Spent the majority of Valentine’s Day as I do all Saturday’s - at my grandma’s house with family. I had nothing better to do later that evening so I decided to treat myself out to a movie on this “special” day. I’ve been to the movies by myself with no problem before but I admit it was a little awkward given that it was Valentine’s Day and there were couples everywhere. I decided to check out the much-hyped The Wrestler to get acquainted with more of the films nominated for the upcoming Oscars. This movie has been getting plenty of hype from critics praising the performances of Mickey Rourke and Marisa Tomei and it is well-deserved. I think their performances are what really elevate this movie. The story is about a washed-up wrestler who has become a lovable loser since he left the top of the wrestling world and follows his attempt to get back to the top and get his life together. As you see obstacle after obstacle keep him from doing so, you really start to feel for him. However, you can also see that the type of lifestyle he lives is so ingrained in him that he can’t change no matter how much he wants, the ring is his life. By the end of the movie you see the contrasting way in which things in the ring are so much better for him than in the real world and no amount of work will elevate him to the status he maintains in the ring. I’d say this is a great film but I would still rank it behind Slumdog Millionaire in terms of award-worthy. You should still check it out if you’re looking to catch up on your movies for Oscar night. Oh, the excessive Marisa Tomei nudity is a huge bonus! I’ve had a thing for her since My Cousin Vinny and didn’t expect to see this much boobage from her.
Went home and decided to end the night with a beer I’ve had sitting in my fridge for awhile and thought today would be as good a day as any to enjoy it. Life is but a flash in the pan so enjoy things while you can right? Arrogant Bastard is probably my favorite beer and when I spotted this oaked variant at Buddy’s I immediately snatched it up. I poured myself a glass of Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale and boy am I glad I did. Coincidentally I poured it into a glass I received as a Valentine’s Day gift a couple years prior. I enjoy a bit of sweet irony with my beer. The color was a dark brown, caramel shade and produced a nice big fluffy head. Just the look of it is intimidating and the smell did nothing to change that either so I’m sure the taste won’t disappoint. A whiff gave me a wonderful blend of oily hops and high-quality malt. The beautiful thing is that there is also a woody mahogany smell that follows along with the obligatory alcohol kick for a beer of this level. A heavenly smelling brew indeed! First sip is packed with a complex mix of flavors. I’m going to have to take a few more sips to pick out all the subtleties in there but this is definitely all Arrogant Bastard. First thing that hit me is the nice hop bite that leaves a bitter grapefruit flavor followed by the rich caramel malt that perfectly compliments it. After the swallow, I was able to pickup the “oaked” flavor in the namesake and of course the alcohol kick that immediately made this a top notch brew. The mouthfeel is thick and soft. There is just the right amount of carbonation present making it a very drinkable beer but I wouldn’t want to be making this a session brew because a couple of these will really mess you up as Tim learned the hard way. The beer also leaves some of the best lacing on the glass that I have seen in any beer and I later regretted not snapping a pic of that. This is the type of beer you want to be drinking on a special occasion and is a great way to start a night. You will want to take it easy on this and not rush anything because this beer can easily in a mataleon. I think it has more kick than the regular Arrogant Bastard which is saying a lot. As my glass started to look more and more empty, I picked up more of a woody flavor in the beer which was a nice compliment to the brew. This beer is definitely not for the faint of heart and only the bravest tongue should try taking this one on because the level of flavor present is astounding! Highly recommended cerveza.
