Strange Brew (Widescreen)

 

 

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So, uh, good day, eh? Unless you're a complete hoser, you can't help but love Strange Brew, one of the funniest dumb movies ever made. My introduction to Bob and Doug McKenzie came in the form of their hit song, Take Off, which I thought was hilarious. Having created the McKenzie brothers on Canada's SCTV, it was only natural that Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis would further expand their comic empire by making a movie. Strange Brew is that film, and it really is hilarious. Most low-budget films with a mere farce of a plot would tank, but the boys from the Great White North strike gold - largely because the film's only real purpose is to give the boys an hour and a half to be Bob and Doug McKenzie. The real beauty part of it all, though, is the fact that the story actually plays off of Shakespeare's Hamlet.

When the lion burps instead of roars at the beginning of a film, you know you're in for a different kind of viewing experience. Those unfamiliar with the classic McKenzie television skits may well wonder what the heck is going on at first, as you start out with Bob and Doug introducing a film they made about a nuclear holocaust. That film breaks (at which point we see Bob and Doug inside a crowded theatre full of disgruntled, quickly departing moviegoers), and that's when the real movie begins. Basically, the brothers have to get some beer, but they don't have any money. Trying to convince a clerk to give them free beer doesn't work, so they decide to head on up to Elsinore Brewery, the birthplace of their favorite beer, hoping the old mouse in a bottle trick can score them some free brewskis. They soon find themselves very unwittingly involved in a power struggle between the brewery founder's daughter and her lascivious uncle. The brewmeister is really calling the shots, however, and he's up to no good. If his plans succeed, he will make the beer so addictive that the whole world will do his bidding - that's the plan, anyway. Like most breweries, Elsinore has a mental institution connected to it, giving Brewmeister Smith (Max Von Sydow) a ready supply of test subjects. I'm a little vague on the intricacies of the whole thing, but the experimentation consists of using bad synthesizer music to compel mental patients to put on full body armor and play hockey. It sounds weird, but apparently that's the quick way to power and wealth in Canada. Even though they are completely clueless about basically everything going on around them and have no real skills apart from excessive beer-guzzling, Bob and Doug prove to be a thorn in the brewmeister's side, which puts the boys in danger. Are they smart enough to survive and save the world from the bad guys' evil plans? And, if they fail, what will become of their dog Hosehead, who is dependent on his own steady diet of beer?

It's basically impossible to explain the humor of Bob and Doug McKenzie. Any description of it would just make it sound extremely lame and moronic (actually, I guess it is lame and moronic), but Thomas and Moranis make for a formidable comic team when you see them in action. No line or plot device is too silly for these guys, and they constantly play off one another with perfect timing, unleashing one eminently quotable line after another. The humor doesn't stop with the end of the movie, either, as the boys are back to review their own film and to give us some insight on the movie-making business while the credits roll.

Of course, anyone who likes to put on intellectual airs will snub this movie to his dying breath, but we all know he's secretly laughing inside. This is just pure, unadulterated comedy, and it really is a beauty way to go. Whatever you do, don't take off before treating yourself to this comedy classic. You'll find yourself ending a lot of your sentences with eh? for the following few days, but that side effect isn't permanent unless you just keep re-watching the film and/or listening to the McKenzies' album on a daily basis.

A magnificent achievement - ranks up there with Citizen Kane, Gone with the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia, Blues Brothers, and Monty Python's Holy Grail and Life of Brian.

But Strange Brew is better - cos it's about Beer! Right on eh! And if any of you Hosers out there don't like it, TAKE OFF EH!

This DVD is a "must have" for those of us who loved SCTV. However, it's definately not for those who aren't. It's not that this isn't a funny and entertaining movie, it is. It's just that it's not a "standout" comedy. The core of the film, ie; characters, production, story are all there, but unfortunately many of the details are done halfa**ed. There are several parts of the story that don't tie together well, and certain scenes that either should have played out more or simply didn't fit.

The DVD production is also a disappointment. I agree with a previous reviewer in that the lack of commentary from Rick and/or Dave is unforgivable. Still, this is certainly a movie worth renting or watching on T.V.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Great movie should have great DVD
No commentary from Moranis and Thomas? Why buy a DVD that has no commentary, especially 20 years after the fact, especially for such a rip-roaring film? Read more

Published on Jan 9 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligently Dumb
What can I say, eh? This movie not only boosted the careers of Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, but may have also helped the Canadian brewing corporations. Read more

Published on Jan 8 2004 by Kap'n Krinkle

4.0 out of 5 stars Where is the commentary?
I'm giving this DVD a 4 as an average of two separate scores - 5 for the movie, 3 for the DVD treatment. Read more

Published on Dec 28 2003 by Christopher C. Ferro

4.0 out of 5 stars Hilarious anti-stereotype fun...
When the producers of storied SCTV kept badgering Dave Thomas and Rick Moranis to create more "Canadian" characters [to comply with something called a "Canadian Content" law, as... Read more

Published on Dec 16 2003 by S. McCrea

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a cult classic, eh?
Hearkening back to 1983, "Strange Brew" is the cinematic debut of Bob and Doug Mckenzie( respectively Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas)- two Canadian brothers who were... Read more

Published on Dec 3 2003 by D. Ullery

5.0 out of 5 stars Let's have a new Strange Brew!
Ok eh, like first off this movie is great, eh. Like now these two have like shown up in the new Disney movie Brother Bear, beauty eh? Read more

Published on Nov 4 2003

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the Great White North, eh?
In 1983, Bob and Doug McKenzie (Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas -- but not the Dave Thomas from Wendy's) introduced the world to the mysterious land of Canada -- a place overflowing... Read more

Published on Oct 30 2003 by Kristin Dreyer Kramer

4.0 out of 5 stars Proud Canadian Film
Taken from their SCTV skits, Bob & Doug McKenzie set out to make their own film. Only problem is that people hate it and they gave their last $15 to a kid who spent his... Read more

Published on Oct 27 2003 by A. Vegan

3.0 out of 5 stars probably the dumbest yet funny movies ever
these guys are so stupid that this movie is funny it does get boring in long stretches but these guys are funny in a stupid way but you'll like it eh unless your a hosier

Published on Sep 29 2003 by M. A. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Movie
Ok folks. This ain't no Oscar winning film. Don't critique it or pick it apart like a Siskle and Ebert. It's a crazy, goofy, and funny movie. Read more

Published on Sep 9 2003 by Cseguin

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