CineDrunk: Best of 2015 - Top Ten Lists

It's that time of year! We've seen more than one hundred 2015 movies, so it's high time we rank them--unmercifully.

Just kidding, we're as giddy as BB-8 to talk about this impressive crop of films. And we do just that in our latest CineDrunk podcast. Without further ado, our long-awaited top ten episode in which we are drunk on movies, lists, and celery martinis. Cheers!

Celery Martini
(adapted from Saveur)

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2 oz London Dry Gin
1.5 oz lemon juice
1.5 oz dry vermouth
celery salt
lime wedge
celery hearts

Rim a martini glass with lime wedge and celery salt. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add gin, lemon juice, and vermouth. Shake vigorously and strain into rimmed glass. Garnish with a celery heart.
 

Watch the blog in the coming days for our full write-ups on the films that were most special to us in 2015. Want more? You can't possibly, but there's more anyway! Below is a short (we promise!) bonus podcast where we discuss even more films we loved from last year, though not quite enough to make any of our lists. Spiked hot chocolate is involved.

Also listen and subscribe to CineDrunk via iTunes.

CineDrunk: Favorite Films of 2000

Remember the New Year that fueled our fears of end-of-the-world-caused-by-computer-glitch destruction? The New Year that outsmarted all the math machines on Earth because... math?

Those were innocent times.

Sixteen years later, we're taking a look back at Y2K. We're not quite ready to unveil our list of the best films and performances for the current year (though we're well on our way, with 80 films under our belt).

(Our first thought was to continue with our 2005 retrospective, until we decided we weren't the biggest fans of the films of 2005.)

So instead, we're rolling out our 15th-anniversary celebration of the films of 2000! The first year of this century brought us some great cinema, both popular and indie alike, and we had drunken fun trying to recall our memories from that crop of films.

Y2K Cocktail

• 2 oz cold espresso (we used super-concentrated Vietnamese coffee)
• 1/2 oz Cognac
• 1/2 oz Grand Marnier
• 1/2 oz simple syrup

Stir, strain, and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

SPOILER: Nathan's source for trivia question #3.

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CineDrunk: Top 10 Favorite Oscar Nominations of the Last Decade

Our favorite Thanksgiving related film moment - Addams Family Values

Before the current Oscar season discards or ignores our favorite films and performances, we thought we'd take a moment this holiday weekend to focus on the positive. We love the Oscars, drinks, and lists in almost equal measure, so what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving then by counting down our ten favorite Oscar nominations from the last decade in our latest inebriated podcast! 

We considered every nominee from 2005-2014 in all categories, even films or performances that won. While our tastes aligned much of the time, we were surprised at the diversity in our selections. A few choices seem like no-brainers, but each of our top ten lists provides a personal snapshot of what we're thankful the Academy got right.

You can find the recipe for the mulled wine we were drinking here -- we added 1/2 cup applejack brandy and replaced the star anise with an anise flavored liqueur because of course we did. Enjoy your Thanksgiving weekend or at least the start of the true holidays (Oscar season!), and let us know which nominations from the last ten years you're most grateful for!

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CineDrunk: Favorite Animated Film Showdown Part 1

Disney/Pixar's latest, Inside Out, got us thinking about our favorite animated films, and what better way to proclaim our love than with another movie showdown! And alcoholic drinks and animated features go together like broken glass in potato soup, so cheers to our 21st episode of CineDrunk!

With so many films to choose from, we split the competition into four groupings: Pixar, Classic Disney (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 through Oliver & Company in 1988), the Disney Renaissance (The Little Mermaid in 1989 to present), and the broad and expansive Non-Disney Animated Films category.

Part One of our podcast showdown features the Pixar and Classic Disney match-ups. Over drinks, naturally.

The Owl's Brew Classic with Gin

2 oz Owls Brew: The Classic
1 oz gin
1 spritzy squeeze of lime

Combine ingredients over ice. Stir and serve.

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Credit: Owl's Brew

Working from a master list of all Pixar feature films and all Disney Animated Classics from 1937-1988, we each ranked our personal top eight and then blindly compiled the results to determine a collective top eight in each category. Follow along with an Owl's Brew Classic with Gin, and stay tuned for Part Two to see which film emerged victorious as our Favorite Animated Film EVER!

PIXAR

Finding Nemo
The Incredibles
Monsters, Inc.
Ratatouille
Toy Story
Toy Story 3
Up
WALL-E

CLASSIC DISNEY

The Aristocats
Bambi
Fantasia
The Great Mouse Detective
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
Pinocchio
Sleeping Beauty
The Sword in the Stone

Also listen and subscribe to CineDrunk on iTunes.

CineDrunk: Favorite Actress Showdown - Part Three

The finale has arrived! Who will emerge victorious as CineDrunk's favorite actress?

If you missed our previous podcasts in this series, check out Part 1 and Part 2. You can find the all-important Gin Gin Mule recipe in Part 1, which is sure to enhance the listening experience.

In this episode, we pit the actresses we like to call Blockbuster Beauties (i.e., those who can or could open a movie/command a good paycheck, and/or have been part of a franchise at some point) against the Indie Queens (reliable actresses known for choosing interesting work).

To recap our criteria: each actress must be alive, still (more-or-less) working in cinema, and have at least one Oscar nomination to her credit. Keep in mind this showdown was recorded in one sitting, so we're super tipsy by this point. Cheers, and thanks for listening!

BLOCKBUSTER BEAUTIES

Sandra Bullock
Angelina Jolie
Michelle Pfeiffer
Natalie Portman
Julia Roberts
Sigourney Weaver
Reese Witherspoon
Renee Zellweger

INDIE QUEENS

Juliette Binoche
Patricia Clarkson
Toni Collette
Viola Davis
Laura Dern
Laura Linney
Frances McDormand
Marisa Tomei

Also listen, rate, and subscribe to CineDrunk on iTunes.

CineDrunk: Guilty Pleasures Showdown - Our One-Year Anniversary Podcast

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What?! It's CineDrunk's first birthday? Oh my god--lights, camera, and us without a stitch of makeup on!

But the rumors are true: it's been (more than!) a year since our show first landed on an MP3 player near you. Thank you for all your support! We couldn't crawl out of bed, pour ourselves a drink, and talk endlessly about movies without you.

If you haven't listened to CineDrunk before, there's never been a better time to start. We're celebrating our one-year with a showdown of our favorite guilty pleasures. No recipes this time; we went the guilty route on those, too. So pour yourself a vodka Red Bull and give us a chance. We really do mean no harm.

And now, in random order, our 32 guilty pleasures (with apologies to the many titles we overlooked):

Showgirls, Deep Impact, Spice World, Con Air, Sister Act 2, Powder, Sphere, Outrageous Fortune, Mallrats, Never Been Kissed, Snake Eyes, Heart & Souls, Volcano, Practical Magic, The Three Musketeers, Selena, The Net, Face/Off, The Cutting Edge, Clue, Waterworld, Dante's Peak, The Craft, Troop Beverly Hills, Drop Dead Gorgeous, Air Force One, Straight Talk, Cruel Intentions, Grease 2, Romy & Michele's High School Reunion, Heartbreakers, Six Days Seven Nights

Let us know what movies you hate to love in the comments below! And subscribe to CineDrunk on iTunes so you never miss an episode.