31 Days of
Drafts and Darkness: VOL 2!
"Grabbers" (2012)
You may have never heard of tonight's feature, though you
can find it on Netflix at the moment. I heartily recommend doing so, especially
if you've some cold beers in the fridge. Grab a few of them and enjoy, because
if there were ever a film on "31 Days" that called for drinks, it's
this one. The entire premise hinges on it, actually.
This is the sort of horror movie that wants its audience to
have fun. With charming characters up against a nasty horde of aliens,
"Grabbers" takes all the best elements of Irish cinema and puts them up
against a creature feature.
Fortunately for the heroes, the intergalactic invaders have
an allergy to a form of ammunition the residents of Erin Island have in strong
supply. No, the villagers don't have much in the way of guns. But their pub is
stocked to the brim.
The only way to save the planet is literally to get drunk.
The Plot:
For the residents of a sleepy little Irish village on the
Erin Isles, life is fairly mundane. Nothing much happens outside of the
occasional drunken brawl at the local pub. And seeing how everyone in town
knows each other, chances are any two brawlers would make peace moments
after sobering up.
For the police, there isn't usually much to do. When
an inner-city cop arrives to fill in for the chief's holiday, that changes very
quickly. The night before her arrival, a strange green meteorite struck just
off the coast. The only witnesses were a trio of fishermen, but none made it back
to shore to tell the tale. Their boat was eventually found, but they were not.
Soon, dead whales are washing up along the coastline.
Bizarre rocks are showing up on the beaches. A few people have even
disappeared. And then, of course, there's old Paddy down at the pub. Ever
drunk, Paddy swears he's caught himself a sea monster in one of his lobster
traps. With things getting progressively worse, it's up to the police to figure
out what's going on before more residents vanish.
It's no spoiler to say that, yes, there are killer aliens
afoot. Blood-suckers, these beasts resemble balls of tentacles with razor sharp
teeth at the center. Picture a seastar from hell. They've also quite the taste
for human blood, shooting a harpoon-like tongue at their victims.
The situation is dire until the police figure out the
alien's weakness: they will not feed on the inebriated. Alcohol is toxic to
them. Once this becomes clear, the town knows what to do. They throw a massive
party at the local pub, with free drink naturally, and make one last, wobbly
stand against the wave of invaders.
The Flavor:
This movie is a ton of fun. It has a few scary moments, but
the overall picture is a sarcastic romp stumbling its way through an alien
invasion.
If you've ever seen "Waking Ned Devine", picture
all the charm and loveable dialogue in that film. Even the bawdier language,
when spoken in Irish brogue, takes on an almost poetic quality. You can't help
but love the feisty characters and their picturesque Irish village. Hell, the
first thought you have when you see the countryside is "I want to live
there".
Okay, now take all those same qualities, and imagine they
took place in an alien movie. That's "Grabbers".
The aliens themselves are gross and vicious little buggers.
Lashing out with tentacles and a dagger tongue, these creatures mean serious
business when they go about exsanguinating their victims. "Grabbers"
makes inventive use of their bizarre anatomy. They don't just slither,
but can roll up like Sonic the Hedgehog to chase down prey. Once someone's
grabbed, it's a race to free them before they're drawn into the center of the
tentacles, where a mandible of chainsaws resides.
This all sounds grim, but our cast of heroes hysterically
rolls with it in stride. Garda O'Shea (Richard Coyle) and Nolan (Ruth Bradley)
are a perfectly mismatched pair of rebel and by-the-book cop. The bites of
sarcasm they play off each other aren't just funny. They're damn heartwarming
as well. They make for a versatile duo. Also, special kudos to Ruth Bradley,
who's character has never been drunk before. Thus, she spends half of the film
disciplined and stern, the other half beyond orbit. Metaphorically, not literally. Her performance is equal
parts loveable and hilarious. The rest
of the cast are also fun and quirky characters. Seeing this humble
band of villagers go up against aliens is a riot, especially when they hold a
massive party beforehand.
After all, gotta physiologically "suit up" to fend
off the invaders.
Best Paired with:
Seriously underrated, "Grabbers" should be a
comedy/horror classic right up there with "Shaun of the Dead". Aside
from a decapitation or two, the violence is light, so everyone teenage and
above should have no problem with the film's gore-factor. The scares are more
'BOO!' in nature than disturbing, so rest assured that you'll walk away from
the film laughing more than shaking in terror.
If you've a free Friday night on your hands and want to have
some Halloween fun, pull up Netflix and find "Grabbers".
Accompanying Brew:
I really wanted to find an Irish ale - perhaps something made by Guiness - to fit the Irish theme of tonight's film. Last season, Guiness put out Red Harvest. I haven't seen it at all this year.
But while my recommendation tonight is brewed in the U.S.A., I still think it's a great fit for "Grabbers". This horror/comedy captures much about what I love in Halloween. It's scary, but fun.
And so, we venture forth into another pumpkin ale. Let's see how this one compares.
Name: Pumpkin Ale
Brewery: Blue Point Brewing Co.
Where Brewed: Long Island, NY
ABV: 6.0%
Style: Pumpkin Ale
Color: Pure, rich
copper.
Aroma: The most forward spice is actually the clove
here, rather than nutmeg or cinnamon. There's no debating that sharp twang that clove gives off. You can also detect some of the lighter malts in the mix.
Taste: Warmingly spiced, Blue Point's Pumpkin Ale introduces
its spices in a way unique among pumpkin beers I've sampled. Where most
pumpkinheads feature their spices as a flavor package, with
cinnamon/nutmeg/clove blending together, here each spice is given a moment to
stand all on its own. I can literally pin-point the initial clove tang,
followed by the slightly peppery nutmeg, and finished by the cinnamon. The
taste unfolds over the tongue in pieces, really letting you soak in
the seasonal flavor and appreciate each for its own qualities. The spices take
center-stage, but there's also a nice toasty quality to the malt and slight
pumpkin note that shine through as well.
Aftertaste: A mild dose of hops arrives towards the end of
each sip and nixes much of the malty flavor. But it does little to numb the
spice-factor. In fact, the cinnamon and nutmeg actually taste a bit more potent
towards the end of each sip when they get highlighted by the bitter
hop. The bitter kick isn't intense. Though who enjoy a sweeter
pumpkinhead ale can still enjoy this. Just note that Blue Point's Pumpkin Ale
is a bit more dry and on the spicy side than it is sweet.
Body: Light-to-medium in body. While the beer itself isn't
overly heavy, the potent spices make each sip a strong burst of flavor.
Pair: Pair this up alongside hearty, savory stews. The
brew's heavy spice component will actually work to flavor the soup as you eat
it. Less sweet, this brew would also go well with vanilla ice cream.
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