1001 Movies, Part 3. Drinking Edition

During a pandemic, it goes without saying that movies will have alcoholic accompaniments, and I thought it would be helpful to share some of mine.

The Wizard of Oz is a movie about a girl trapped in a strange land full of weird people. She takes up with three emotionally challenged friends and they go seeking help from a wizard who turns out to be an ordinary dude who hides behind a curtain while making himself look more powerful than he actually is. So, pretty much a parable for corporate life. Pair with: Emerald Isle (1.5 oz gin, 1 tsp green crème de menthe, 2 dashes bitters.)

Night of the Living Dead is literally the original zombie movie, and establishes much of the canon for all zombie movies and TV shows for the next 52 years (and counting). In it, a group of strangers wind up hiding from zombies in a farmhouse and then fight about how best to defend themselves. Then they all die. It’s fantastic! Pair with: Zombie (1 oz each of white rum, golden rum, dark rum, apricot brandy, pineapple juice, papaya juice, 1/2 oz 151-proof rum, dash of grenadine.)

Dawn of the Dead is, of course, a sequel to Night of the Living Dead. We watched the 1978 George Romero version, but I’m told with confidence that the 2004 Zack Snyder remake is at least as good, and maybe even better. This time around, our heroes hunker down in a shopping mall and settle into a routine of raiding stores for survival supplies. This works well until and motorcycle gang shows up and a pie fight breaks out. So predictable. Pair with: Bloody Mary (2 oz Vodka, 4 oz Tomato juice, dashes of horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt, pepper, smoked paprika. Garnish with assorted body parts left behind by the zombies.)

Withnail & I is a delightfully dark comedy about two unemployed actors who decide to go on a country holiday where things hilariously derail. In a modified version of an actual movie drinking game, take a sip every time a character in the movie drinks. Pair with: Pimm’s Cup (2 oz Pimm’s Cup No. 1, 2 oz Ginger Ale, slices of orange, lemon, and cucumber. Garnish with sprig of mint.)

In Les Parapluies de Cherbourg, Catherine Deneuve faces a difficult decision when her lover is sent off to war. So far, it sounds pretty basic, but every word of dialogue in the movie is sung. Not like a big-production musical, it’s just ordinary dialogue, except that they sing it. Before you judge, it’s a beautiful and bittersweet movie that is absolutely worth watching. If the singing drives you crazy, mute it and just read the subtitles 🙂 Pair with: Mimosa (1 part orange juice, 1 part Champagne. Garnish with paper umbrellas.)