Every Friday on Moncrieff, the planets align, the bottle opener is located, and wordplay on Twitter hits fever pitch, as the show reviews everything you need to know about heading to the cinema this weekend, or drowning your sorrows in style.
Here's what made the cut on Movies & Booze today...
- Movies
Regular contributor Esther McCarthy was back this week, offering her take on two of the more curious summer releases. Having left the giant tent-pole blockbusters of the season behind, Esther first fixed her focus on Ant-Man, the world's most minuscule avenger (in waiting), and surely Marvel and Disney's biggest gamble since they decided we wanted to see a lot more of our superheroes.
With a troubled shoot that saw quirky British indie director Edgar Wright (he of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim) abandoned Ant-Man after filming had already started, and coming hot on the heels of Avengers: Age of Ultron's lukewarm reception, had this experiment paid off?
"Ant-Man works because of some shrewd casting and a fine sense of personality," Esther said. "Still, you can't help but wonder what might have been had Edgar Wright not departed the project at a late stage.
"The inspired casting of the funny and likeable Paul Rudd is a huge plus – but even he has to occasionally make way for a scene-stealing Michael Peña, brilliant in support and stealing many of the laughs as the trusty but wacky sidekick."
The other curio released this week is True Story, which Esther reliable informs us lives up to its title by being based on stranger-than-fiction real events.
The film stars James Franco and Jonah Hill, taking a step back from the typical bromantic and foul-mouthed comedies that we're more used to seeing them in and going dramatic, albeit with a quirky streak running through it.
The story revolves around disgraced New York Times journalist Michael Finkel (Hill), who in the midst of a professional crisis discovers that a suspected serial killer, Christian Longo (Franco), has been using his name. Finkel decides to interview Longo, hoping to find out why the killer had picked his name, and in the hope that a scoop will help him reclaim his own.
"The first hour is intriguing," Esther said, "But ultimately the film flails and the finale feels at odds with the story that has gone before. Felicity Jones is woefully underused as Finkel's wife, apart from one ill-judged scene. A curiosity."
- Booze
While most of us think of France or Italy when it comes to European wines, the Austrian Wine Marketing Board is making quite a splash at reminding us to think of the landlocked country when popping open a bottle. Regular Jean Smullen, a frequent expert filling Sean Moncrieff in with her wine expertise, has long been a fan of Austrian whites, and just got back from a tasting mission to the region.
First up was the 2013 Sepp Grüner Veltliner, which costs €17.95 and is available in Kelly’s Wine Vault, Clontarf, Dublin 3; Liston’s Wine and Food Emporium, Camden Street, Dublin 3 and http://wineonline.ie/.
"Grüner Veltliner, or GV as they like to call it in Austria, is probably one of the most fashionable grape varieties you have never heard of," Jean said. "All you need to know is that every international wine figure worth their salt thinks this grape is the bees knees.
"In the opinion of Jancis Robinson MW, a very famous wine journalist, before 1990, very few wine-lovers outside Austria had ever heard of GV. Today, no self-respecting restaurant wine list, whether in New York or Hong Kong, can afford to be without at least one example on their wine list."
Up next was the 2013 Winzer Krems Blauer Zweigelt St Severin, which is a mouthful in more than one way. This robust red retails for €11.99 in Karwig Wines, Carriagaline, Co Cork or you can buy from their website www.karwigwines.ie.
"After three days tasting a whole range of red wines from Austria made from both the Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch, a robust late ripening grape," a rapturous Jean told Sean, "I came to the conclusion that Austrian reds are a revelation and that their soft appealing fruity style with approachable tannin are an ideal for restaurant lists.
"We matched many of the wines with local indigenous dishes and they proved to be very versatile in this respect. With the consumer always searching for new tasting experience I envisage that Austrian red wine will soon start to spread its wings."
In news for the wine aficionado's diary, Jean also reminds us that Cono Sur, the popular Chilean brand of wine, has just relaunched its summer cycling campaign, complete with giveaways. Now in its seventh year, the 2015 Tour de Picnic charity cycle is promising to be bigger and better than ever before.
Find more details on the group's Facebook page, and get all your wine news over at www.jeansmullen.com.
- Hashtag
As with every week, Moncrieff invited listeners to combine their encyclopaedic knowledge of movie titles with some groan-worthy punning, this time under the hashtag #AnatomyMovies. Here are the 10 best from this week's Movies & Booze...
Das Foot #AnatomyMovies
— fredflunk (@fredflunk) July 17, 2015
@SeanMoncrieff On her majesty's secret cervix #anatomymovies
— James Byrne (@james_byrne1979) July 17, 2015
@SeanMoncrieff The Loin King #AnatomyMovies
— Michael Lynskey (@Mynners) July 17, 2015
@ivancorless @SeanMoncrieff #AnatomyMovies The Fantastic Foreskin
— Miss Texas 1967 (@MsTexas1967) July 17, 2015
Angela's lashes #anatomymovies @seanMoncrieff
— wosDcraic (@enr56) July 17, 2015
@SeanMoncrieff @ivancorless With Nails and Eye #AnatomyMovies
— Susan Cullen (@susankilkenny) July 17, 2015
#AnatomyMovies The Breakfast Club Foot
— Emily (@mleln) July 17, 2015
#AnatomyMovies Sphincter, Tailor, Shoulder, Eye.
— Tom Doorley (@tomdoorley) July 17, 2015
Dude, where's my cardiovascular system? @SeanMoncrieff @ivancorless #AnatomyMovies
— Sean De Paor (@Sean_De_Paor) July 17, 2015
Star Trek: Insurrectum #anatomymovies #sorry
— Anders Dennison (@emperorpartin) July 17, 2015
Fine work, one and all. Tune in next week to take on the hashtag challenge, and you can listen back to the full Movies & Booze segment below:
