CineDrunk Episode 10: Holiday Film Showdown

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Happy Christmas (2014)

Oh, is it the holiday season? We're told that it is, which means another movie showdown is in order! In this installment, we pit our favorite holiday screen stories against each other in a battle to the death. Because, you know, the season of candles and trees and reindeer is also the season of family meals and frostbite and the Snowman House of Horror.

This time around we had a little help from our friends gin and tonic, along with a merry drink you can call on for those times when you just want to say "I've given up" without actually saying "I've given up." Behold, the power of Irish cream:

Bailey's Chocolate Cherry Martini

1.5 oz Vodka
2 oz Bailey's Chocolate Cherry

Measure ingredients, or don't. Shake with ice in a cocktail shaker. Pour into a martini glass. Start political arguments with fringe relatives about fringe issues.

Happy holidays, and happy listening!

ROUND ONE (Winners in bold)

#1: Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) vs. #32: Happy Christmas (2014)

#16: The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) vs. #17: The Santa Clause (1994)

#9: Die Hard (1988) vs. #24: About a Boy (2002)

#8: Gremlins (1988) vs. #25: Elf (2003)

#4: White Christmas (1954) vs. #29: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe (2005)

#13: Home Alone (1990) vs. #20: Jingle All the Way (1996)

#12: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) vs. #21: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

#5: A Christmas Story (1983) vs. #28: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

#2: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) vs. #31: The Holiday (2006)

#15: The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) vs. #18: Little Women (1994)

#10: Scrooged (1988) vs. #23: Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

#7: Muppet Family Christmas (1987) vs. #26: Love Actually (2003)

#3: Miracle on 34th Street (1947) vs. #30: The Family Stone (2005)

#14: Batman Returns (1992) vs. #19: While You Were Sleeping (1995)

#11: When Harry Met Sally (1989) vs. #22: The Family Man (2000)

#6: Lethal Weapon (1987) vs. #27: Bad Santa (2003)

Also listen and subscribe via iTunes.

CineDrunk Episode 9: Prestige Season Begins

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Courtesy Penderyn Distillery

With prestige movie season in full swing, we thought it time to debrief on what Fall Season Part 1 had to offer. Join us as we get into the Welsh spirit with a drink called the Red Dragon (recipe below) and discuss the following films:

  • The Skeleton Twins
  • Pride
  • Whiplash
  • Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)
  • Fury
  • Nightcrawler


What are your fall favorites thus far? Do you agree with our analysis? Let us know in the comments, and check out our newly updated Oscar Predictions!

Red Dragon
(adapted from a recipe by Penderyn Distillery)
makes two cocktails

3 oz gin
3 oz Cointreau
2 oz blood orange juice
2 oz lemon juice
1 shot grenadine

Shake all ingredients with ice. Pour over ice. Feel yourself flush with Welsh pride.
 

CineDrunk Episode 8: Horror Movie Showdown

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Not-So-Bloody Orange Cocktail

It may not be March but we're entrenched in our own brand of madness here at CineMunch. That's right, it's time for another movie bracket blowout. This time we sent to battle the greatest horror movies of all time (as judged by three 20-somethings and two 4-month-old felines).

Of course a battle of the spooks requires spooky drinks:

Bloody Orange Cocktail
(Adapted from Sam Henderson of Today's Nest, as posted on HGTV.com)
Yield: 4 servings

4 oz vodka
2 oz orange bitters
8 oz Orange Crush
2 cups fresh raspberries
1/4 cup sugar
Orange wedges for garnish

1. Puree 2 cups of fresh raspberries in a food processor. Press the puree through a fine mesh strainer. Discard seeds and any remaining pulp.

2. Place the puree in a small saucepan with sugar. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until thick and dark (about 10 minutes) and let cool.

3. Add vodka and bitters to a shaker with ice, and shake until very cold (about 20 seconds). Add Orange Crush and stir. Pour into iced glasses.

4. Artfully drizzle the raspberry syrup atop each drink and garnish with an orange wedge.


Liquefied Ghost (aka Hellacious Ghost)
(Adapted from Janelle Maiocco of TalkOfTomatoes.com, as posted at the Cooking Channel)
Yield: 4 servings

8 oz vodka
4 oz vanilla simple syrup
4 oz half and half
8 oz cream soda

1. Mix all ingredients in a cocktail shaker, then serve in chilled martini glasses.


After you mix your drinks, check out the Round One match-ups below, and listen to the full podcast to find out which was crowned greatest horror movie of all time!

ROUND ONE (Winners in bold)

#1: Psycho (1960) vs. #32: The Conjuring (2013)

#16: A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) vs. #17: April Fool's Day (1986)

#9: Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) vs. #24: The Others (2001)

#8: Halloween (1978) vs. #25: The Ring (2002)

#4: The Exorcist (1973) vs. #29: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

#13: Poltergeist (1982) vs. #20: I Know What You Did Last Summer (1997)

#12: The Shining (1980) vs. #21: Urban Legend (1998)

#5: The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) vs. #28: Saw (2004)

#2: The Birds (1963) vs. #31: Insidious (2011)

#15: Children of the Corn (1984) vs. #18: The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

#10: Alien (1979) vs. #23: The Sixth Sense (1999)

#7: Carrie (1976) vs. #26: 28 Days Later... (2003)

#3: Rosemary's Baby (1968) vs. #30: Paranormal Activity (2009)

#14: Sleepaway Camp (1983) vs. #19: Scream (1996)

#11: Friday the 13th (1980) vs. #22: The Blair Witch Project (1999)

#6: The Omen (1976) vs. #27: Dawn of the Dead (2004)

Also listen and subscribe via iTunes.

CineDrunk Episode 7: 'Gone Girl'

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New podcast on one of the first Oscar hopefuls of the season! Note: spoilers abound.

And what better drink than absinthe to accompany our discussion of David Fincher's latest mindf**k of a film? We went for the classic preparation:

2 oz absinthe
3 oz cold water
1 sugar cube

Pour absinthe in glass. Place absinthe spoon (provided with the bottle we purchased) on glass, and top with sugar cube. Pour cold water directly over the cube. Stir the remaining, undissolved sugar into the mixture. Absinthe will be bright green but opaque, meaning the "green fairy has been unleashed." That girl is gone.

Now, unleashing the green fairy may be a daily occurrence at the CineMunch household, but drinking absinthe is not. We found out later that absinthe connoisseurs consider Absente to be little more than swill--with one online commenter describing it as "Disney does Absinthe"--but a budget is what a budget is. Plus, the two-faced self portrait on the box is apropos, no?

Happy listening!

CineDrunk Episode 6: Summer Movies Recap 2014 Part 2

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In our previous summer recap we chatted about the films Hollywood offered up in May and June. In Part 2 we wrap up the summer movie season by discussing the titles we saw in July and August, and each of us crowns a favorite.

Films covered this go-round included:

  • Dawn of the Planet of the Apes
  • Lucy
  • Boyhood
  • Guardians of the Galaxy
  • The Giver
  • Love Is Strange

The end-of-summer doldrums brought along with it some empty wallets, so we stuck with beer and hard cider as our drinks of choice.

Cheers!

CineDrunk Episode 5: Emmy Awards Special 2014

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In this special edition of the podcast, we dive into the 2014 Primetime Emmy Awards with our predictions and personal faves in the major categories. Yes, our love of pop culture and awards shows spills over into all realms of the biz. Let's call this one "TeleDrunk."

Our beverage of choice this round was a refreshing Watermelon Ginger Gin and Tonic that we recommend sipping while watching any television program (unless you watch any "Real Housewives..." series, in which case you likely need something stronger).
 

Cuddly little watermelon swimming in gin.

Watermelon Ginger Gin and Tonic
(makes 4 servings)

1 cup gin (cheapo is fine)
10-12 dime-size slices ginger root
2 dozen small watermelon cubes
2 cups tonic

Pour the gin into a martini shaker or other sturdy container. Add ginger slices and muddle. Add watermelon and let sit for at least 30 minutes. Pour over ice in four glasses and top with tonic.


The EMMYs will be broadcast Monday, August 25th on NBC. Tune in (and pour a drink or three) to see how (in)accurate we'll be!  Follow along with us during the ceremony @CineMunch as we live-tweet. 

Also listen and subscribe via iTunes.

Note: This was recorded before the Creative Arts Emmys ceremony took place on Saturday, August 16th, where both Allison Janney (Master of Sex) and Uzo Aduba (Orange is the New Black) (both mentioned in the podcast) deservedly won for their guest performances this past year.

CineDrunk Episode 4: Summer Movies Recap 2014 Part 1

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It's summer, so a special breed of movies has hit theaters. And they must be discussed! In this first installment of our summer movies recap, we cover:

  • Captain America: The Winter Soldier
  • The Other Woman
  • X-Men: Days of Future Past
  • Godzilla
  • Edge of Tomorrow
  • Maleficent
  • How to Train Your Dragon 2
  • The Fault in Our Stars
  • They Came Together
  • Snowpiercer
     

Tilda says: "It's summer, damn it! Enjoy yourselves!"

It's summer, so there's no reason to stress over what we're drinking. Let's keep it simple with gin, limeade, and blueberries:

The Liminator

1 part gin (cheap to semi-cheap)
2 parts limeade
small handful blueberries

Muddle half of blueberries in bottom of glass. Pour gin and limeade over ice. Stir. Top with remaining blueberries. Relax.
 

It's summer, so when will you have a better excuse to devote an hour of your life to a little podcast called CineDrunk? Join us below, or subscribe on iTunes and never miss an episode!

CineDrunk Episode 3: Summer Blockbuster Showdown

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In honor of the World Cup and summer movie season, we staged a bracket battle to choose the greatest summer blockbuster of all time.

Ever since Jaws swept audiences (and their wallets) away in the summer of 1975, Hollywood has zeroed in on the hottest months of the year to release their biggest, baddest, most epic films. The best blockbuster is a summer event, reeling in casual moviegoers and serious film critics alike -- much like the World Cup, every four years, suddenly makes everyone a soccer fan. 

To establish our bracket, we selected an initial list of 32 films (beginning with 1975's Jaws and ending with 2012's Marvel's The Avengers). To qualify, a film must have been one of the top grossing films of its year, have lasting staying power (aka the "Rewatchability Factor"), and must have made a cultural impact. We tried to limit ourselves to one movie per year, though some years warranted no entries while others warranted two. Seeding was based on the total domestic box office gross of the film when adjusted for inflation (though these figures also included any re-releases these films may have had). By those numbers, Star Wars is our #1 seed (with $1,417,832,000 adjusted earnings).

Every tournament should be infused with libations, and for ours we chose the Brazilian national drink (hey, World Cup), the Caipirinha (hey, summer). Breezy and sleazy--it goes down easy. Nothing says summer like sugar cane. Here's how to make our version:

Mojito-fied Caipirinha

KNG Sommers Photography

1 tsp granulated sugar
1 lime, quartered
10 mint leaves, whole
2 oz. cachaça

Muddle the mint leaves with two lime quarters in a tall, sturdy glass. Add the remaining lime quarters and the sugar, and muddle some more. Add the cachaça. Stir and enjoy.

Our first round matchups and winners are listed below. Have a listen to the podcast to see which of these movies made it past the Sweet 16 to be crowned our Greatest Summer Blockbuster of All Time Ever in History!

ROUND ONE (Winners in bold)

#1: Star Wars (1977) vs. #32: Die Hard (1988)

#16: Spider-man 2 (2004) vs. #17: Back to the Future (1985)

#9: Marvel's The Avengers (2012) vs. #24: Transformers (2007)

#8: Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) vs. #25: Armageddon (1998)

#4: The Empire Strikes Back (1980) vs. #29: Inception (2010)

#13: Independence Day (1996) vs. #20: The Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)

#12: Spider-man (2002) vs. #21: The Lost World: Jurassic Park (1997)

#5: Return of the Jedi (1983) vs. #28: Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1986)

#2: E.T. the Extra Terrestrial (1982) vs. #31: True Lies (1994)

#15: Batman (1989) vs. #18: Twister (1996)

#10: The Dark Knight (2008) vs. #23: Top Gun (1986)

#7: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999) vs. #26: Batman Forever (1995)

#3: Jaws (1975) vs. #30: War of the Worlds (2005)

#14: The Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006) vs. #19: Men in Black (1997)

#11: Ghostbusters (1984) vs. #22: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

#6: Jurassic Park (1993) vs. #27: Batman Returns (1992)

Also listen and subscribe via iTunes.

CineDrunk Episode 2: 'Noah'

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Are swamps the new snowflakes? You'll have to listen to the most recent edition of our new podcast, CineDrunk, to find out! Plus, there's plenty more (relevant) discussion of this episode's feature film: Darren Aronofsky's Noah. 

To honor the epic scope of this biblical tale, we crafted three drinks (recipes below!). From sweet/nutty to sly/punchy to destructive/messy, we tried to cover all the bases. 

Have a listen below, and, as always, don't forget to drink semi-responsibly.

Nuts & Berries Cocktail

1/2 oz Frangelico hazelnut liqueur
1/2 oz berry flavored liqueur
2 oz cream

Mix ingredients in cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake, and strain into cocktail glasses with ice. We used blackberry brandy for the berry liqueur.

Dark 'n' Stormy

2 oz dark rum (recommended Gosling's Black Seal Bermuda Black Rum)
4 oz ginger beer

Pour rum over ice, top with ginger beer, and enjoy the storm. 

Swamp Water

All non-poisonous liquids handy

Mix liquids in pitcher and hope for the best.

 

CineDrunk Podcast: Episode 1 - The Grand Budapest Hotel

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We here at CineMunch like to eat, drink, and discuss movies, and now you can join in the fun! Our new podcast, CineDrunk, is just what it sounds like:

CineDrunk (noun): A podcast in which CineMunch and guests craft a signature cocktail or four to go with a particular film or theme for that week's episode. Said drinks are ingested before and during our discussions, which are now available for your listening pleasure!

As always, we encourage you to play along and will provide our drink recipes here on the blog. 

This week we focused on director Wes Anderson and his newest film, The Grand Budapest Hotel, now in its fifth week of release. We named our accompanying concoction the "Eau de Pálinka".

The "Eau de Pálinka" Martini

1 oz dry gin
1 oz dry vermouth
1 oz blue plum brandy (or other flavored brandy)
4-5 dashes lemon juice

Mix in cocktail shaker filled with ice, shake, and strain into martini glasses. For our second round of martinis we added 1/2 oz St.-Germain elderflower liqueur (and lessened the vermouth by 1/2 oz).


Listen to the full podcast below. And please drink semi-responsibly.