Avery’s Salvation Belgian-Style Golden Ale & Terminator: Salvation

Hey there, Drinkers!

Are you ready to get saved? FROM ROBOTS?! I hope so, because in today’s BAAM we’re not watching Saved! but rather Terminator Salvation while drinking Avery Brewing’s Salvation Belgian-Style Golden Ale. Why robots and not pregnant teens? One word: Explosions. So strap in, grab a beer and travel through time for today’s review. Let’s get started.

In 2009, The Halycon Company rebooted the Terminator franchise the only way modern moviemakers know how to reboot an action franchise: with Christian Bale. But gone was the setting of pre-apocalyptic America and in its place was the post-Judgement Day world. I remember when Terminator Salvation came out I was SO excited to finally see the world that had only been hinted at in previous movies. No longer was Skynet just going to be a few skin-clad Terminators and a bunch of early 90’s computers. Instead, we were going to see something bigger and darker. And to the film’s credit, it does do a decent job of showing that. The film, while mostly centered on the human element, does give us a few glimpses of Skynet’s world along with a few obligatory shots of a decimated Los Angeles. Realize I haven’t mentioned anything about the narrative (yet). That’s mostly because this film is more visual than anything else. From a purely visual standpoint, the film is actually quite exciting. The camerawork and editing is top-notch and the visual effects are of the same high quality we expect from our other blockbusters. And interestingly enough, the film creates a distinctive visual style that many other action movies lack. With long, uninterrupted shots and a heavy focus on its character’s faces, the film is actually quite visceral and strives for human connection. Unfortunately, the writing and narrative make that…well let’s say challenging.

Human. Machine. Themes.

The real problem with the writing in Terminator Salvation is that it’s just. so. deliberate. Where am I? What happened here? Who are you? I’m John Connor, leader of the Resistance. We have to find John Connor. On and on and on! The whole movie is just a series of single, expository lines with a few general platitudes about ‘Humanity’ interspersed throughout. And imagine all of this delivered in Christian Bale/Batman-lite gruff speech. Yikes. There is exactly ONE good line in the whole movie and it’s “The devil’s hands have been busy” and that’s about as good as it gets. Similarly, the narrative is fairly lockstep predictable with the expected nonsense that comes with blockbuster movies and time-travel. Nonsense like why don’t the robots kill their #1 target, Kyle Reese, when they have him captured? Or how do the human resistance still have warplanes? A lot of major decisions don’t really make any sense or aren’t explained, so you’re left just shrugging your shoulders and waiting for the next explosions to kick off.

EMPHATIC SPEECHES!

Overall, the movie is fine. It’s not terrible but it’s not great either. For what could have been a big, dramatic reboot of the franchise, I think this film falls a little short. Sure it looks pretty, but it don’t talk too pretty.

Did I mention robots?

So was our beer the Salvation of the evening? I think so. Avery Brewing’s Salvation Belgian Style Golden Ale is a solid Belgian that can carry you through most movie-watching experiences, good or bad. Pouring a true golden color with a two-finger head and some nice lacing, beer is visually everything you would expect from a golden Belgian. With the pour, you’ll get that classic Belgian yeast aroma along with some mild hints of citrus, grass and malt. And that same goes once you take a sip. Lots of yeast with just little drops of sweet, citrus, grass and malt all tied together with some very fine, light carbonation. It’s actually a very easy beer to drink (quickly) despite the 9% ABV, though I wouldn’t say the beer does anything special. But I find that can be the case for a lot of Belgian-style ales, so maybe I’m biased. But overall a solid beer from a great Colorado brewery.

So there you have it, Drinkers! An evening of pure Salvation. We had an action movie with a passing grade and a solid Belgian-style beer to help us muscle through the dialogue. Not a bad evening by BAAM standards. As usual, thanks for reading and please feel free to suggest any future combos.

And as always keep drinking, my friends!

Tonight’s Tasting Notes:
Terminator Salvation:
–Strong, well-defined visuals
-Sub-par writing & narrative
-Helena Bonham Carter & Common are both in this movie

Avery’s Salvation:
-Lovely golden pour
-Strong notes of Belgian yeast
-Solid brew but nothing extraordinary

 

 

The Lost Abbey’s Judgement Day & Terminator 2: Judgement Day

Hey there, Drinkers!

Today is Judgement Day, which means you should get your drinking in early before the world kablodes. But seriously, today’s BAAM is the Judgement Day combo where we watch Terminator 2: Judgement Day and sip on The Lost Abbey’s Belgian quad Judgement Day. Big beer. Big explosions. Great weekday drinking. Let’s get started, shall we?

I’m going to assume that most of you are reasonably socially adjusted and have seen Terminator 2: Judgement Day, aka the seminal action movie of the 1990’s. The far more popular sequel to The Terminator, T2 (as it is affectionately called) is the pinnacle of 90’s action. There are explosions, computers, guns, a badass mom, more explosions and two different kinds of grenade launchers. Literally this movie has everything. And while the award-winning special effects have not aged well, the action is still as visceral and exciting as it was in its original theatrical release. If you leave your modern perspective behind (a perspective that includes knowledge of Arnold’s political career and a basic understanding of computer science), the movie still holds up fairly well. Looking past the ever-cheesy dialogue (let’s face it, James Cameron has never been known for his writing), the film is pretty damn good and pushes some boundaries. Most obviously, Sarah Connor is a complete baller. She never wears a bra and she kicks total ass while still grappling with the realities of less-than-stellar parenting skills. And while the film still requires the presence of a “male” savior (he is a robot….), Sarah Connor still stands atop the list of cinema’s strongest female heroes (along with Ripley from the Alien franchise).

BAMF

I hate to point out flaws in a classic but I’m going to anyway. Deal with it. Deep in my nerdy core, there are certain questions that gnaw at me. Like why the T-1000 defaults to the cop-look when he could easily just keep changing forms. And where the F@$% did John and Sarah got those explosives?! They certainly didn’t come from their random gun stash on the Mexican border. Or, more fundamentally, why don’t the machines just keep trying to kill Sarah Connor earlier in her life? Why wait until John is born? I’m just unclear as to why they wait so long. Robo-logic problem. But that’s more just me being nit-picky and not a fan of time-travel as a plot device. Overall, Terminator 2 is a bit silly mostly because of it’s age but the action still holds up. The practical and special effects are still impressive and the action is still visceral and exciting. Moreover, the story of a mother and son at odds because of their fate still rings truer than most action films we see today. My opinion? T2 is always worth another viewing.

So much ass waiting to be kicked

And The Lost Abbey’s Judgement Day was a perfect fit for our movie. Not only was the name actually appropriate (unlike most BAAM combos), the beer was a long-lasting drinking companion; perfectly suited to last the two hour movie. Pouring from a bomber, Judgement Day is beautifully black in color with a lovely chocolate head. With a stout’s roasted malt aroma, accented with fruity sweetness (from the raisins with which this beer is brewed), this beer was surprisingly complex despite the brute force of the 10.5% ABV. Though the beer is described  as a Belgian quad brewed with raisins, I’m not sure I got any particular Belgian-y flavor. Though, to be honest, I’m not even sure if a Quad is supposed to retain that classic Belgian flavor. What I can say is that this Quad is a noticeable step up from a Tripel, which are already strong beers. Briefly stated, this beer is not for the feint of heart and is best enjoyed over a LONG period of time. It warms fairly well and the substantial ABV will definitely hit you. It certainly hit me…

So there you have it, drinkers. Judgement Day!  A powerful, action-packed film with a powerful, booze-packed beer. I would definitely recommend either, or both, for repeated viewings and tasting. Moreover, I’d suggest enjoying both of these with a friend or two. Nothing says friendship like beer and explosions! Trust me, you’ll be back…

(sorry, had to)

And as always keep drinking, my friends.

Tonight’s Tasting Notes:
The Lost Abbey’s Judgement Day:
-Rich, black color
-Caramel/chocolate head
-Malty taste with noticeable raisin sweetness

Terminator 2: Judgement Day
-Classic, nearly-non-stop action
-Special effects haven’t aged all that well
-Strong, female lead that still surpasses her contemporaries