Alcohollywood

This week on Alcohollywood, Mystery Month continues with the 1999 superhero comedy Mystery Men! This campy tale of a group of misfit superheroes who attempt to save Champion City from the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) is definitely interesting in concept – and helped by a great cast – but the… Continue reading The post Mystery Men (1999) appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week on Alcohollywood, Mystery Month continues with the 1999 superhero comedy Mystery Men! This campy tale of a group of misfit superheroes who attempt to save Champion City from the evil Casanova Frankenstein (Geoffrey Rush) is definitely interesting in concept - and helped by a great cast - but the script is incredibly spotty. Director Kinka Usher's schizophrenic direction and the poorly aged music and song choices don't help, but the film manages to find quite a few moments of self aware superhero comedy. However, none of this leads o a film that add up to more than the sum of its parts. Guest Jesse joins us for our review and drinking game, along with a quiz - check it out!

This week, we continue Mystery Month with the 2010 wire-fu historical action flick Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame! In 7th century China, in the wake of a series of mysterious spontaneous combustions, Detective Dee (Andy Lau) is brought in to stop an assassination attempt of Empress… Continue reading The post Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame (2010) appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week, we continue Mystery Month with the 2010 wire-fu historical action flick Detective Dee and the Mystery of the Phantom Flame! In 7th century China, in the wake of a series of mysterious spontaneous combustions, Detective Dee (Andy Lau) is brought in to stop an assassination attempt of Empress Wu on the eve of her coronation. Director Tsui Hark and fight director Sammo Hung provide some great wire-fu action sequences among the convoluted plot that is typical of these kinds of Chinese epic modern films. Despite the sometimes-confusing nature of the plot and the dry characters, there’s plenty of great action choreography and some insane images (watch for some deer-on-man kung fu action) to make it worth a watch. It’s available on Netflix, so be sure to watch with our review and drinking game below!

This week on Alcohollywood, we start Mystery Month, where all the movies have ‘mystery’ in the title!  Starting off, we talk about 1989’s Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train, a strange and hip anthology film featuring three stories of people (both native and tourist) navigating Memphis, Tennessee on the same night. From a… Continue reading The post Mystery Train (1989) appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week on Alcohollywood, we start Mystery Month, where all the movies have ‘mystery’ in the title!  Starting off, we talk about 1989’s Jim Jarmusch film Mystery Train, a strange and hip anthology film featuring three stories of people (both native and tourist) navigating Memphis, Tennessee on the same night. From a disaffected young Japanese couple seeking the home of rock stars, to a lost Italian woman trying to find her way, to a trio of locals out on a night of crime, the movie is an exercise in effortless meanderings. Throughout, Jim Jarmusch’s underplayed style out in full force, along with a great rock 'n roll soundtrack. Musicians like Joe Strummer and Screamin' Jay Hawkins interact with great character actors (Steve Buscemi, Rick Aviles) to create a weird soup of rock history homage and quirky character study. Check out our review and drinking game here!

This week on Alcohollywood, we take on one of David Fincher’s lesser-known films, the 1997 thriller The Game! Uptight investment banker Nicholas Van Orton (a wonderful Michael Douglas) receives a 48th birthday present from his ne’er-do-well brother Conrad (Sean Penn) to participate in a service that turns his life into… Continue reading The post The Game (1997) appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week on Alcohollywood, we take on one of David Fincher’s lesser-known films, the 1997 thriller The Game! Uptight investment banker Nicholas Van Orton (a wonderful Michael Douglas) receives a 48th birthday present from his ne’er-do-well brother Conrad (Sean Penn) to participate in a service that turns his life into a thrilling ‘game.’ When the game starts to go too far, Nicholas is forced to fight for his life, while also trying to track down who’s behind these dangerous pranks. The film is wonderfully made, with very strong performances, crisp, slick direction from Fincher, and enough twists and turns to keep you genuinely guessing until the very end. Furthermore, we’ve got our own ‘game’ for you to play to The Game, along with our custom cocktail!

This week on Alcohollywood, we grab our zithers and wander back to post-WWII Vienna for Carol Reed’s noir classic The Third Man! Starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, the film follows writer Holly Martins (Cotten) who works to unravel the mystery behind the assumed death of his friend Harry Lime (Welles), finding romance, mystery and intrigue along the way. The film’s cinematography is second to none, and Anton Karas’ inimitable zither score has become one of the most recognizable pieces of music in cinema history; Welles, Cotten and the rest of the cast are equally superb. If you haven’t seen it, the film is well worth a watch. When you do, be sure to listen to our review and try out our custom cocktail and drinking rules!

This week on Alcohollywood, we grab our zithers and wander back to post-WWII Vienna for Carol Reed’s noir classic The Third Man! Starring Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles, the film follows writer Holly Martins (Cotten) who works to unravel the mystery behind the assumed death of his friend Harry Lime… Continue reading The post The Third Man (1949) appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week on Alcohollywood, we crash and burn with guest Derek as we talk about 1990’s cult hit Robot Jox, directed by Stuart Gordon! In the far flung future, the Cold War still rages, but now territorial disputes are settled by gladiatorial robot fights. Achilles (Gary Graham) our illiterate hero, squares… Continue reading The post Robot Jox (1990) appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week on Alcohollywood, we crash and burn with guest Derek as we talk about 1990's cult hit Robot Jox, directed by Stuart Gordon! In the far flung future, the Cold War still rages, but now territorial disputes are settled by gladiatorial robot fights. Achilles (Gary Graham) our illiterate hero, squares off against Alexander (Paul Koslo) for the territory of Alaska. Luckily, he is helped by his genetically engineered love interest Athena (Anne-Marie Johnson) and the flamboyant Tex Conway (Michael Alldredge). Along the way, we get to see wonderfully cheesy acting, delightful stop-motion robot fights and so much more. Check out our review and drinking game below!

This week on Alcohollywood, Clint and Jared (along with our friend Mark of Our Fair City and Blastropodcast) take on the Steven Spielberg classic Jurassic Park, just in time for its release in 3D this weekend! The tale of a group of paleontologists, scientists and children who visit an island… Continue reading The post Jurassic Park (1993) w/Blastropodcast appeared first on Alcohollywood.

This week on Alcohollywood, Clint and Jared (along with our friend Mark of Our Fair City and Blastropodcast) take on the Steven Spielberg classic Jurassic Park, just in time for its release in 3D this weekend! The tale of a group of paleontologists, scientists and children who visit an island based attraction inhabited by newly cloned dinosaurs has captured imaginations for generations, and it's hard to argue against how fun and awe-inspiring the film's visuals are. It's quintessential Spielberg adventure of the finest caliber, bolstered by a great cast that includes Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Wayne Knight and Sir Richard Attenborough. Check out our drinking rules and cocktail before you head out to the theater!

Saddle up, partners, because we (along with returning guest Todd) head to the Wild Wild West (of Italy) for the 1964 spaghetti Western A Fistful of Dollars! Clint Eastwood plays The Man With No Name, a lone gunslinger with no allegiances and an eye for money, who wanders into a… Continue reading The post A Fistful of Dollars (1964) appeared first on Alcohollywood.