Reviews, news, and features from the world of soused cinema
ALCOHOL--THE FABRIC OF FILM HISTORY IS SOGGY WITH THE STUFF. STILL, FILM HISTORIANS HAVE RARELY GIVEN BOOZE ITS DUE. THIS SITE IS DEDICATED TO SETTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT.
DVR Alert! Ken Burns' new, three-part, five-and-one-half-hour documentary on Prohibition begins airing Sunday October 2nd on PBS in prime time (check local listings). The remaining parts will air the following Monday and Tuesday.
Of course, this means that the true story of the Volstead Act will compete head-to-head against HBO's fantastic fictionalized account of the era, Boardwalk Empire. As much as I love the drunken violence that HBO has been serving up, I suggest that you adjust your viewing habits for a single week. Boardwalk Empire will receive multiple airings Sunday evening and throughout the week, so it should be easy to catch both programs.
If instead you choose to wait for the eventual DVDand Blu-rayrelease of the doc, your wait will be brief. Ken Burns' PROHIBITION is officially scheduled to hit stores on Tuesday, October 4th. Here's a link to a rave review of the Blu-ray release, courtesy of DVDTalk.com: Ken Burns' PROHIBITION Blu-ray
Whichever way you choose to experience what is sure to be the definitive film on the subject, drink it up!
USA/B&W-75m./Dir: William Dieterle/Wr: Robert Lord & Arthur Caesar (based on a play by Rudolph Bernauer & Rudolph Oesterreicher)/Cast: Marilyn Miller (Lia Toerrek), Ben Lyon (Fred von Wellingen), W.C. Fields (Bela Toerrek), Leon Errol (Baron von Schwarzdorf), Ford Sterling (Otmar von Wellingen), Chester Conklin (Emil)
Around Hollywood in 1931, most people considered W.C. Fields’ movie career to be all but over. The popular stage comedian had made an attempt at big screen stardom during the mid-Twenties, but his silent features had failed to connect with audiences. While studio mishandling was partly to blame for Fields’ flicker flopperoo, the core of the problem was that silent film proved to be a poor medium for the Great Man’s style of comedy. Soundless cinema robbed W.C. of two of his greatest comedic gifts--his distinctive voice and his ability to improve upon scripted dialogue with copious verbal ad-libbing. The advent of sound provided Fields with a chance to re-introduce himself to the viewing public, but studio heads were initially reluctant to hire an actor that had previously proved to be a box office dud. However, a chance meeting with Marilyn Miller, a Broadway actress with whom Fields had costarred in the Ziegfeld Follies, led to an offer to portray Miller’s father in her latest film, Her Majesty Love.
W.C. Fields’ first sound feature, Her Majesty Love, is a pretty anemic affair. It is a musical comedy that is thin on both music and comedy, with a nonsensical script and poor acting (with the exceptions of Fields and Errol). Viewed today, the film appears old-fashioned in the worst possible way. In short, it creaks.
However, once the Great Man appears--about a third of the way into the picture--he commands the screen and makes the most of every moment he is given. It is easy to see why Her Majesty Love jump-started Fields’ film career, while the rest of the cast drifted into bit parts or faded into obscurity. Fields’ talent for making music from scripted dialogue and his physical grace puts the rest of the cast to shame. Only fellow stage comedian Leon Errol holds his own in scenes opposite the Great Man.
For lovers of soused cinema, Her Majesty Love is an interesting museum piece. There is plentiful cocktail-swilling in this Prohibition-era picture (which is likely why Berlin was retained as the setting), and we are treated to one of Fields’ first filmed forays into utilizing alcohol-soaked humor. His juggling scene, while drunk on cognac, is a treasure for both his manual dexterity and the fact that it is one of the few times W.C. acted inebriated on film. Fields often drank in his movies, but he rarely displayed any ill effects. This scene is a notable exception.
Her Majesty Love is not a good film, and most modern audiences will understandably find it a chore to sit through. However, fans of W.C. Fields should seek out this antiquated curio for the hints of the Great Man’s comedic genius that are tantalizingly sprinkled throughout the second half of the film.
Drinks Consumed--Champagne, martinis (gin), Benedictine, cognac, wine, sherry with egg, and unnamed cocktails
Intoxicating Effects--Harmonizing, slurred speech, boasting, juggling, stumbling, public disturbance, and destruction of property
Potent Quotables--WAITER: A drink before dinner, sir? BARON: Drink always. Before, with, and after… you teetotaler. Video Availability--Her Majesty Love has never been released on video in any format. However, Turner Classic Movies does air the film from time to time. Similarly Sauced Cinema--W.C. Fields reunited with his pal Leon Errol for his swan song, Never Give a Sucker an Even Break (1941).
October 28th can't come soon enough, as far as I'm concerned. That's when The Rum Diary, the long-delayed film version of Hunter S. Thompson's novel of the same name, finally hits a multiplex near you (and hopefully near me). The project has been in and out of development since 2000, and the flick itself has been sitting on a shelf since filming was completed in 2009.
I guess it is only fitting that the movie version experienced delays, being that it is based on a novel that Thompson wrote in 1961 but remained unpublished until 1998. We can only hope that the film proves to be as successful and as enduring as the novel turned out to be.
Johnny Depp once again stars as a fictionalized version of Thompson. In The Rum Diary, his character is Paul Kemp, a younger and less drug-addled version of the writer than Raoul Duke of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998). While Kemp is more clean cut in appearance than Duke, the newly released trailer indicates that the characters share a love of the bottle and a similar vocal tone.
The film was written and directed by Bruce Robinson of Withnail and I fame. On October 28th, it will be interesting to see how the sensibilities of Robinson and Hunter blend (or collide). In the meantime, we will have to be content with the taste provided by the first official trailer:
I think I'll watch it again, after I get a refill.
USA/C-95m./Dir: Corey Allen/Wr: William Hjortsberg/Cast: David Carradine (Harley Thomas), Kate Jackson (Nancy Sue Hunnicutt), Roger C. Carmel (Ralph Junior Hunnicutt), George Murdock (Jake Summers), Eddie Barth (Rudi Volpone), Claude Earl Jones (Carl), Sterling Holloway (Hobe Carpenter), Patrick Cranshaw (Taylor)
“It’s 250-proof fun!” promised the posters for Thunder and Lightning, a Roger Corman-produced moonshine and car chase quickie. 250-proof? There can be no such thing. 200-proof would indicate 100% alcohol, and it is impossible to have more than 100% of anything. The illogical tag line should have served as a warning to potential ticket buyers, because neither alcohol nor fun is much in evidence in Thunder and Lightning.
A post-Kung-Fu David Carradine stars as Harley Thomas, a hillbilly moonshine runner unofficially engaged to Nancy Sue Hunnicut (Kate Jackson), the daughter of a rich soda pop manufacturer (Roger C. Carmel). In truth, however, Nancy’s father is involved in much more than producing fizzy sugar water. His Honeydew soda plant is a front for a big-time moonshine operation funded by the mob. When Nancy finds out about her father’s dirty dealings, she convinces Harley to help her track down her dad’s latest delivery--a truck full of poison-tainted moonshine. Simultaneously, the mob, upset about the same poisoned brew, sends a couple of hitmen to rub out Nancy’s father. When Harley, Nancy, her father’s thugs, the hitmen, and the state police all speed down the same highway, car crashes, gunfire, and small explosions are sure to follow.
From start to finish, Thunder and Lightning shows all the earmarks of a hastily produced knockoff intended to capitalize on the mainstream success of Smokey and the Bandit (1977). Careful attention is given to any shots that would be used to promote the film. Car and boat chases, pyrotechnics, and even alligator wrasslin’ are all well choreographed and competently shot. However, little effort seems to have been given to any part of the picture that would not directly appear in the trailer.
The script is slapdash. The story jumps haphazardly from one unnecessary complication to another, characters are given actions with little or no motivation behind them, the dialogue is embarrassing, and attempts at humor are pathetic. Instead of a musical score, the film should have been accompanied by the buzzers and horns reserved for game show losers.
The production values are also lacking. The movie appears to have been edited with a hacksaw, making some action set pieces and scene transitions difficult to follow. Worse yet, the sound mix is deplorable. The actor’s voices are often muffled and incomprehensible beneath layers of background noise and music.
Another area of disappointment is the flick’s low alcohol content. Like most white lightning movies, Thunder and Lightning is about transporting liquor rather than consuming it. As a couple of independent moonshiners, Sterling “Winnie the Pooh” Holloway and Patrick “Blue” Cranshaw hoot with orgasmic delight as they ogle their home brew, but they are rudely interrupted before they get a chance to take a taste. Only David Carradine gets to imbibe, downing but a single swig near the beginning of the film. For the remainder of the running time, booze is discussed as a commodity and used as an explosive, instead of being sipped and savored.
The shortcomings of the film can’t be blamed on the cast. David Carradine and Kate Jackson make likeable leads, and it is always a pleasure to see Roger “Harry Mudd” Carmel play a rogue. Character actors such as Eddie Barth and Charles Napier also add a little spice to the brew. However, even the most amiable actors can’t overcome the deficiencies of the script. It should also be noted that none the leads manage to produce a believable Southern accent.
Despite a title that promises the action of the 1958 drive-in phenomenon Thunder Roadmixed with a tasty new batch of white lightning, Thunder and Lightning disappoints on all counts. It is a particularly weak brew.
Drinks Consumed--Moonshine (corn whiskey)
Intoxicating Effects--None. No one drinks enough to feel it.
Potent Quotables--HARLEY (taking a swig): Man! That is the best corn I’ve ever tasted.
HOBE: Yeah? Then you better savor every snootful of it. That’s the last cork between us and the temperance society.
HARLEY: Boys, we’ll have another run by the end of the week. You’ll see.
Similarly Sauced Cinema--Another drive-in moonshine action flick was released two months earlier than Thunder and Lightning, the more enjoyable Moonshine County Express.
Lovers of soused cinema and slapstick comedy rejoice! On October 25th, Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's classic sound-era shorts and features will be released in a 10-DVD box set! While these films have long been available in Europe, this is the first time most of the duo's talkies will be released in the United States.
This is a collection that no self-respecting soused cinema enthusiast should be without! For those interested in the full details (and why wouldn't you be), below is the press release:
"TIMELESS SOUND-ERA FILMS FROM THE LEGENDARY HAL ROACH LIBRARY DEBUT IN ONE EXTRAORDINARY DVD SET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE U.S.
LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION
Digitally Remastered And Digitally Restored, Loaded With Over Two Hours Of Special Features, The Spectacular 10-Disc Set Arrives October 25 From RHI Entertainment And Vivendi Entertainment
UNIVERSAL CITY, CA – Celebrating the genius of the most beloved comedy team of all time, LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION debuts in a stunning 10-disc set on October 25, 2011 from RHI Entertainment and Vivendi Entertainment. With a comedic style that defined an era and created a legacy that is still celebrated today, 58 of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy’s talking shorts and feature films, produced under legendary movie mogul Hal Roach from 1929 through 1940, are now available for the first time in the U.S. all together in one magnificent collection.
Transferred in high definition for the first time and digitally enhanced for home viewing in the finest quality available to date, the set contains favorites that have been enjoyed for generations including Helpmates, Hog Wild, Another Fine Mess, Sons of the Desert, Way Out West, and the Academy Award® winning* film The Music Box.
LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION comes housed in collectible, book-style packaging with an extensive, detailed film guide. The set also boasts over two hours of special features including exclusive, never-before-seen interviews with comedy legends Dick Van Dyke, Jerry Lewis, Tim Conway and more, who discuss the enduring impact and influence of Laurel and Hardy.
Additional features include commentaries by Laurel and Hardy aficionados, along with a virtual location map that allows viewers to take an interactive tour of the iconic places in and around Los Angeles where Laurel and Hardy filmed. Available for the suggested retail price of $99.98, LAUREL & HARDY: THE ESSENTIAL COLLECTION showcases some of the most cherished and hilarious films in cinema history and is a must-have for comedy fans and collectors everywhere.
BASICS Price: $99.98 Street Date: October 25, 2011 Order Date: September 20, 2011 Catalog Number: RH3021 Language: English Running time: 1941 minutes Rating: NR"
USA/C-104m./Dir: Roger Donaldson/Wr: Heywood Gould/Cast: Tom Cruise (Brian Flanagan), Bryan Brown (Doug Coughlin), Elisabeth Shue (Jordan Mooney), Kelly Lynch (Kerry Coughlin), Gina Gershon (Coral), Ron Dean (Uncle Pat)
Cocktailmanages to present the worst of the 1980’s--greed, machismo, feathered hair, annoying pop songs, and general douche-baggery--in a tight 104-minute package. For those lucky enough to have missed the movie (or the decade for that matter), I would advise steering far clear of this glossy piece of trash. Instead, let me take the bullet for you. I had to watch Cocktail in documenting the booziest films of all time. There is no way for me to un-watch it. Let my trauma serve as a warning to keep other viewers from suffering the same fate.
Tom Cruise smugly swaggers through the flick as Brian Flanagan, an army veteran freshly out of the service, who is looking to make it rich in NYC. When he is unable to find a lucrative position, due to his lack of education and experience, he takes a bartending job at T.G.I. Friday’s. Initially, Flanagan doesn’t know a Singapore Sling from a Kamikaze, but the experienced bartender, Doug Coughlin (Bryan Brown), helps the newbie master mixology and numerous flashy bar tricks. Soon Brian and Doug’s showboating saloon skills are in such demand that they move up to a trendy nightclub, serving yuppies and heiresses with big hair. However, the friendship/partnership breaks up due to a bet over Flanagan’s girlfriend (Gina Gershon).
Three years later, Brian is tending bar and juggling bottles in Jaimaca, while trying to save up money to open his own place. There he falls for a vacationing blonde, Jordan Mooney (Elisabeth Shue). Around this time, Doug also shows up in Jamaica with a hot, rich wife (Kelly Lynch) that has a proclivity for wearing skimpy swimsuits that show off her buttocks. Flanagan manages to torpedo his relationship with Jordan through another bar bet with Coughlin; and then a bunch of other stuff happens, but I’m guessing by now that you’ve lost interest.
Cocktail is loud, slick, and vapid--the cinematic equivalent of junk food. The filmmaking and actors are competent, but the dialogue Cruise and company are forced to recite is so laughably bad that it is impossible to take any of it seriously. I kept waiting for Crow T. Robot and Tom Servo to show up make fun of the proceedings, but I ended up having to rag on the flick myself.
There are adult beverages galore on display in Cocktail, and the film is undeniably important in drink culture for helping to popularize flair bartending, which involves tossing around bottles and bar tools while preparing mixed drinks. Still, the film is only recommended for the most stout-hearted of soused cinema enthusiasts. Others beware.
Drinks Consumed--Beer, Red Eye cocktail (beer, tomato juice, spices, & egg), Turquoise Blue cocktail (Bacardi rum, Blue Curacao, & pineapple juice), Daiquiri (rum, lime juice, sugar, & crushed ice), Champagne, white wine, Lois XIII brandy, and various unnamed cocktails
Intoxicating Effects--Stumbling, harmonizing, soused sex, brawling, passing out, and hangover Potent Quotables--FLANAGAN (offered a shot of cognac): I’ll stick with the brew.
COUGHLIN: Beer is for breakfast around here. Drink or be gone.
Today, as I was perusing a local book store, a paperback edition of Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition by Daniel Okrent caught my eye. As a devotee of alky-related pop culture, I was naturally intrigued--even more so when I read the callout on the cover:
"FEATURED IN KEN BURNS' PBS DOCUMENTARY PROHIBITION"
After a bit of digging I discovered that Prohibition is a three-part, five-and-a-half-hour documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick (who worked together previously on The Civil War, Baseball, Jazz, The War, and other projects). It is scheduled to air at a yet unnamed date in the fall. Color me intrigued.
When I know more, you'll know more. In the meantime, here is a sneak preview of the series from PBS:
I like to drink. I like to watch movies. I like to watch movies about drinking. I like to write about the movies I’ve watched, but only if I’ve had a drink first.
Of course, this means that the true story of the Volstead Act will compete head-to-head against HBO's fantastic fictionalized account of the era, Boardwalk Empire. As much as I love the drunken violence that HBO has been serving up, I suggest that you adjust your viewing habits for a single week. Boardwalk Empire will receive multiple airings Sunday evening and throughout the week, so it should be easy to catch both programs.
![W.C. Fields: 6 Short Films [Criterion Collection] -](http://images.bestbuy.com/BestBuy_US/images/products/1011/10112433.jpg)
(20th Century Fox)
(Buena Vista)
