Spock's Pickled Brain

Okay people, time for another round-up of movies that I wouldn't say are great art, but they are great. The flavor of the week is classic movie monsters, as they are transcribed into modern movies and settings. The Loonatic already put together a list with this same theme, so bear with me as we go a little Halloween-crazy. 1. Ginger Snaps Honestly, who needs Teen Wolf ? Sure, the 80s take on the wolf-man story is pure, wacky, cocaine-driven camp, and the new series, uh...well, it pretends that lacrosse is a normal American sport. Just kidding, I actually enjoy some parts of the man-pain-powered modern TV series. But if you're looking for a  modern retelling of the classic wolf-man story that retains the emotional tension of one person slowly being driven from gentle humanity to visceral beastliness, I would direct you instead to the glorious Ginger Snaps . It's a classic tale of teenage angst, using the lens of lycanthropy to show the emotional dissonance that teens...

Blood of the Hogfather A good cocktail to sip on Christmas Eve, or Hogswatch, or whatever winter holiday comes to mind. The base of this drink is the juniper, head-clearing flavor of gin. In it swirls the holiday sweetness of lingonberry concentrate, the spice of ginger liqueur, and the underlying herbal depth of Amaro. A little bit of lemon juice counters the sweetness without changing much else. 1.5oz gin 1oz lingonberry or cranberry concentrate 0.5oz ginger liqueur 0.25oz Amaro or other mild herbal liqueur 2 dashes of lemon juice In a cocktail shaker, add ice, gin, lingonberry concentrate, ginger liqueur, and Amaro. Shake for about ten seconds and pour into an old-fashioned glass. Add two dashes of lemon juice, stir twice, and give praise to the Hogfather! Jack Frost Chilly, mischievous and good-natured, this concoction will have you dreaming of cool winter nights. Starbat created this by toying with the Draught of Living Death recipe. It's basically an ice cream flo...

There are plenty of go-to holiday movies out there. Miracle on 34th Street. It's a Wonderful Life . The Grinch Who Stole Christmas . All pluck the heartstrings just right for this time of year, and all safely watchable for pretty much anybody. But if you want a break from the ordinary and want to find some new or newly appreciated favorites for the holiday season, here's a few movies that could fill out your time off.   1. Terry Pratchett's Hogfather We watched this again recently and were pleasantly surprised. This TV miniseries was adapted extremely well from the source material, and includes all the eccentricity and thoughtfulness of the typical Terry Pratchett novel. Which makes sense, since Pratchett was heavily involved in the production. In this we return to the delightful nonsensical Discworld, and begin a perfectly simple tale of the happenings on Christmas Eve and end up questioning the true nature of gods, mortality, time, and belief. Great plot, cheeky c...