La strana voglia

I have to take exception to imdb user "dwpoller" who touts this movie as being "one of the most un-funny 1 1/2 hour stretches" of a movie. Having never seen the SCTV skit until after the movie's release, I found myself rolling on the floor at the Canadian stereotypes from hell, known simply as the MacKenzie Brothers. Being 1/2 Canadian myself, I never once felt offended by the somewhat negative stereotypes. (i.e. ice hockey watching, doughnut slamming, beer swilling half wits.) But rather, I was able to laugh at myself and my other Canadian bretheren through this VERY FUNNY movie.

OK, ok. So it didn't win any major awards, nor should it have. "Strange Brew" is not that kind of movie. You have to know going in that this is not Academy award winning materiel. Oh, and guys, don't bring the wives in to watch this either, they won't get it. (For the same reason they don't get the Three Stooges) You just can't explain why it's so funny, it just is.

3 1/2 stars out of 5.

I don't see how anyone can dislike this movie. It is laugh out loud fun from beginning to end and there is not a single scene that is not hilarious. This team sure shows what a positive affect alcohol has on Canadian comedians. I would have to say this is the best movie ever made and I give it an A++ for effort, hilarity, and genius, eh. The reason it is so great is that it is incomparable to any other movie of its comedy genre. It is a journey into the world of two brothers who have never been apart, and their adventures. While trying to get beer for their father, they stumble upon Elsinore Brewery, and get jobs checking for rodents in the bottles. While there, they discover some strange things are happening at the brewery. It is a must see for all ages.

This is one of those classic comedies that everyone has to love. Right? Well, not everyone loves this movie, but I do. I have three roommates, two of which had never even heard of, let alone seen, Strange Brew. About a month ago I popped it in for them, thinking they would think it was a stupid movie. They loved it, they said it was maybe the funniest movie they'd ever seen. Although, I disagree with that, I must certainly say it is funny.

The plot of the movie is stupid...an evil brewmaster plans on taking over the world by putting something in the beer that will allow him to control those who drink it. It's up to Bob & Doug and friends to stop him. If the movie had a better plot and more funny characters other than Bob & Doug, it would've been an easy 10 out of 10. However, I had no reason to like any of the other characters or the plot. I was just left yearning for Bob & Doug to be back on the screen whenever they were off.

Like so much comedy, their comedy is stupid yet brilliant at the same time. Just the little things they do and say are hilarious. "Give 'em a jelly, he likes jelly. Hey, jelly donut comin'." "In case she sues for whiplash, I don't know you I'm just a hitchiker." 8 outta 10

I love this movie so much, I even have a poster of it hanging on my door, eh! I first viewed it in my eighth grade geometry class (where we never did anything but watch movies--this class also introduced me to classics such as "Back to the Future" and "Little Shop of Horrors").

This is from the peak of the so-stupid-it's-funny era of comedy (which is starting to become popular again, only this time around it's just not funny), and it may very well be the best of them all, even better than "Airplane!". It's one of those beautiful comedies where all the jokes are incredibly stupid and incredibly smart at the same time. The courtroom scene and the "death" scene rate as two of the funniest moments in comedy history, in my opinion.

Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas have perfect chemistry together, too. The stupid bickering between Bob and Doug is hilarious (I love it when they have to go in separate directions for the first time in their life). If you haven't seen this, I cannot recommend it enough.

9/10 stars. Now take off, eh!

Being a former Canadian national, people ask me, "Have you seen this movie?" The answer is, "You bet!" Fact is, I've got this movie almost memorized.

There have been so many "dumb-guy" movies out there, from "Night At The Roxbury" to "Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back", but none live up to the true campiness of "Strange Brew". It features stupid people, but the movie doesn't become stupid. It set the mold for those movies. Plus, it satirizes filmmaking itself. Very few movies are able to do that without going into the "anything for a laugh" style of the Mel Brooks films or "National Lampoon's 'Loaded Weapon 1'". With satirical films, it's either feast or famine. "Strange Brew" finds a nice balance. Can you imagine? Shakespearian drama in a dumb-guy movie? A bold maneuver that obviously paid off.

Max von Sydow must have either needed employment, or wanted to do a comedy. Paul Dooley gets to break out of his typecasting of playing intelligent, father-figure roles by playing a complete dunderhead for once. Once again, bold ploys that paid off. I wish I could have seen Lynne Griffin headline other movies. She's good. I know she guested in other venues, but I can't seem to find them on video.

Interestingly enough, I happened to see "Strange Brew" action figures in a semi-recent trip to the toy store(August 2001). The twenty-year anniversary won't occur for two more years, and yet, here they are. They're NOT action figures. Bob and Doug are frozen in the seated position, and the only things you can bend on them are their elbows. Instead of the Kung Fu grip, it's more like the Elsinore grip. I'm surprised you can separate them from their couch.

All in all, this is one of those movies where you can sit back and be entertained without having to turn your brain off.