CineDrunk: The CineMunchies and Our Favorite Movies of 2014

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We know you love lists. We know we love lists. You know you love lists. It's time to roll out the lists.

Drink(s) in hand(s), we celebrate 2014 in our latest podcast, and a stellar year at the cinema it was. Each of your hosts has a Top 10, which we count down in Part 1 of our show. In Part 2, we award the first annual CineMunchies, our end-of-the-year superlatives featuring such categories as Best Performance by an Elderly British Person and The "I Wasn't Sure You Had That in You" Award.

Leading up to this recording, the anticipation had us on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

But we managed to keep the conversation civil and the drinks simple. After all, it's a celebration of our individual favorites, not a debate.

A special shout out to our Best Wine of 2014 (which is another way of saying Best Wine Under $20 That Tastes Good With Cheese): the 2013 Celler Bàrbara Forés Blanc. And our drink of choice for the evening? Boozy hot cocoa.

Peppermint-Spiked Hot Chocolate
Here's a drink even your teenager can make! Er... Step 1: Make the best hot chocolate you know how to make. Step 2: Add several generous shots of the cheapest peppermint schnapps you can buy. Step 3: Enjoy!

Thanks for joining us to look back on Film Year 2014! Cheers!

CineDrunk: Into the Woods

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Into the Woods. Remember that? We do, and though it may not make our best-of-the-year lists, we welcomed such a smart, entertaining film adaptation of one of Broadway's best. Listen in to our latest podcast, where we debate the merits of this Disney-fication of Sondheim.

Like Into the Woods, we enjoy our sweet fairy tales with a shot of tragedy, so what better drink than the Black Forest Manhattan to accompany our discussion? Recipe below:

Black Forest Manhattan
adapted from Saveur
makes one cocktail

1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. superfine sugar
3 oz whiskey
4 dashes chocolate bitters
1 pitted sour cherry, to garnish

For the cherry syrup:
1 cup sour cherry juice, plus more for rim of glass
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup kirsch (cherry-flavored liqueur)

1. To make the cherry syrup: In a saucepan, bring cherry juice and granulated sugar to a boil, then remove from heat and allow to cool. Stir in kirsch and chill.

2. In a small bowl, mix the cocoa powder and superfine sugar. Pour the mixture onto a plate. Pour some cherry juice into a wide, shallow bowl. Dip the rim of a martini glass into the juice, then dip it into the cocoa mixture to create a thin chocolate ring.

3. In a cocktail shaker 3/4 filled with ice, add whiskey, 3/4 ounces cherry syrup, and bitters. Shake vigorously until well-chilled. Pour into rimmed martini glass. Garnish with cherry.

Also listen and subscribe via iTunes.

2014 Oscar Nominations Reactions

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2014 Oscar Nominations Reactions

They've arrived! Nominations morning is to Oscar nerds what Christmas morning is to an optimistic young child. Both enthusiastically hop out of bed in a world where all things are theoretically possible and everything is awesome (or not if you're The Lego Movie, apparently). Though, as always, the Academy is like the distant relative who never looked at your Christmas wish list and ends up giving you things you don't actually want and forgetting to get you some of the things you wanted most.

In the end, a Wes Anderson movie that was released last March and a daring artistic vision from Alejandro G. Iñárritu lead the pack with nine nominations for The Grand Budapest Hotel and Birdman, respectively - and our frontrunner is still probably an intimate film by Richard Linklater that began production over a decade ago. The Academy may have made some poor choices, but those facts are still kind of incredible when you stand back from the noise and ponder that that is what this year's race has boiled down to. Though The Imitation Game might still render all that uniqueness moot and barrel right down the middle towards a consensus victory. We'll know soon enough.

The CineDrunk crew hashed out our initial thoughts in a brief podcast below, recorded right after the nominations were announced. If you'd like to see what my final predictions looked like click here. Check out the full list of 2014 Oscar nominees and commentary after the jump!

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CineDrunk: The Road to Oscars 2014 - The Golden Globes

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That smell in the air, of faintly ego-driven but all-around giddy anticipation? It's awards prognostication season. And it's in full swing.

In our latest podcast, we analyze the Golden Globe nominees ahead of this Sunday's broadcast (Amy Poehler and Tina Fey hosting again!) and next Thursday's Oscar nominations. You'll hear our personal favorites, as well as our predictions for both the Globes and the Oscars. You'll also learn which one of us has a killer Estonian accent.

To honor the glut of gingers who entered the Oscar fray this year (Julianne Moore, Eddie Redmayne, Jessica Chastain, etc.) we sipped on the following:

Ginger Gold Rush

1½ oz ginger liqueur
1 oz Bourbon
½ oz fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Brandied cherry

Place cherry in bottom of martini glass. Shake ginger liqueur, Bourbon and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker over ice. Strain into the glass. Sip or slurp a little, and channel your inner ginger.

Because we just can't get enough awards talk, this podcast is a two-parter. We've noted important time marks below so you can skip to whatever category tickles your fancy. Happy listening!

PART 1

00:00 - Intros and Ginger Gold Rush description
03:00 - Best Supporting Actor
08:44 - Best Supporting Actress
18:12 - Best Director
25:42 - Best Screenplay
31:41 - Best Foreign Language Film
33:32 - Best Animated Feature
35:12 - Best Original Score & Best Original Song

PART 2

00:00 - Best Actor in a Musical/Comedy
08:41 - Best Actor in a Drama & Best Actor Oscar prospects
17:58 - Best Actress in a Musical/Comedy
22:28 - Best Actress in a Drama & Best Actress Oscar prospects
33:01 - Best Picture Musical/Comedy
37:50 - Best Picture Drama & Best Picture Oscar prospects


Also listen and subscribe via iTunes.

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.