As we imagine ourselves back in the 80's when creature features and bad puppetry were at their peak, Movie And A Beer discovered a strange secret Xmas film that was made in 2024 that fits the bill in Frankie Freako, Written and directed by Steven Kostanski, it follows Connor, a number crunching square who's been given permission to let lose while h…

On our third and final installment of "What kind of zombie is this?" we at Movie And A Beer enjoyed the 2016 Korean horror film Train To Busan. While the movie does a great job of portraying the tension and horror of a zombie outbreak, it also includes some parallels with the social standings and class attitudes that exist within Korean society. It…

On this second installment of "what kind of Zombie are they", Movie And A Beer explores Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead, a Japanese buddy horror film that takes place during a zombie apocalypse in Tokyo. It follows Akira Tendo, a worker drone who's existence is only driven by his sadistic boss. Figuring out he no longer has to go to work, Akira di…

On this zombie driven episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched Apocalipsis Z: El principio del fin, a 2024 Spanish zombie action film staring Francisco Ortiz as Manel. He's a regular guy (lawyer and engineer) trying to make his way through grief and the zombie apocalypse with his wife's cat, Lúculo who represents all that he's fighting for. This isn…

On this late 80's episode of Movie And A Beer we watched Miracle Mile, a film about an unlucky guy who first meets the love of his life at the Labara Tarpits Museum (in LA), plays some jazz music for her at a concert, then oversleeps his date later that night only to discover the world's ending in an hour. What does he do? He of course goes to save…

We welcome episode 150 of the Movie And A Beer podcast with a delightful thriller movie The Wrath of Becky, which borrows from it's predecessors in the genre with the simple story, excellent acting, and overall appeal to crossover humor, horror, and thriller/revenge films. "You killed my dog..." as a phrase comes to mind. Becky is a distraught teen…

We celebrate a couple of birthdays on Movie And A Beer with Detective K: Secret Of The Living Dead, a wonderful 2018 Korean historical horror drama that provides the audience with a lot of laughs and some great lessons in how to get revenge against those that have wronged you. Examining just how human vampires can be, the story provides some insigh…

This episode of Movie And A Beer brings us a coming of age story based in the 1960's through the lens of kids playing baseball in the film The Sandlot. Newly moved to a new neighborhood, Scottie Smalls (Thomas Guiry) learns how to play baseball while having the summer of his young life. He makes fast friends with his teammates and goes on a number …

On this action packed foreign film episode of Movie And A Beer we watched Kill, a recent movie out of India with 90 minutes of knife wielding mania. What should be a simple Romeo-and-Juliet style love story between an army commando Amrit and his true love Tulika whom is engaged against her will, they are faced with a gang of knife-wielding thieves …

Movie And A Beer celebrate Portland Pride with this excellent 2024 campy horror drag film from Tubi titled Slay. Along with our special guest host James, we discuss the in's and out's of drag performances when faced with the challenges of a Texas roadhouse, an unfriendly crowd, and of course vampires. With excellent production quality and writing, …

On this July 4th nature documentary adjacent installment of Movie And A Beer, we enjoyed the peaceful serenity of the movie Sasquatch Sunset along with our coastal friend Jason whom once again, provides us with some amazing insight and discourse. This somewhat controversial film follows the life of a sasquatch family over the course of a year in th…

Here we are, another flashback to the 80's episode of Movie And A Beer! This time around it's Weird Science, a John Hughes coming of age film about a couple of high school misfit nerds who use their computer to create/simulate their perfect woman "Lisa". She's played by Kelly LeBrock who turns their world upside down in just a few days. This movie …

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we bring together an interesting set of plot twists and turn with the all up in your face violent revenge film in Boy Kills World. Starring Bill Skarsgård as the mute (deaf and unable to speak) child who was raised to become a killer and take revenge for his families murder, he slowly and sure comes to realize th…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we had a special guest host with us to experience an amazing time traveling artistic masterpiece, La Jetée. Released in 1962 by French director Chris Marker it consists of almost entirely still black and white photos, and tells the stable time loop story of a post-nuclear war experiment in time travel. It is 28 m…

On this war/spy/heist episode of Move And A Beer, we watched The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a film by Guy Ritchie that stars a bunch of really great actors including Henry Cavill as Gus who leads the group of motley soldiers to take out a secret German submarine restocking base on the coast of Africa. The film is really well done and surpri…

On this throw back to the old days of police car chases and suspense, we watched Bullitt, the classic 1968 cop drama that set the bar for much of the cinema today in regards to car chase scenes. This action film is one of the greats from the 60's, it's up there with any of the Bond films and provides a great platform to discuss film making from tha…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we're going deep into the heart of Texas with the documentary Boys State. It follows the program of the American Legion developed from the concept that youth should be offered a better perspective of the practical operation of government; that the individual is an integral part, and commensurately responsible, fo…

On this spy-centric episode of Movie And A Beer, we enjoyed Kingsmen: The Secret Service, a 2015 film by Matthew Vaughn staring Taron Egerton as Eggsy, a London street thug that's been given an opportunity to become a part of a secret spy agency in England who's first job is to save the world from a crazy tech-billionaire played by Samuel L. Jackso…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we're brought into a fantasy realm of kingdoms, dragons, and sacrifice staring Millie Bobby Brown in Damsel. It really tries to turn the tropes and typical fantasy movie on it's head while still doing the typical things you find in a fantasy story. We found the aspects of this film interesting in how one might in…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer, we go on a mission from God, one that lands Jake and Elwood behind bars, but only after saving the orphanage. The Blues Brothers is an iconic music comedy film from the early 1980's that lends itself to more of an SNL sketch than full length film, but somehow it pulls off some movie magic and has become a part o…

On this car chasing Aussie accented episode of Movie And A Beer, we enjoyed Mad Max: Fury Road and a couple of amazing beers along the way. This is more of a soft reboot than a prequel or continuation of the Mad Max franchise. With amazing actors, action, and a compelling story, the movie brings us along for an amazing ride through the post-apocaly…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer, we explore the vast emptiness that is winter in North Dakota in the late 1980's in Fargo. Directed by Joel Coen, the story is quite simple and the outcomes were not terribly shocking, but the acting and visuals make this film a must see and classic tale that brought a spotlight to the Minnesotan culture and sens…

On this day Movie And A Beer watched a film that takes place in1993, where a cynical weatherman named Phil relives his life over and over and over in Groundhog Day, and while we enjoyed this comedic film staring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell, we found that even if he relives his life a 1000 times, he just doesn't seem to get it right. There were …

On this hero's journey episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss a wonderful action/romance movie from the 1990's titled True Romance. Directed by Tony Scott with the screenplay by Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary, this film boils down to a simple approach: if life you want to live isn't within reach, you do crazy things to make it happen. True Roma…

On this sci-fi driven episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched a classic from 1997, The Fifth Element, staring Bruce Willis as Korben Dallas, a taxi drive destined to save the universe if he can convince Leeloo (Milla Jovovich) to fall in love. They combine forces with Father Vito Cornelius (Ian Holm) and zany broadcaster Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker) to…

Early 1980's sci-fi films were the best for bringing the audience into a dystopian future, on this episode of Movie And A Beer we enjoyed such a classic from John Carpenter, Escape from New York. Staring Kurt Russell as Snake Plissken, a former Special Forces soldier turned criminal, he's recruited to retrieve the president in exchange for his own …

On this flashback episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched The Party, a 1968 film staring Peter Sellers as Hrundi V. Bakshi, an Indian actor who's been invited to attend a party that he shouldn't be at. While this is a comedy that covers topics such as cultural appropriation and the casting couch, it does provide the actors with a chance to demonstr…

On this travel driven episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched and laughed at Planes, Trains and Automobiles, a John Hughes film from 1987. If you've had the opportunity to travel during the holidays, this film is for you. It follows Neal played by Steve Martin as he tries to make it from NYC to Chicago the day before Thanksgiving and is inexplicitl…

Regardless if you're a student, musician, fan of music, or just a casual listener, Whiplash provides a unique insight into the world of elite musicians and what they do to achieve greatness. Miles Teller plays Andrew, an ambitious young jazz drummer who's teacher Terence Fletcher, played by academy award winner J.K. Simmons give you an ear full on …

The shag-a-delic 60's are afoot on this flashback episode of Movie And A Beer with Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery. Mike Myers brings us center stage with both lead acting roles, first as Austin Powers *(secret agent), and Dr. Evil, who's tries and fails at taking over the Earth. This great spooftastic film provides a laugh and cringe w…

This time around on Movie And A Beer we watch and discuss the Christopher Nolan's second of his trilogy about the DC superhero Batman titled The Dark Knight. This film is chalked full of action, suspense, drama, and the occasional bit of dialogue that makes sense. We gave homage to the film by consuming 3 different styled beers based on name and ca…

On this special Halloween edition of Movie And A Beer, we watched the classic 1990's horror/suspense movie The Silence of the Lambs. There's a LOT to unpack in this murder mystery which stars Sr. Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector and Jodie Foster as an FBI agent in training Clarice Starling. The dynamic between them lights up the screen and we tak…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer we explore "Dude-ism" and the art of kidnapping through the comic sensibilities of the Cohen brothers in The Big Lebowski. Based on real people and real events, an unbelievable turn of events leads Jeff Bridge's character down a path of violence with his bowling buddies Donny and Walter, played by John Goodman an…

On this episode of Movie And A Beer, we discuss how your memories are a fickle thing, they make up who and what you are, so don't be like Jim Carrey in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and go erasing them. Regret is all that follows. This now cult-favorite film from 2004 was directed by Michel Gondry with a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, it wa…

There are few films that impact trucker culture like this one did back in the 70's. Smokey and the Bandit helped solidify the film careers of Sally Fields and Bert Reynolds as the lead actors. We were lucky enough to have a CB-dictionary while watching and looked up some of the great lingo used in the movie. Who would have thought that a truck-load…

It's time for us to sit back and enjoy the crazy antics of time traveling back to the 1950's while getting hit on by your mom when she was a teenager. Not fun for some, more crazy to others. That's the premise on this episode of Movie And A Beer with the classic 1985 film, Back To The Future. Listen in as we discuss the finer points of skateboardin…

On this really SPICY episode of Movie And A Beer we watched Spice World, the late 1990's extended music video/film that features the Spice Girls music group. Based in London England, Spice World follows the girls as they prepare for their debut music performance at the Royal Albert Hall. While it's shallow and dumb, it's also funny and sincere and …

On this challenging episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched, and experienced Taxidermia, the 2006 Hungarian surrealist comedy-drama horror film directed and co-written by György Pálfi. This will challenge you, you have been warned. It follows three generations of men from the same family and how they fit into and deal with life in Hungary from WW2 …

We're all fans of the classic animated cartoons and characters of our youth and Who Framed Roger Rabbit brings them all together in a fun who-done-it murder mystery. This movie brings live action and animation together in a near-seamless visual story. Staring Bob Hoskins as private eye Eddie Valiant who gets tangled up in a cartoon on human instanc…

If you're a fan of animated films, you must go see Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse and be ready to have your multi-verse socks blown off. Following the previous Spider-Man animated film, this time around Miles and Gwen both face their choices head on and realize that they don't have to follow everyone else. There are consequences to this choice…

Sisu is one of the best films we've watched so far this year, Finnish or otherwise. We at Movie And A Beer believe that one can only understand what Sisu is if you experience it for yourself. So, be prepared for a WWII crazy slow story about a man, his dog, and some gold. While the film is broken down into chapters that help guide you through the s…

Regardless if you believe in vampires or not, you have to believe in Nick Cage as Count Dracula and Nicholas Hoult his familiar, R. M. Renfield, in this wonderful horror-comedy titled Renfield. It's got plenty of site gags and excessive gore, it also provides an interesting introspective on taking responsibility for your actions and taking control …

There is Honor Among Thieves in some D&D games, where as others, not so much. We were lucky enough to have most of our group that we play with together to watch this movie at the LivingRoom Theater here in Portland and we all enjoyed it as much as anticipated. While the characters often bent the rules of the game in some instances, it did stay pret…

On this most challenging pseudo documentary cum master class on filmmaking episode of Movie And A Beer, we delve into The Five Obstructions, a Lars von Trier vehicle where he challenges his mentor Jorgen Leth to remake his classic black and white experimental film, The Perfect Human five times with different rules or obstructions. We decided to go …

We've traveled back to the era of King Author and his knights of the round table to partake in the quest for the Holy Grail. Monty Python does one hell of a funny sketch, and in 1975 they outdid themselves with this wonderfully funny sketch based full length movie, The Holy Grail. There's many things that one could choose to drink while watching th…

When you think of Nick Cage and John Travolta acting like each other, it wouldn't be much of a stretch as they demonstrate in Face/Off, the 1997 John Woo production that has more sparks, explosions, and references to faces than humanly possible in one film. Although we tried to suspend all belief in reality while watching this one, it's a testament…

We traveled to the far East for this episode of Movie And A Beer to explore one of the greatest animated films of all time, one that abruptly changed what we think cartoons could be. Akira is by far one of the most influential animated films from the late 1980's to come out of Japan. It tells a simple story of greed, choice, friendship, and power t…

It's that time of year to celebrate all things Irish, and with this episode, we embrace the shamrock in all of us with The Guard. This is a great film to learn about Irish culture and life in a small coastal town from the perspective of a 'guarda' or 'policeman'. Starring Brendan Gleeson as the rude cop and Don Cheadle as an American FBI agent forc…

On this most excellent arm wrestling 80's nostalgia driven episode, we watched Over The Top, a Silvester Stallone vehicle with more than just his 10 year old kid's life at stake. To go along with this high-stakes adventure, we enlisted the help of a couple of beers that you might find in a local truck stop. Both beers were purchased at a local groc…

On this surfer and bank robbing episode of Movie And A Beer, we watched Point Break, a classic 1990's action film by Kathryn Bigelow, starring Keanu Reeves as Johnny Utah, a new FBI agent on his first assignment going up against a gang of bank robbers know as the Dead Presidents. But this is no ordinary group of robbers. They're surfers -- led by t…