I don't know about you, but as I've grown older, Christmas Day with my family is now mainly spent semi-comatose in front of a few films to while away the evening. Usually with a large G&T or some Single Malt. This is perfectly fine with me, combining potentially my two favorite things in the world, excessive amounts of alcohol and films... Oh... and family.
So I thought I would set you all up for your Christmas Movie Night with a couple of alcohol-related flicks that will help you to battle the bird you've consumed earlier that day.
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| Taken from Matthew939 on behalf of the Creative Commons License |
The American Boozy Big-Screen Goliath following two men (Paul Giamatti & Thomas Haden Church) on a week long booze drive through Santa Barbara County, U.S.A. Based on the Book (of the same name) by Rex Pickett, Paul Giamatti pulls out a stellar performance as Miles Raymond; a depressed, failed writer/professional alcoholic who plans a week of wine tasting and relaxing with long time friend Haden Church; an excitable, loud and rather randy drinking buddy.
What starts out as a relaxing vineyard/golf trip soon turns into raucous train of events including women, adultery and intense hangovers.
Although packed with laughs, Sideways still provides ample interesting wine facts and some stunning scenery of one of California's most famous wine regions.
Although packed with laughs, Sideways still provides ample interesting wine facts and some stunning scenery of one of California's most famous wine regions.
A must-watch for any lover of film and/or wine
A very recent viewing of mine, but instantly one of my favourite films. It features Alan Rickman as Steven Spurrier, a British Ex-Pat running a wine shop/Academy in Paris in 1976. Trying to save his business, he starts looking to New World wines. Stunned by the quality coming out of California, he decides to stage a blind tasting, California vs France. A true story which came to be known as 'The Judgement of Paris', and made Chateau Montelena one of the most famous wineries on the planet.
Bottle Shock is a brilliant insight into not only the rise of Californian wine made in the French style, but also of the huge stigma shown towards Californian wineries from those in the Old World.
A film that, although I think is better than Sideways, sadly didn't get the same plaudits. Another must-watch and currently available on Netflix.
For all you beer heads out there! Simon Pegg & Nick Frost's film about a legendary pub crawl that defeated a group of friends back in their teens. Still haunted by the memory, Simon Pegg, a man living in the past, gets his old pals back together (who are now all hard-working men), to take on the crawl to get to 'The Worlds End' pub, one last time.
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| Taken from George Olson on behalf of the Creative Commons License |
Filled with laughs and beery banter, this is the perfect film for an alcoholic night in. Some friends and I from work even went to Letchworth (where it is filmed), watched the film and completed the pub crawl afterwards. All the pubs had changed their names to how they were in the film, it was epic.
The beer mentioned in the film - Crowning Glory - is also available for sale from its brewer: Tring Brewery.
A simple yet hilarious comedy about a group of American College Graduates who take part in a famous drinking game tournament and take on the Germans, the legends of Beerfest.
Packed with laughs and drink-along options, my friends and I at University used to love settling down with a few crates of the frosty stuff to drink and sing along with Beerfest.
It did not win any Oscars. Not for the film connoisseur.
Others well worth a look: Cocktail, The Hangover (I'm sure everyone has seen that) and The Angels' Share.
Merry Christmas everyone and happy viewing.
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