Beers on Film

Sitting back and sipping on a brew while watching W.C. Fields‘ 1933 short film Fatal Glass of Beer, I got to thinking of some of the other movies involving beer that are worth viewing. Here’s a look at some movies involving beer (not necessarily craft beer):

American Beer (2004): Filmed in 2002 and directed by Paul Kermizian, American Beer is a documentary film featuring Kermizian and four friends who set off to experience 38 breweries in 40 days.  Their travels span the United States, beginning in their hometown Brooklyn, New York and venturing to destinations such as Bells (Kalamazoo, Michigan), Abita (Abita Springs, Louisiana), Dogfish Head (Milton, Delaware), Hair of the Dog (Portland, Oregon), and America’s oldest brewery, Yuengling (Pottsville, Pennsylvania).  The film is both educational and humorous, covering a large slice of Americana along the way.  Upon reaching Newport, Oregon, home of Rogue, it is unclear whether or not the crew will be physically able to push forth.  A wonderful ride and a beer geek’s dream trip, American Beer features a heap of entertaining bonus footage on the DVD.

The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew (1983): Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas are the writers, directors, and stars of this Canadian comedy about two hosers who give away their father’s beer money and run out of beer.  In a hair brained attempt to get more from the local store, they are denied and eventual get jobs at the brewery inspecting bottles and drinking a ton of beer of the line.  It turns out that an evil brewmaster has plan to overtake the planet by drugging the beer and making the consumer docile (sound familiar?).  The movie is chalk full of corny special effects and light-hearted one liners.  The plot is loosely based on Hamlet but overall is barely held together by a fragmented storyline.  This is the sort of movie that either makes you desire a drink of beer or simply drives you to drink.  All in all, it is a fun film that predates the attitude and kitchiness of Wayne’s World.  Party on!

Drinking Games (1998): The tagline for this independent film is “A comedy about friendship, suicide, and ice cold beer.” This film was filmed in Northwest Portland and possesses a lot of the vibe of the area during the 1990s.  The cast is an assemblage of six Gen X’ers who gather after the death of a friend.  Despite some spotty acting, the film features witty dialogue and an interesting character development.  Taking place over the course of a drunken evening that includes beer runs, “quarters”, and the emergence of odd characters, Drinking Games is a real gem that many people probably haven’t ever heard of.  After watching it, I am suspecting that the now defunct Saxer Brewing Company was a sponsor due to the fact that Nor’Wester was the only beer consumed for the duration of the film. It’s kind of a shame that the beer and the director Joseph Lawson disappeared forever after this film was released.

“They tempted him to drink, and they said he was a coward; At last he took the fatal glass of beer.

“He’d found what he’d done he dashed the glass down on the floor, and he staggered through the door
with delerium tre-mens”

-Mr. Snavely (W.C. Fields, from Fatal Glass of Beer