‘THANK YOU VERY MUCH, LAGUNITAS!’ (Or, ‘PRODUCT REVIEWS: 2013 CHRISTMAS EDITION - SCROOGE SUCKS’)

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It was in December, probably 1988. I was at work in one of the offices of UCLA’s Parking Department, when two of my best friends there, Lonnie and The Countess, broke out in song. They began singing...

Thank you very much, thank you very much!

That’s the nicest thing that anyone’s ever done for me...

When the singing finally came to an end, I asked them, “Where did you hear that song?” Their mouths hung open for a minute or two and they looked at me as if I had lobsters crawling out of my ears.

And then at once they both shouted (as if I were hard of hearing because of the lobsters)... “SCROOGE!”

And that’s how I first learned there was a 1970 movie musical called ‘SCROOGE’, based on Dickens’ famous ‘A Christmas Carol’. Yes, ‘SCROOGE’ is a musical.

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How good is this movie? Well, ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ and ‘Scrooge’ are both on my Top Ten Favorite Movies list. No, NO, NO! I do not mean ‘Top Ten Favorite Christmas Movies’ list. I mean Top Ten list PERIOD!

In fact, I’m not sure which of those Christmas movies I love most. It pretty much depends upon which one I’m watching at the moment.

The other night Brother Nappy and I watched ‘Scrooge’ again and at the conclusion I asked him, “Which is better, ‘Scrooge’ or ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’?” He answered: “It’s a tie”.

‘SCROOGE’ stars Albert Finney and was filmed in England with an all Great Britain cast. For those who know anything at all about acting, that means the acting is way, Way, WAY better’n what you will find in most American movies!

The direction is fantabulous, the sets are spectacular, the cinematography is delicious, and the music is so addictive it should be considered a controlled substance. For such an old movie, even the special effects are still pretty good.

Two of my all-time favorite quotations come from the movie ‘SCROOGE’:

Mankind should be our business, but we seldom attend to it.

~ Jacob Marley

There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish; the thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember, …time is short, and suddenly you're not there anymore.

~ The Ghost Of Christmas Present

I have only one negative remark to make about ‘SCROOGE’: There is one song in the score sung by Tiny Tim, ‘The Beautiful Day’, that is so high-pitched, so stepped-on-a-cat’s-tail awful that I fast-forward through it every time. In fact, Nappy and I now consider fast-forwarding through Tiny Tim’s song to be a Christmas tradition.

There’s a part in ‘SCROOGE’ where - in anticipation of the second ghost’s appearance, and temporarily feeling bold and brave – Ebenezer yells out, “I’m ready for you!”

Well, last year, just as Tiny Tim’s dreadful song was about to be sung, I raised the DVD gizmo, my finger on the fast-forward button, and I yelled out, “I’m ready for you, Tiny Tim!” Nappy and I both laughed. Yeah, you can make a “Christmas tradition” out of just about anything.

If you’re having trouble finding “The Christmas Spirit” this year, then you needs to watch ‘SCROOGE’.

Below is a scene from the movie when The Ghost Of Christmas Future shows Ebenezer Scrooge a Christmas where everyone is happy. What Scrooge doesn’t realize is that his death has released the people from their monetary debt to him, and so his demise is the cause for all the joy. [Click the URL LINK to see the scene better at YouTube. Then click on back here ‘cause I ain’t done wid ya yet.]

SCROOGE 1970 Version

Song - "Thank You Very Much"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DopWfOB2XX8

If you’re now planning to watch ‘SCROOGE’, you may want “a glass of cheer” to drink with the movie, right?

Some of you may recall the ‘BLIND BEER TASTE TESTS’ that Brother Nappy and I conducted early last year. The final four brews standing were Lagunitas ‘Little Sumpin’ Ale’, Four Peaks ‘Hop Knot’, ‘Odell Red Ale’, and ‘Big Sky I.P.A.’ In Test #17, ‘Little Sumpin’ Ale’ scored 36 points – the most ever – and beat ‘Hop Knot’ by a single point. Just prior to that, ‘Big Sky IPA’ had beaten ‘Odell Red Ale’ 34 to 33.

So Lagunitas ‘Little Sumpin’ Ale’ faced off against ‘Big Sky IPA’ for the championship and the winner was ‘BIG SKY I.P.A.’ (out of Montana) which tied the record for most points ever scored, winning 36 to 33.

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The night before last, Nappy and I conducted another ‘BLIND BEER TASTE TEST’, putting the (seasonal) challenger Lagunitas ‘SUCKS’ up against the champion, ‘BIG SKY IPA’. Ordinarily, I would not allow a challenger to face the champion without first proving itself by beating lesser beers, but ‘SUCKS’ had achieved near “legendary” status after I’d had it so many times at ‘The Main Ingredient’ ale house and café in Phoenix.

Well, the Battle was exactly what one would expect when two big dogs have it out! Both beers scored tons of points (as any great beer would) and this “Battle Of Titans” was one for the record book (literally). ‘Big Sky IPA’ again scored a whopping 36 points in the 2-round ‘Blind Beer Taste Test’. It went like this...

BIG SKY BREWING CO., ‘BIG SKY IPA’

Nappy:

Round 1 = A-. Round 2 = A-

Stephen:

Round 1 = A-. Round 2 = A-

Total =  36 points

LAGUNITAS BREWING CO., ‘Lagunitas SUCKS’

Nappy:

Round 1 = A. Round 2 = A

Stephen:

Round 1 = A. Round 2 = A-

Total = 39 points

Yes, ‘Lagunitas SUCKS’ toppled the champion - the first beer ever to beat ‘Big Sky IPA’ in one of our collective taste testing endeavors. And ‘SUCKS’ also set a new record, an all-time high point total of 39 in the process of besting ‘Big Sky’ by not one, not two, but by three points!

Afterwards, Nappy said, “Well, if ‘Big Sky’ had to lose, I’m glad it was a Lagunitas beer that beat him, because I like Lagunitas Brewing Company”. I felt the same way.

Meet the new champion:

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We intend to give ‘Big Sky IPA’ a rematch against ‘Sucks’ in the not-too-distant future, so stay tuned here.

Also, in the next couple of days I will publish my last blog bit before Christmas – my very favorite version of the great song ‘O HOLY NIGHT’ - so please be watching for that as well.

~ Stephen T. McCarthy

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