of her crush on suburban New Jersey heartthrob Steve Rogers. He’s older, he’s in a band, and he’s cute. This will never end well.

As part of her seduction plan, Dawn offers Steve fish sticks and Hawaiian Punch after school in her parent’s kitchen. Nothing says ‘I love you’ like processed frozen foods and sugary drinks. While watching Welcome to the Dollhouse, I recommend drinking an After School Special.

After School Special

4 oz Hawaiian Punch

2 oz Cranberry Vodka

2 oz Lemon-lime soda

Jell-O Jiggler (optional garnish)

Build drink over ice, stirring gently. Garnish with a Jell-O Jiggler.

After School Special

I know that writer/director Todd Solondz just released Weiner Dog, a sequel-of-sorts to Welcome to the Dollhouse. However, I made the difficult decision not to see it during its theatrical release due to its rumored graphic violence against dogs (I learned my lesson after watching The Lobster!). I know, a true Solondz fan would have just sucked it up. But I’ve come a long way since middle school. The world doesn’t seem quite so bleak and heartless anymore. Maybe Dawn feels the same way. Then again, probably not. Cheers!

Action/Adventure/Heist

The Martian

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the-martian
Image credit: The Martian, 2015

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty much over this summer weather. The sun is a relentless flaming ball that scorches me the second I walk outside, and my yard has become a barren wasteland. I’m actually seeing a lot of parallels between Texas weather and life on Mars in this week’s film The Martian (DVD/Download). Those scenes of Matt Damon gasping for breath as his space suit fails and he’s exposed to the atmosphere? Me, on the walk to the car in the morning.

I didn’t expect to like The Martian as much as I did. I thought it would be yet another big budget sci-fi/action film with a ton of special effects and not much real acting. I couldn’t have been more wrong. It turns out that director Ridley Scott made a compelling film about the triumph of the human spirit against terrible odds. In the end, surviving life on Mars isn’t all that different than surviving life on Earth- you just solve one problem at a time. Granted, problems like a lack of water, oxygen, and food are bigger than, say, my Wi-Fi going out, but we all have our struggles. As Matt Damon MacGyver’s his way through farming and rocket engineering on a planet not meant to support human life, it reminds me that if he can do all that, I can handle a power-cycle with a tech support guy from India.

To survive on Mars, you have to get creative with food and beverages. Left with only a limited supply of rations, astronaut Mark Watney is forced to make his own water and grow his own potatoes. If he’d had more time, and if his space station hadn’t blown up, he might have parlayed this into vodka production. I have no doubt he could do it. While watching The Martian, I recommend drinking a Martian Screwdriver.

Martian Screwdriver

4 oz Tang

2 oz Potato Vodka

Build drink over ice, stirring gently to combine.

martian screwdriver

Although it features a strong supporting cast (um… Kristin Wiig what are you doing in this??), The Martian really is Matt Damon’s tour de force. His performance brings laughs and tears, and the fear on his face as he’s about to lift off into space in an open-air space craft gets me all choked up, every time. All I can say is- welcome back to the world of great actors Mr. Damon. There’s nobody else I’d rather be stranded with. Cheers!

Children's · Classic Films

Freaky Friday

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Freaky Friday
Image credit: Freaky Friday, 1976

Kids month concludes with yet another Disney gem later remade with Lindsay Lohan. Once again (though not surprisingly), I prefer the original. Freaky Friday (DVD/Download) started out a fantastic novel that I stumbled onto in the public library as a child, and happily the movie adaptation does not disappoint. Starring Jodie Foster and Barbara Harris as a mother and daughter who switch bodies for the day, this film is a wonderful 1970’s time capsule full of bad special effects, bell bottom pants, and synchronized water skiing.

It’s shocking that Jodie Foster made Freaky Friday the same year as Taxi Driver, because the roles couldn’t be more different. Field hockey playing tomboy Annabelle Andrews is a far cry from child prostitute Iris, and it just illustrates the talent she had at such a young age. The one thing I always related to was Annabelle’s preference for junk food. Banana splits for breakfast?  Sign me up! As an adult she switches to cold macaroni and cheese- another stellar choice. I never wanted to switch places with my working mother, but had she been a housewife like the elder Mrs. Andrews, I might have been tempted. Sure laundry and grocery shopping are drags, but it’s not like those have to be done every day. There would have been plenty of time left over for soap operas and raw cookie dough binges.

One thing about Mrs. Andrews that I can relate to is the pressure of throwing a dinner party. If I were cooking, I’m pretty sure limp parsley and burnt turkey would end up on my menu too. But dang that chocolate mousse looks good, even on the walls. Therefore this week, while watching Freaky Friday, I recommend making a Grown-Up Chocolate Mousse.

Grown-Up Chocolate Mousse

1/4 cup instant chocolate mousse mix (I used Dr. Oetker brand)

2/3 cup cold milk

2 Tablespoons Amaretto

2 Tablespoons Baileys irish crème liqueur

Whipped Cream and chocolate chips for garnish

Combine mousse mix, milk, Amaretto, and Baileys in a bowl.  Beat on high with electric mixer for 3-5 minutes, or until thickened.  Refrigerate for at least an hour, then top with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

grown up mousse

Although this dessert isn’t technically a cocktail, it’s got booze and lots of chocolate. Teenage me AND adult me thoroughly approves. Would I ever want to switch places with another person I know? No, probably not. However every morning when I look longingly at my napping dog and head out to the office, the thought does cross my mind. But then I think of Freaky Friday and remember- nobody wants to eat kibble. Not even on a smorgasbord. Cheers!

Classic Films

The Parent Trap

LizLocke1 Comment
The Parent Trap
Image Credit: The Parent Trap, 1961

Kid’s Month continues on Cinema Sips this week with the beloved Disney classic, The Parent Trap (DVD/Download).  I know a lot of people love the re-make, but for me it’s Hayley Mills 4Ever.  A great summertime movie filled with horseback riding, canoes, and mosquito bites, the original film will always be a favorite.

From the creepy stop-motion animation dolls in the opening credits to the obvious split screen special effects, this movie has vintage charm written all over it. As Susan and her “twin sister” Sharon get to know each other, they crush hard on Ricky Nelson and dance to Annette Funicello records. One can almost overlook the implausible plot that two loving parents would divorce and separate their twins, never telling the children about the fact that they have a sibling out in the world. Everyone is just so darn likable, that previous bizarre custody agreements get swept under the rug. Popsicles for everyone!

Susan and Sharon are miraculously reunited at summer camp, where they begin hatching a plan to get their parents back together. I myself was never a fan of camp (communal bathrooms and mildew… shudder) but 1960’s summer camp actually looks pretty fun. Even more fun is the eventual camping trip they take with hunky dad Brian Kieth, which is filled with fishing, cuddly bear cubs, and the villainous Miss Vicky. While watching The Parent Trap, I recommend drinking a Campfire Martini.

Campfire Martini

3 oz chocolate liqueur

½ oz vodka

2 ½ oz half-and-half

Crushed graham cracker crumbs

Chocolate syrup

Marshmallows (toasted)

To prepare glass, lightly dip the rim of a martini glass in chocolate syrup, then dip in graham cracker crumbs. To make drink, combine chocolate liqueur, vodka, and half-and-half in a shaker filled with ice. Shake until chilled, then strain into prepared glass. Garnish with toasted marshmallows, speared.

Campfire Martini

While most of the actresses in The Parent Trap have decidedly “old lady” haircuts (even teenaged Hayley Mills), Maureen O’Hara still stands out as a genuine stunner. Classy, funny, tough, beautiful- she’s a real woman. Who wouldn’t fall for her over a candlelit dinner at Martinelli’s? As a kid I came for Hayley Mills and Hayley Mills. As an adult, I stay for O’Hara (and hunky dad Brian Kieth). Cheers!