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
Moncrieff was joined in studio by movie reviewer, Sarina Bellissimo, who gave her thoughts on two new films just hitting cinemas across the country.
Tom Cruise is back again as Ethan Hunt, in the 5th installment of the Mission Impossible franchise, Rouge Nation. While she believes it wasn't exceptional, Sarina says that it does fulfill its purpose.
"It does what it says on the tin, if you want some action and you want some laughs it delivers. My only problem is that it goes for about 10 or fifteen minutes too long," Sarina told Moncrieff.
In Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation, Ethan is forced to go rogue to track down the Syndicate and prove to his government that he is not the bad guy. He and his IMF team (made up of Simon Pegg, Ving Rhames and Jeremy Renner) are the ones who actually save the world from the bad guys.
Winner of the 'Best Runner on Screen Award', Tom Cruise, does not disappoint. He is back with some of his most daring stunts yet. He hangs off a plane, he has learned to hold his breath from 6 minutes for a deep water stunt, and has some of the best motor cycle chase scenes seen on the big screen.
While Sarina enjoyed Cruise's latest outing she criticsed it for one crucial element.
"That said, one of the issues I have with this film is that it doesn't feel like it is a “mission impossible”. Even though the scenarios are over the top, it always feels possible as there's no doubt that Ethan will end up saving the day and will be back for a 6th installment. It felt more like mission possible than mission impossible."
While Sarina was a fan of Tom's visceral adventure, she didn't have the same admiration for Reesce Witherspoon and Sofia Vergara's ''Hot Pursuit', in fact in the entire slot she described it as 'terrible' on countless occasions.
Witherspoon is Cooper, an uptight and strictly by the book police officer who has been ordered to protect Daniella Riva (Vergara), the widow of a drug boss. With crooked cops and gang members after them it is a race, against time, to safety and justice.
"Sophia Vergara and Witherspoon are a hot mess and not in a good way. It's terrible let's just get straight to the point," Sarina stated.
She couldn't understand Witherspoon, who had been nominated for awards last year for her role in Wild, decided to get on board with the movie.
"Reesce Witherspoon was nominated for her role in Wild, why she got involved with Hot Pursuit I don't know, someboy must have something over her."
Sarina continued, saying that this was the first zero she had ever awarded to a film.
"I have never given a zero to a film before but I gave this a zero. It was so bad that I had to fall asleep during it. They look like they've great chemistry off screen but that didn't transfer across. It's terrible, terrible, terrible.
Sarina urged listeners to "do yourself a favour and stay away from this film."
BOOZE:
On #MoviesandBooze with @SeanMoncrieff - apples, apples, apples (& pears). Hogan's Dry Cider & Vintage Perry (1 of 2) pic.twitter.com/D73Vl58TUY
— Dean McGuinness (@BeerMessiah) July 31, 2015
The messiah of beers, Dean McGuiness, joined Sean and Sarina but this time came sporting cider rather than beer. He brought along with him Hogan's Dry Cider, Hogan's Vintage Perry and Hogan's Apple Spirit from brewer Allen Hogan. Allen is Waterford-born, and is making cider in the Malvern Hills, an area in the counties of Herefordshire and Worcestershire.
Up first was the dry cider.
Dean described this as a 'craft connoissuer’s cider'.
"It's deep gold in colour, this slightly sparkling, dry cider has a fruity aroma that combines with subtle spicy and peaty overtones. Hogan’s Dry delivers a the refreshing taste of cider apples," Dean said.
Dean told Sean of how the flavour of the drink travels, saying that after pausing for a while the flavour goes to your chest before coming back up through your nose.
Next was Hogan's Vintage Perry.
"This is made from handpicked perry pears," Dean said. "It has a floral perfume-like aroma and it tastes a bit like a riesling," he continued.
Perry is an alcoholic drink made from perry pears. According to Dean, the purity of this tradition has been under threat because of how labour intense it is to make perry properly. Some perries are available, but mainstream perries would not come close to the dedication to heritage and tradition reflected in Hogan’s Vintage Perry.
Finally, Sean, Sarina and Dean decided to taste the 40 percent-strong Apple Spirit. A drink that Sarina said made her body "feel as though it's gone through the gates of hell".
Dean said that the flavouring of the spirt comes from its aging process. As a result there iscinammon, white pepper and vanilla flavouring eluding from it.
While Sarina may have met the drink with more angst than enjoyment, Sean joked that he was warm and that he loved us all.
Dean explained that it was named an ‘apple spirit’ because there is a geographic protection on the term ‘apple brandy’, nevertheless this drink reflects and combines craft cider-making with the philosophies and quality of craft distilling.
Delicious, distinctive, incredibly tasty – Hogan’s Apple Spirit is one further step in establishing the vibrancy of craft cider-making.
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 #holidaysmovies.
Here are the ten best from this week's Movies & Booze...
@SeanMoncrieff #holidaysmovies Flight Club
— John O'Donnell (@JODedia) July 31, 2015
#holidaysmovies @ivancorless Born Duty Free
— Colin Gilsenan (@ColinGilsenan) July 31, 2015
#holidaysmovies Tan In Real Life pic.twitter.com/kwEf40jzH8
— Gretel Armstrong (@SugarGretel) July 31, 2015
@SeanMoncrieff Home Athlone #holidaysmovies
— gina duffy (@ginaduffy) July 31, 2015
@SeanMoncrieff @JODedia #holidaysmovies Topless in Seattle
— Bill Vaughan (@TheKreng) July 31, 2015
Catch me if you cannes #HolidaysMovies
— William Monahan (@monothemod) July 31, 2015
Dude Where's my Caravan #holidaysmovies
— soulcandy (@soulcandyd) July 31, 2015
@SeanMoncrieff #holidaysmovies Butch Cassidy and the Sunbed Kid @JODedia
— John King (@SeanMacAnRi) July 31, 2015
Raging Istanbul #HolidaysMovies
— The Orctioneer (@Quirkative) July 31, 2015
Greece #holidaysmovies
— Gretel Armstrong (@SugarGretel) July 31, 2015
Ciders available in:
Egan's Food and Wine, Portlaoise, Co. Laoise
Solas, Wexford St, Dublin
Joe Smith Bar, Navan, County Meath
Next Door, Meath St, Dublin
Newman Tavern, 11 Ludlow Street, Navan, Co Meath
Whelans Wexford St, Dublin 2
Next Door Navan
The Comet, Santry, Dublin
The Vintry, Rathgar
Kelly's Wine Vault, Vernon Avenue, Clontarf, Dublin 3
Redmond's of Ranelagh, Dublin
Sweeney's Wine Merchants, Phibsboro, Dublin
Eurospar, Dalkey, County Dublin
SuperValu Aston Quay
The Malthouse, Trim, County Meath
Chill Inn, Ongar, Dublin
The 12th Lock
Nealons Capel St
Deveney's of Dundrum, Dundrum, County Dublin
J & A Barry, Carry Out Head Office
Musgraves Retail Partners Ireland
Desmond's Next Door, Fr. Russell Road, Raheen, Limerick
Number 21 Off-Licence, Ballinacurra, Midleton, Cork
Matson's Inns, Douglas, Cork
Tom Ryan's Bar, Waterford
Dwan's Spar, Ballycullen, Dublin 16
Next Door, Kilcoole, County Wicklow
Next Door New Ross
Blackrock Cellars Off-Licence, Blackrock, County Dublin
Desmond's Next Door, Sundrive Road, Kimmage, Dublin 12
McSorleys
The Old Orchard, Rathfarnham, County Dublin
Salt House, Ravens Terrace, Galway, Co. Galway
