This week on Alcohollywood, David Rheinstrom of Our Fair City joins us as we get out our magnifying glasses and take a closer look at the 1972 dramedy-thriller Sleuth! Laurence Olivier and Michael Caine both got Oscar nods for their performances in this adaptation of the titular Anthony Schaffer play, in which an eccentric old crime novel writer (Olivier) invites his wife’s working-class new lover (Caine) for a Machiavellian game of wits they won’t soon forget. Both actors are in fine form, the twists are fun and inventive, and there’s a good deal of spark that helps make up for the film’s bloated runtime and overuse of certain gags. Still, give us a listen to discuss this fun old film, and how its 2007 Ken Branagh remake (also starring Caine) holds up – and don’t forget to check out our drinking rules and custom cocktail below!
Also, if you haven’t heard us on the CinemaJaw podcast, we visited our other Chicago film podcast buds just this last week to talk performances by actors playing themselves – check it out here!
This week, we see into the future with Ryan Bond of Our Fair City and Geek Bar Chicago as we dive into the convoluted world of David Lynch’s 1984 flick Dune! Because our listeners demanded, Jared and I watched the three-hour-long Alan Smithee cut of this adaptation of the classic sci-fi novel by Frank Herbert – somehow, this complex tale of political intrigue and religious prophecy 10,000 years in the future was both too complex and too over-explained. Still, we get into some great discussion of the ins and outs of this fairly divisive and ambitious cult film, so check out the episode, drinking game and custom cocktail below!
*Episode rule: Drink every time Clint says the word 'skinny.'
(Forgive the coughing; Clint was a little under the weather during this recording.)
Happy Shark Week, listeners! This time, Craig and Julia joins us to wear their shark-fin hats with the Renny Harlin shark shocker Deep Blue Sea! A sea of 90s faces (Samuel L. Jackson, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, LL Cool J) find themselves on the run from genetically-engineered sharks, whose brains have been artificially enhanced to find the cure for Alzheimer's. (Don't ask.) What results is an incredibly fun, but oddly goofy and fun flick complete with shitty character names (Carter Blake?), dubious science, and end-credits rap songs. Check out our custom cocktail and drinking rules - like, subscribe and share!
It’s our 150th episode, and Alcohollywood is bringing back Chicago-geek power couple Clayton Faits (of Our Fair City) and Lauren Faits (aka Geek Girl Chicago) to talk about Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade! In honor of our very first episode, where we covered Crystal Skull, we decided to look back on the third Indy film! Here, the titular adventurer (Harrison Ford) must beat the Nazis to an historical religious artifact with great power – sound familiar? Along the way, though, he learns a few lessons about family from his bookish, stern dad (a wonderful Sean Connery) and gives a lesson in arithmetic to his friend Sallah (John Rhys-Davies). Crusade leans a bit much on the stuff people liked about Raiders of the Lost Ark, but its greater comedic edge, and the impeccable comic chemistry between Ford and Connery, help to make this one a classic.
TO OUR FANS: Thanks so much to everyone who listens to Alcohollywood, whether it’s in your car, at the gym, or just sitting on your ass reading the Internet (as we are most likely to do). Each and every one of you who listens, gives us feedback, comments, talks to us on Facebook or Twitter, etc., is a star, and we raise our glasses to you. If you haven’t already, be sure to share the love by subscribing on iTunes or Stitcher, rating and reviewing us there, following us wherever we may be (even our Instagram, where we have videos of the punishment shots!), and just talking about us. If you’re feeling generous, you can even donate or buy our book – another one’s coming next year! We wouldn’t keep doing this if you weren’t still listening and reading, so please keep it up. It means the world to us.
This week on Alcohollywood, guest Nick of Three Brothers Theatre joins us to talk about yet another cinematic disaster – the 1994 film Clifford! Released unceremoniously in 1994 after being filmed in 1990, this abortive problem-child film sees Martin Short playing a precociously violent and demonic 10-year-old whose parents dump him on the unsuspecting Uncle Martin (Charles Grodin), whose life is completely destroyed over the next 90 minutes. Short’s creepy mugging and overblown schtick meshes poorly with the oddly nihilistic and dark tone of the film, resulting in a movie that’s as creepy as it is unpleasant. Luckily, we’ve got some booze and rules to help you get through it!