Drink and a Film

My wife's been out of town for a few days, so after the kids go to bed, I've been catching up on some films she'd never watch. I'm also trying, largely unsuccessfully, to pair the films with drinks.

Night 1: "Terminator Salvation" and an Estancia 2008 pinot noir. This was by far the weakest of the Terminator films, although it was still reasonably entertaining. Good action, stunning special effects. In particular, there was one continuous shot done early in the film in which we see John Connor pilot a helicopter and get shot down while the camera moves from the outside to the inside of the helicopter. It's hard to tell whether this was a CGI trick or a truly badass piece of cinematography. Another nice special effect was the return of a circa-1984 Arnold. All that said, the dialogue was pretty weak and humorless and most of the characters seemed like rejects from "Beyond Thunderdome." Also, when did the resistance take on such a military appearance? They're driving submarines, flying A-10s, wearing uniforms, etc. The first movie made it look much more, well, like a resistance movement.

Anyway, "Terminator" films don't pair well with red wine, although I rather enjoyed the pinot. In retrospect, a stout beer would have been nice. Or Jägermeister. Something that looks like the crank case oil that pumps through the veins of cyborgs.

Night 2: "No Country for Old Men" and a Martell XO cognac. This movie definitely lived up to the hype. The dialogue, casting, acting, direction, etc., are all pitch-perfect. And it's deeply disturbing. It reminded me of a mid-90s article in the NY Times magazine about the nature of evil, which had focused extensively on "Pulp Fiction" and the Menendez brothers. This film would have fit nicely into that essay.

Mixed feelings on the pairing. Cognac is excellent for contemplating the nature of evil, but it didn't quite mesh with the West Texas setting of the film. A pale ale or bourbon might have done the trick.

Night 3: I'm tired and I want to go to bed.