What do you get when you have a heaping helping of movie trivia, twisted humor, and a glass of wine (or beer for fans of the fizzy lifting drink)? You get the Movie Wino. That's me.

Welcome to all things cinema and grape.If you're like me, your movie selections vary with your mood. When I'm anxious, I default to either of the Ghostbusters movies; Real Genius; Fight Club or The Departed. Then comes the beverage. Call it state dependent learning that most movies are at least slightly more enjoyable when coupled with a glass of wine--and even better if you have a friend who's a fellow movie wino.

My commitment to you is to provide at least one movie and wine pairing for any mood or occasion. If you have suggestions or need one, bring it on. You can search for movie and wine pairings by mood or visit the archives by week and see what mood I was in...

Movie summaries are courtesy of Internet Movie Database (IMDB). Comments and fermented grape juice or hopped up amber beverage recommendations courtesy of my sick, twisted mind. Whether you're a Wine Enthusiast or have Rotten Tomatoes bookmarked, there's bound to be something for you here.


Drink up!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Hungover

Your mouth is as dry as a box of Triscuits, you have some obsure stamp on the back of your hand (and cheek), and there's a film over your eyes like you have early onset glaucoma. You're hungover. Celebrate the moment--Todd Phillips did.

The Flick

The Hangover. Two days before his wedding, Doug Billings travels to his bachelor party in Las Vegas with his best friends, Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), Alan (Zach Galifianakis). Alan proposes a toast to Doug and they drink his booze-- that's the last thing they remember.

All you need to know if you've been under a rock and haven't seen this one is there's a baby in the wardrobe; a tiger in the bathroom; a chicken in the room; Stu has a missing tooth; and Doug is missing.

The Wine

You might still be drunk, but you know what they say about the hair of that dog... Try a quicker picker upper like a mimosa made with Shramsberg Blanc de Blanc Sparkling White.

Burrrrp. Mmm. Beer.

There's actually a beer called the Delirium Tremens out of Belgium. When in Bruges...

Feeling Frisky as a Feline?

If you and your love muffin are looking for some ideas on how to spice things up a bit, you can take some cues from a bored housewife and an exotic bookseller in the drama / romance / thriller, Unfaithful.

The Flick

Connie Sumner has a loving husband, a beautiful home, and a wonderful son, but she wants more. When she's approached one day by a handsome stranger while trying to hail a taxi, she becomes obsessed with him and eventually starts an affair. But her selfish actions soon catch up with her.

Good lord. All I have to say is, it was the only movie that played on TV when I was in Italy. Smoldering in ANY language. Adultery shmadultery.

The Wine

You name it. Jesus. Anything to put out the flames. For this one, try a sensual red Pinot Noir with flavors like dark berries, violets, warm spices and orange peel like Louis Jadot or Cavit.

What's on Tap?

What else...a Loose Canon.

Just Plain Pissed

Work got you down? In dutch with the misses? Did some a-hole cut you off just in time to leave you with the red light? Not to fear. Chuck Palahniuk is here.

Whether you want to live vicariously through Tyler Durden or beat yourself up like Ed Norton, Fight Club is hands down (or fists up) the best fight movie of all time. So cleansing. For the ladies, three words: Brad Pitt's Abs.

The Flick

A ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman channel primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. Their concept catches on, with underground "fight clubs" forming in every town, until an eccentric gets in the way and ignites an out-of-control spiral toward oblivion.

Hands down one of the best movies of the decade; and the birth of the MMA movement.

The Wine

The wine? In this case, I like mine smokey and spicy like the cast. Try Elderton Shiraz a Syrah from South Australia.

A dark berry flavor with hints of licorice. Whip it good.

Beer Bellies...

Try a Heinekien from Lou's. (Pssst. That's the bar in Fight Club. Stick with me here kids.)

Dark, Stormy or Brooding

Nothing cheers me up like a good slasher flick. The formula common sense-challenged teens + dark alleys + alcohol and tomfoolery (that’s right I said tomfoolery) = a match made in dreamscape. Call on, Freddy Krueger from the original Nightmare on Elm Street.

The Flick

On Elm Street, Nancy Thompson and a group of her friends including Tina Gray, Rod Lane and Glen Lantz are being tormented by a clawed killer in their dreams named Freddy Krueger. Nancy must think quickly, as Freddy tries to pick off his victims one by one. When he has you in your sleep, who is there to save you?

Sleep kills. Then again, so does a steady diet of red meat, fried food and soda. Clean it up will ya? Have some grilled chicken and asparagus with a nice red varietal. Freddy can’t reach you here.

The Wine

2006 Ehlers Estate St. Helena Cabernet Sauvignon 1886

This stuff is delicious. You can taste the cherry, caramel and tobacco especially with a slice of dark chocolate.

C’mon you know you want some.

Modified for Beer Drinkers...

If you don’t like dark red wine, surely you could go for a Rogue Shakespeare Oatmeal Stout.