Beer and a Movie

Only six episodes left, so we’re bringing in one of our favorite reinforcements. Kailey Diaz joins the gang for one last hurrah, and we almost go as off the rails as the final new-release movie we’ll ever review: The Bride!, Maggie Gyllenhaal’s strange, ambitious, full-tilt fever dream of a film. To pair with it, we go back to the movie that helped launch Gyllenhaal into the spotlight—Secretary—a performance that announced her as one of the most fearless and unconventional actors of her generation.  We also hear from a listener who’s thrilled that David’s Magic Bag of Beer has been leading to longer beer discussions. In response, we reach into the bag twice. First up is Jester King’s Aurelian Lure bottled in 2018, followed by a Bourbon County Brand Stout from 2018. One of these beers has aged beautifully. The other…has not. With Kailey in the studio, the beers flowing, and Maggie Gyllenhaal’s wild cinematic vision on the table, the conversation swings from thoughtful film talk to complete chaos—exactly the way we like it.

On this week’s Beer and a Movie, we go global — and uncomfortably current. The Secret Agent and It Was Just an Accident, two Best International Feature Oscar nominees anchor the conversation. Both films wrestle with paranoia, authoritarian creep, and the slow normalization of fear — themes that feel disturbingly timely amid rising global tensions and the recent bombing of Iran.  Joining us is Ethan Thompson — the original third co-host of BaaM — stepping back into the third chair to walk down memory lane. The rhythm snaps back quickly: old stories, early-show chaos, and the kind of shorthand you only get from building something scrappy together from the ground up. The beers match the mood. We start with New Belgium Brewing’s 1554 leaning into the historic zwert tradition, a centuries-old style that uses gruit (a blend of herbs and botanicals) for bittering instead of hops.  Then David reaches into his Magic Bag of Beer and pulls out a decade-old bottle of Allagash Brewing Company’s Coolship Resurgam. Spontaneously fermented and oak-aged, it arrives tart, funky, and beautifully evolved. Creeping fascism. Wild fermentation. A reunion years in the making. It’s Beer and a Movie — and this one lingers long after the glass is empty.

This week, we attempt to find the hidden thread connecting Norwegian heartbreak with Brad Pitt's high-octane racing. Adam Beam returns to tackle two Oscar Best Picture nominees, Sentimental Value and F1.  On the beer side, we’ve got a Banger Imperial Hazy IPA from Saint Arnold Brewing, juicy enough for a cinematic slow-mo montage, and from David’s magic bag of wonders, the 2025 Goose Island Bourbon County Double Barrel Stout, an imperial stout (17.4% ABV) aged in two sets of freshly emptied Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond bourbon barrels. Sip carefully, argue passionately, and maybe—just maybe—you’ll see why Sentimental Value and F1 kinda work together.

Only 9 episodes left, and this one is all corsets, cruelty, and complicated desire. Emily Suggs — our resident literary adaptation assassin — returns to the mic after publicly side-eyeing the marketing campaign for the new Wuthering Heights. The big question: did director Emerald Fennell deliver a fever-dream romance worthy of the Brontë chaos…or was this all perfume and no poison? To keep the seduction simmering, we pair it with Dangerous Liaisons, the gold standard of powdered-wig manipulation. If you like your romance weaponized and your flirtation fatal, this double feature is basically a lace glove hiding brass knuckles. On the beverage front, Emily zigzags expectations with two non-alcoholic canned mocktails from Athletic Brewing Company, proving you can keep your wits sharp even while discussing reckless passion. Meanwhile, David reaches deep into the magic bag and pulls out a 2017-bottled Oude Geuze from 3 Fonteinen — a spontaneously fermented, beautifully aged Belgian bruiser that’s as complex and unpredictable as the characters on screen. It’s bodice-ripping. It’s sex-charged. It’s literary. It’s petty. It’s Beer and a Movie at its most unhinged and articulate. Nine episodes left. Don’t miss the scandal.

Only 10 episodes left! Harold Ramos returns armed with two things we respect deeply: a massive film pick and an even more massive beer. This time, he brings a 19-year-aged Cantillon Lou Pepe — the longest-cellared beer we’ve ever poured on the show. It’s funky, complex, a little intimidating… which turns out to be the perfect pregame for 2025’s Nuremberg. To pair it, we go even darker. We discuss Elem Klimov’s Come and See — a film that isn’t just “disturbing,” it’s endure-it-and-process-it disturbing. The kind of movie that doesn’t feel watched so much as survived. Brutal. Unflinching. Historically suffocating in a way that lingers long after the credits roll. To honor its Russian roots (and brace ourselves emotionally), we crack open a 7-year-aged Lickinghole Creek Craft Brewery Illuminatos Russian Imperial Stout — thick, heavy, and appropriately brooding. What unfolds is a conversation about World War II on film — but from wildly different cinematic angles. One film examines accountability and aftermath in courtrooms and ideology. The other drags you through the mud, fire, and psychological ruin of war itself. Same historical shadow. Completely different lens. Big beer. Bigger history. Ten episodes left. This one weighs something.

With only 11 episodes left, Beer and a Movie is deep in the endgame—and David takes the wheel to program The Kelly Reichardt Episode. This week’s films are 2025’s The Mastermind paired with Wendy and Lucy, and David makes his case—again, and lovingly—for why Reichardt is one of the great American filmmakers. Her quiet precision, her empathy for people on the margins, her ability to wring devastating emotion out of the smallest moments… yeah, Dave’s in his bag on this one. Joining us is Pam Brouillard, who made her BaaM debut on the now-infamous Talking Women episode. Pam brings three beers from Wisconsin, while David reaches into his Magic Bag of Beer to crack open a 9-year-old Jester King Spon, because apparently endings are for pulling out the good stuff. Emotions run high—people cry—but that’s kind of the point when Reichardt’s involved. Plus, one long-running BaaM thread finally gets some closure: Joe revisits First Cow and is ready to eat some crow… and maybe a few milk-filled biscuits while he’s at it.

Clearly, we’ve been inspired by the completely bonkers ending of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple as we wind down the podcast — and this episode follows suit. Things spiral fast, and you really should be listening to what happens after the episodes in After Hours as it all comes to an end: https://www.patreon.com/beerandamoviepodcast How did it all get so out of control? Blame guest Josh Deleon, director Nia DaCosta, and David’s Magic Sack of Beer. We finally tackle 28 Years Later: Bone Temple alongside DaCosta’s 2025 release Hedda, and like Bone Temple’s Iron Maiden-blasting, upside-down-cross finale, the show is a blast. The beers choose violence. We crack the brand-new Saint Arnold Brewing Eclipse IPA, then make a historically reckless decision by opening a 12-year cellared Firestone Walker XVIII Anniversary Ale. From there, responsibility exits the building. Notes get poetic. Memories unlock. By the end, the episode is gloriously off the rails — late-run BaaM chaos earned after hundreds of films and nearly a decade of bad decisions. And somehow, it still isn’t the wild part. That honor belongs to this week’s After Hours. The end is coming for Beer and a Movie, but we’re not fading out. We’re going full blast — Iron Maiden screaming, vintage beer flowing, daring the credits to roll. 🍺🎬

Well, here’s some big news: Beer and a Movie is ENDING, and we talk all about it at the top of this week’s episode. But don’t panic just yet — there are 13 episodes left, and we’d love for you to join us as we close up shop as we go out the only way we know how: talking movies, drinking great beer, and probably getting a little unhinged. This week, Anthony Zoccolillo joins us to dive into Park Chan-wook, tackling his latest awards-buzzy thriller No Other Choice alongside his all-time WTF masterpiece, Oldboy. We talk vengeance, obsession, craftsmanship, and why Park remains one of the most singular filmmakers working today. On the beer side, we crack open Independence Brewing’s Be/Rad IPA, then follow it up with a true unicorn: a 2017-bottled Bourbon County Brand Barleywine, aged, boozy, and absolutely worth the wait. The countdown has officially begun. Grab a beer, hit play, and stick with us till the credits roll. 🍺🎬

Two movies. Two comedians. Two very big beers. This week on Beer and a Movie, Dave and Joe bring on comedian Uncle Sam to dig deep into comedy on film with Bradley Cooper's newest, Is This Thing On?, and Bob Fosse's 1974 Lenny Bruce biopic, Lenny—two very different looks at life onstage, offstage, and the price of being funny. One film captures the awkward grind and personal fallout of chasing laughs, while the other revisits the myth, brilliance, and self-destruction of a Mt. Rushmore comic who changed the rules by breaking all of them.  On the beer side, things get dangerously boozy. The guys start with Martin House Brewing’s Death by Chocolate Cake (a casual 12% ABV) before escalating to the heavyweight main event: Bourbon County Brand Stout 2025, clocking in at a staggering 14.6% ABV. It’s a lot of beer, a lot of alcohol, and maybe not the best idea—but definitely the right one. High-proof stouts, iconic comedians, and two comics trying to keep it together long enough to finish the episode. What could possibly go wrong? 🍺🎤

No guest this week — just Joe and Dave doing what they do best: watching something bleak, talking about relationships, and washing it down with absurdly fun beer. The main feature is We Bury the Dead, a zombie-adjacent horror film that’s less about the end of the world and more about what’s left when love, grief, and obligation refuse to die.  We also finally circle back to a 2025 horror movie we somehow missed on the show: Together (2025). Another relationship-forward horror story, Together explores intimacy, dependency, and emotional rot with a very different tone, giving us the perfect excuse to compare how modern horror keeps turning romance into the real monster.  Beer-wise, things get significantly less depressing. We crack open a mixed four-pack from Martin House Brewing, featuring their Extra Creamy Peanut Butter Blonde and Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter Stout. Naturally, this leads to experimentation, irresponsible mixing, and the accidental creation of our own peanut butter monstrosity — possibly the happiest horror creation of the episode. Two horror films about relationships falling apart. Two peanut butter beers pushed past their limits. What could go wrong?

This week on Beer and a Movie, we go full anxiety mode with a Safdie Brothers double feature, diving into Marty Supreme and Good Time with returning guest Rachel Clow. One film is raw, chaotic, and relentless; the other somehow manages to be even more stressful—because that’s the Safdie promise. We talk obsession, desperation, handheld panic attacks, and why these movies feel like they’re yelling at you on purpose. On the beer side, it’s all first-timers. We crack into Künstler Brewing out of San Antonio with their Black Swan Black IPA, then close it out strong with Great Divide Brewing’s Yeti Imperial Stout—a heavyweight beer for heavyweight vibes. Indie films, bold brews, and enough tension to make you need another drink. 🍺🎬

This episode of Beer and a Movie goes full James Cameron—twice. Joined by comedian Connor Stewart, we dive into Avatar: Fire and Ash and the sci-fi horror classic Aliens. One is a sequel for the ages. One… frankly, isn’t. We break down blue aliens, big budgets, space marines, flamethrowers, and Cameron’s lifelong obsession with raising the stakes—sometimes brilliantly, sometimes questionably. Along the way, we compare how his storytelling, action, and world-building evolved across decades, and which franchise actually earned its legacy. Then we crack open Lagunitas Brewing's Little Sumpin’ Sumpin’ and Saint Arnold's Christmas Ale, pairing hop-forward chaos and holiday nostalgia with Cameron’s cinematic excess. Expect strong opinions, beer-fueled tangents, and Connor Stewart doing what he does best—calling it like he sees it. Grab a beer, pick a side, and stay frosty—because in space, no one can hear you crack open a Christmas ale. 🍺🎬

Hark! A New BaaM Episode Appeareth  This week on Beer and a Movie, we are joined by Emily Suggs, our most learned and oft-returning guest, for a thoughtful dip into Hamnet—a most modern tale and fictionalized accounting of the writing of Hamlet, now strutting about the awards circuit in fine hose. But lo, Shakespeare hath been borrowed from before. Thus, we turn our gaze unto Shakespeare in Love, and discourse upon inspiration, grief, creation, and the eternal question: what if the bard was, in fact, very horny? Our cups run dry of alcohol this fortnight, yet not of flavor, as we quaff Brooklyn Brewery’s Special Effects Grapefruit IPA alongside Best Day Brewing’s Galaxy Ripple Imperial IPA—our first parley with Best Day. Same keen analysis. Same merry disputation. Just NA beers, gentlefolk. 🎧 Attend thee now, wherever podcasts be heard.

This week, we hit a double feature of Netflix’s latest mood-soaked meditations, Jay Kelly and Train Dreams, with guest Adam Beam. Both films lean hard into lush cinematography, sweeping landscapes, and the quiet poetry of a life unfolding… but they take those ingredients to two very different destinations. To pair with all that visual beauty, the guys crack open a couple of beers with complicated pasts. First up: Magnetic Disturbance from Roughtail Brewing—an IPA Joe grabbed last week without peeking at the bottom of the can: It's two and a half years old. (Whoops. Not all art ages gracefully.) Fortunately, redemption comes in the form of a 2024 Goose Island Bourbon County Macaroon Stout, a beer that absolutely benefits from a year of patience and barrel-kissed maturity. Thoughtful films, adventurous beers, and a blunt verdict from Dave and Joe: See Train Dreams NOW.

This week, we’re following the yellow brick road straight into an Oz double feature—Wicked: For Good and Return to Oz. Two films, decades apart, both proving that no matter how far you wander, you can’t escape those ruby-slippered roots. To keep our courage up, we crack open two high-octane potions from Lagunitas: the Maximus Colossal IPA and the Shugga Original Recipe—big, bold brews with enough ABV to make even the Cowardly Lion roar. Let’s just say there’s no place like foam. Joining us is returning guest Adam Beam, who chatted with us about the original Wicked: Part One. He’s back to help us untangle this Emerald-City-sized tapestry of witches, Wheelers, wizardry, claymation fever dreams, and questionable Kansas parenting. We ease on down the cinematic road, talk sequels that aren’t really sequels, prequels that might be sequels, and why Return to Oz still feels like the dark and stormy night Dorothy really needed a therapist for. If you’re into green girls, Gump gliders, and stories stitched together with a whole lot of heart, this episode is over the rainbow and then some. Grab a Maximus, click those heels, and join us—because this week, it’s Oz or nothing.

Guest Blake Trevino returns to Beer and a Movie for a two-lager, two-Edgar Wright film kind of episode. First up is The Running Man (2025), a fresh new take that still carries some of Wright’s kinetic fingerprints—though two of us liked it and one of us walked away a little underwhelmed. Then the trio dives into Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, the purest expression of Wright’s comic-book pop energy, where smash-cuts become punchlines and the emotional core shines through all the visual fireworks. To keep the conversation crisp, we crack open a Sierra Nevada Premium Pils and  Tupps Beer Ease Side Lager, two clean, classic lagers that pair perfectly with Wright’s ability to make even the most chaotic scenes feel smooth, deliberate, and unmistakably his.

It’s a tale of two Frankensteins! After years of dreaming, Guillermo del Toro has finally unleashed his version of Frankenstein — deeply human, and visually stunning. Then we dig into Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein, a depraved, gleefully grotesque art experiment that feels like it was stitched together in a neon nightmare. Same story, two wildly different visions of creation and chaos. And, fittingly, we’ve got two very different IPAs to go with them — Lagunitas’ Beast of Both Worlds, a bold hybrid with bite, and Fast Friends Brewing’s Matamata New Zealand Hazy IPA, a smooth newcomer full of unexpected character. Two Frankensteins, two beers, and one electrified conversation about what it means to make a monster. #BeerAndAMovie #Frankenstein #DelToro #Warhol #FilmPodcast #CraftBeer #Cinema #Horror

All Horror October is behind us, but we’re diving right back into the weird and the wonderful. This week, we tackle Bugonia — the latest mind-bender from Yorgos Lanthimos — and the South Korean cult classic that inspired it, Save the Green Planet! Two films that share a premise but couldn’t be more different in tone, heart, or execution. Our guest Adam Beam returns as we pair the discussion with brews from Celestial Brewing and Japas Cervejaria. It’s a rare spoiler alert episode — and with these two films, trust us, you’ll want to heed it.

It’s the chilling conclusion of All Horror October, and we’re going out with a bilingual scream! This week, we plunge into Spanish-language horror, where ghosts cry, kids see too much, and grief has subtitles. Joining us at the haunted roundtable is Josh Deleon, who helps us navigate two haunting modern classics: Tigers Are Not Afraid (2017) — the grim fairy tale that’ll punch you right in the feels — and La Llorona (2019), not to be confused with The Curse of La Llorona (also 2019)… because this one’s actually good. We toast the end of spooky season with one last Oktoberfest — the malty, magical brew from Ayinger — before cracking open not one, but two Pumpkinators from Saint Arnold Brewing: the 2024 original and the 2025 Bourbon Barrel-Aged beast. It’s a pumpkin showdown so rich and boozy, you might start crying “¡Ay, mi hígado!” So light a candle, say a prayer, and pour yourself something dark and haunted. This week’s Beer and a Movie has everything — political ghosts, streetwise orphans, and the kind of beer lineup that’ll make the undead jealous. 🕯️ This is it, folks. The final sip of All Horror October. Salud, mis amigos del miedo. 🍻👻

All Horror October rolls into Week 4 with guest Adam Beam joining us for our 2025/New Releases episode. We dive into two very different theatrical horrors—The Black Phone 2, which expands the supernatural dread of the original, and Good Boy, a haunting new vision told through the eyes of a dog. There's plenty of debate on these two movies' merits as we crack open an Oktoberfest from 5x5 Brewing and a crisp Prodigal Pils from Lazarus Brewing. Fresh pours, and plenty of Halloween-season chills as All Horror October nears its finale.