“I Want to Believe”… Or Do We? The Gang Takes on Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day

By gophotographer 2 days ago

What happens when Steven Spielberg drops a $115 million alien epic billed as an 80s-throwback sci-fi adventure, but forgets to put actual aliens in it until the final two minutes?

You get an hour of pure, unfiltered, hilarious chaos on the Adult Beverage Film Podcast!

In this episode, hosts Kent Smith, Laura Truman, Patrick G. Keenan, and the newly returned Carlisle “Squeaker” Hamrick sit down to dissect Spielberg’s Disclosure Day. Safe to say: the consensus is as split as an alien dissection procedure.

The Verdict: Masterpiece or “I Shit My Pants at the End”?

The energy gets wild right out of the gate. While host Kent Smith came out of the theater practically begging everyone to go see it—ranking it an 8 out of 10 and praising its quiet nuances—the rest of the panel had… slightly different reactions.

Laura Truman: Summarized her thoughts in one poetic phrase: “Big ‘so what?'” She pointed out that despite all the running, drama, and screaming, there wasn’t a single alien on screen until the last two minutes.
Patrick G. Keenan: Thought the ride was fun, but felt betrayed by the landing. “It’s not a bad movie… it was well executed, I wasn’t bored, but at the end, it felt like I just shit my pants!”
Squeaker: Admitted to being underwhelmed, but defended the core concept. “Maybe it just wasn’t the movie you wanted it to be… it’s about the disclosure, not meeting the aliens.”

The Standout Star: Everyone agreed that Emily Blunt as the weather reporter absolutely carried the movie on her back. “Captivating,” said Laura. “I would have watched a movie that was just about her doing the weather!”
Adult Beverage Film Podcast – Disclosure Day

Episode Review
“I Want to Believe”… Or Do We? Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day

Adult Beverage Film Podcast

🎙️ Kent, Laura, Patrick & Squeaker ⏱️ 1h 10m

What happens when Steven Spielberg drops a $115M alien epic billed as an 80s throwback, but forgets to show actual aliens until the last two minutes? The gang breaks down Disclosure Day in a hilarious, split-panel debate.

🛸 Episode Highlights:
• Laura: “Big ‘so what?’… not an alien until the last two minutes!”
• Patrick: “It’s not a bad movie, but at the end it felt like I just shit my pants!”
• The Consensus: Emily Blunt as the weather reporter completely carried the movie.

Listen on Apple Podcasts 🌐 Visit AdultBeverage.net

Lens Flares, Adam & Eve, and Fake Deer

The gang doesn’t pull any punches when breaking down the film’s production choices:

J.J. Abrams Level Lens Flares: Laura passionately called out the blinding sun flares. “There’s a scene where they are showing the big alien secret on the computer, and all you can see is lens flare! Nobody’s face! Steven, I need my eyes!”
Subliminal Religious Imagery: From nuns on the phone to subtle “Adam and Eve” dynamic setups, Kent and the crew debated whether the movie was trying to make a deep theological statement or just tossing in 12 Apostles for the aesthetic.
CGI Wildlife: Why do sci-fi CGI animals always look like they’re glitching? The crew unanimously agreed the “visiting animals” looked aggressively fake. “We can train a fox! We can train a deer!” groaned the panel.

What Else Are They Watching?

Before wrapping up, the hosts dove into their recent watchlists, giving quick-fire takes on what’s hitting screens right now:

Superman & Masters of the Universe: Pure, unadulterated fun according to Laura and Patrick.
Obsession: The $750k indie horror darling that made $300M+. Patrick and Laura couldn’t stop raving about it, while Kent remained loyal to high-budget blockbusters.
The Back Rooms: Patrick called it “like being locked in an IKEA back room”—fun concept, but lacks the payoff.
Widow’s Bay & The Beast in Me: Laura highly recommends both, calling Widow’s Bay a wild mix of Murder She Wrote meets Evil Dead.

Hit Play & Join the Conversation!

Did Spielberg miss the mark, or was Disclosure Day a misunderstood masterpiece? Grab a cold one, settle in, and listen to the full debate!

👉 Listen to the Episode on Apple Podcasts or head over to adultbeverage.net!

Shimmering Blue Cocktail: The Blinding Lens Flare

By gophotographer 3 days ago

A cocktail that looks impossibly bright, hits you with a punch of citrus and ginger, and finishes with a mysterious, shimmering float that leaves you asking: “Wait… was that an alien, or did I just stare into the sun for two hours?”

📋 Ingredients

2 oz Mezcal or Tequila Blanco (Mezcal gives it that smokey, ‘did a UFO just land in a custom meatpacking plant?’ vibe)
0.75 oz Blue Curaçao (for that iconic J.J. Abrams / Spielberg blue flare glow)
0.75 oz Fresh Lime Juice (crisp acidity to keep you awake through the middle 90 minutes)
0.5 oz Agave Nectar
3 oz Ginger Beer (spicy top-off)
Garnish: A lime wheel, a sprig of mint, and a heavy pinch of edible silver luster dust (so it literally shimmers when light hits your glass)

🛠️ Mixology Instructions (The Protocol)

The Concealment: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the Mezcal (or Tequila), fresh lime juice, and agave nectar. Shake vigorously until ice-cold.
The Base: Strain the mixture over fresh crushed ice into a tall highball glass.
The Fizz: Top off the glass with ginger beer, leaving about an inch at the top.
The Lens Flare Float: Slowly pour the Blue Curaçao over the back of a bar spoon so it layers over the top and bleeds into the golden ginger base.
The Shimmer: Stir in a pinch of edible silver luster dust. Hold it up to the nearest light fixture—if it blinds your eyes like a 1980s Spielberg sunset, you made it right!

Adult Beverage Film Podcast – Disclosure Day

Episode Review

“I Want to Believe”… Or Do We? Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day

Adult Beverage Film Podcast

🎙️ Kent, Laura, Patrick & Squeaker ⏱️ 1h 10m

What happens when Steven Spielberg drops a $115M alien epic billed as an 80s throwback, but forgets to show actual aliens until the last two minutes? The gang breaks down Disclosure Day in a hilarious, split-panel debate.

🛸 Episode Highlights:
• Laura: “Big ‘so what?’… not an alien until the last two minutes!”
• Patrick: “It’s not a bad movie, but at the end it felt like I just shit my pants!”
• The Consensus: Emily Blunt as the weather reporter completely carried the movie.

🍸 Drink of the Day: The Blinding Lens Flare

2 oz Mezcal • 0.75 oz Blue Curaçao • 0.75 oz Fresh Lime • 0.5 oz Agave • 3 oz Ginger Beer • Edible Silver Luster Dust

“Smokey, shimmering blue, and dangerously bright—designed to blind your eyes just like a 1980s Spielberg sunset!”

Listen on Apple Podcasts 🌐 Visit AdultBeverage.net

💬 Tasting Notes & On-Air Toast

“Smokey, citrusy, and dangerously drinkable. It starts out bright blue, turns a mysterious green as you stir it, and leaves you wondering if the government is hiding the recipe. Pairs best with Emily Blunt doing the weather and CGI deer staring at you in the woods.”

The Official Toast: “To 115 million dollars, 2 minutes of screen time, and zero answers. Cheers!”

Drink of the Day

🍸 Drink of the Day: The Tau Ceti Sunset

By gophotographer 3 days ago

Project Hail Mary Drink

An intoxicating blend that starts with the pitch-black void of deep space and settles into a glowing, alien gold. It pays homage to Ryland Grace’s journey across the cosmos, the miraculous bioluminescence of Astrophage, and the warm, musical-chord friendship of Rocky the Eridian.

Adult Beverage Film Podcast – Project Hail Mary

Season 6 • Episode 65

Project Hail Mary: Science, Space, and Spirits with Thomas Manning

Adult Beverage Film Podcast

📅 July 3, 2026 ⏱️ 1h 17m

Grab your lab coats and pour something stiff! Kent Smith, Laura Truman, and Patrick G. Keenan blast off into deep space to dissect Phil Lord & Christopher Miller’s cinematic adaptation of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary.

🎬 Featured Guest: Thomas Manning (Film Critic, CCA Member, NPR/WNCW, & Former 1st AD) drops by to break down practical set design, spatial mechanics, and how Ryan Gosling handles Ryland Grace’s memory-recovering race to save Earth.

🍸 Drink of the Day: The Tau Ceti Sunset

2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin • 0.75 oz Fresh Lemon • 0.75 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup • 2 oz Club Soda • Edible Gold Luster Dust

“Pours deep-space purple and shifts to radiant magenta at first contact with acid. A spicy ginger kick for high-gravity survival!”

Listen on Apple Podcasts 🌐 Visit AdultBeverage.net

                    . . . . .
                  .           .
                .   [ TAURI ]   .
               .   TAU CETI      .
              .     SUNSET        .
               .                 .
                .               .
                 .             .
                  ' . . . . . '
                       | |
                       | |
                      /   \
                     '-----'

📋 Ingredients

2 oz Empress 1908 Indigo Gin (or any pea-flower infused gin for that cosmic, deep-space purple)
0.75 oz Fresh Lemon Juice (the catalytic agent—adds bright acidity)
0.75 oz Honey-Ginger Syrup (warm, earthy, and sweet; a nod to Rocky’s organic xenonite home and high-gravity warmth)
2 oz Club Soda or Tonic Water (chilled space fizz)
Garnish: Edible gold glitter/luster dust & a dehydrated lemon wheel pinned with a rosemary sprig

🛠️ Mixology Instructions (The Science)

The Core Fuel: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, combine the honey-ginger syrup and fresh lemon juice.
First Contact: Shake vigorously for 15 seconds until chilled.
Primary Hull: Strain the lemon-ginger mix over fresh ice into a highball or Collins glass. Top off with the club soda.
The Astrophage Reaction: Slowly float the Empress Indigo Gin over the top using the back of a bar spoon. Watch as the acid in the lemon juice turns the deep space indigo into a glowing, radiant magenta/violet gradient at the interface!
The Rocky Sparkle: Stir in a tiny pinch of edible gold luster dust—when the light hits the glass, it creates a swirling solar flare effect inside the cocktail.
Final Trim: Garnish with a dehydrated lemon wheel and a sprig of rosemary (resembling a tiny communication array).

💬 Tasting Notes & On-Air Toast

“A crisp, citrus-forward gin fizz with a fiery ginger kick that warms you up faster than a pair of kamet engines. As the colors shift in your glass, remember: survival takes science, friendship takes patience, and deep space requires a damn good cocktail.”

The Official Toast: “Aaaaaand science! Fist bump.” 🎵🪨🚀

Adult Beverage

Project Hail Mary

By gophotographer 3 days ago

Science, Space, and Spirits: Why You Need to Listen to Project Hail Mary on the Adult Beverage Film Podcast

What happens when you lock a former middle-school science teacher turned reluctant savior of humanity in a solitary spacecraft with an alien engineer made of stone, a world-eating pathogen, and zero memory of how he got there?

If you ask Andy Weir, you get the bestselling blockbuster novel Project Hail Mary. If you ask directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, you get a sprawling $200 million cinematic epic starring Ryan Gosling. But if you ask the crew at the Adult Beverage Film Podcast, you get an hour-and-a-quarter of hilarious, high-gravity film analysis, barroom banter, and sharp technical insights—served straight up with a stiff drink.

In Episode 65: “Project Hail Mary: Science, Space, and Spirits,” hosts Kent Smith, Laura Truman, and Patrick G. Keenan invite film critic and festival director Thomas Manning into the studio to break down whether Hollywood managed to capture the lightning-in-a-bottle magic of the book or lost its way in the Eridian atmosphere.

Adult Beverage Film Podcast – Project Hail Mary

Season 6 • Episode 65

Project Hail Mary: Science, Space, and Spirits with Thomas Manning

Adult Beverage Film Podcast

📅 July 3, 2026 ⏱️ 1h 17m

Grab your lab coats and pour something stiff! Kent Smith, Laura Truman, and Patrick G. Keenan blast off into deep space to dissect the cinematic adaptation of Andy Weir’s Project Hail Mary.

🎙️ Special Guest: Thomas Manning (Film Critic, CCA Member, NPR/WNCW, & Former 1st AD) brings expert insight into practical VFX, interstellar bromances, and sets vs. scale.

Together, the crew explores Ryland Grace’s memory recovery, Rocky the Eridian alien, and what survival drink best pairs with deep-space extinction threats.

Listen on Apple Podcasts 🌐 Visit AdultBeverage.net

The Guest: Critic Meets Set Veteran

Bringing a film critic onto a podcast is standard fare—unless that critic happens to be Thomas Manning. A card-carrying member of the Critics Choice Association, a regular contributor on NPR’s WNCW, and a seasoned film festival director, Manning brings serious critical chops to the table.

But what makes this conversation dynamic is Manning’s background as a former 1st Assistant Director (The Dancin’ Bulldogs). When you pair a critic who understands set mechanics, scheduling nightmares, and spatial framing with a panel of veteran filmmakers and actors, the conversation bypasses generic “thumb-up/thumb-down” reviews.

Instead, the gang digs deep into the nuts and bolts:

The Scale vs. Mechanics: How do you make a movie that takes place almost entirely inside a claustrophobic spaceship feel massively cinematic without losing the intimacy of Ryland Grace’s isolation?
Practical vs. Digital VFX: What it actually took to construct the practical, full-scale Hail Mary set and bring an alien made of xenonite and chords of musical chords to life without looking absurd.

The Flight Plan: Amnesia, Astrophage, and Interstellar Bromance

If you’ve read the book or seen the film, you know Project Hail Mary hinges on two key narrative pillars: the terrifying scientific threat of Astrophage (sun-dimming space microbes causing an imminent extinction-level ice age on Earth) and the heartfelt, unlikely partnership between Dr. Ryland Grace and Rocky, the five-legged Eridian alien.

In this episode, the hosts and Manning tackle the adaptation’s biggest gambits:

The Memory Puzzle: Solving humanity’s extinction is hard enough; doing it while recovering from severe space-grade amnesia is worse. The episode unpacks how screen-writer Drew Goddard translated Grace’s frantic internal monologue and scientific trial-and-error into visual storytelling that keeps audiences hooked.
The Greatest Bromance in the Galaxy: Translating Rocky—a creature who speaks purely in musical chords, sees through sound, and communicates via a custom-built translation vocabulary—could have derailed the entire movie. The crew dives into the sound design, the jazz-speak, and whether that legendary fist-bump hits as hard on screen as it did on the page.

Survival Drinks: What Are You Sipping in Deep Space?

No episode of the Adult Beverage Film Podcast is complete without answering the most vital question in cinema: What adult beverage pairs best with trying to save humanity while suffering light-year hangover symptoms?

Whether you need a high-proof elixir to steel your nerves against solar dimming or a smooth cocktail to celebrate first contact in the Tau Ceti system, the crew serves up custom concoctions tailored to deep-space survival.

Why You Need to Hit Play Today

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Andy Weir’s hard sci-fi, a cinephile obsessed with how big-budget blockbusters get made, or just someone who loves hearing passionate film nerds argue over drinks, this episode is a masterclass in movie commentary. It’s part film school, part comedy routine, and 100% entertaining.

So grab your lab coat, pour yourself something cold, and join Kent, Laura, Patrick, and Thomas for an out-of-this-world deep dive.

👉 Listen to Episode 65 of the Adult Beverage Film Podcast on Apple Podcasts or visit adultbeverage.net to stream!

Drink of the Day

Exploring The Big Lebowski: A Stoner-Noir Masterpiece

By gophotographer 2 months ago

“Careful, man, there’s a beverage here!”

This week, the resident crew—Kent, Patrick, and Laura—don their finest bathrobes, pour a few heavy-handed White Russians, and dive into the Coen Brothers’ 1998 stoner-noir masterpiece, The Big Lebowski. We unpack the immaculate cinematography of Roger Deakins, debate the absolute brilliance of John Goodman’s Walter Sobchak, and try to figure out if the Dude is a modern philosopher or just incredibly lazy. Grab a drink and join us on the lanes!

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🍹

Episode 64

The Big Lebowski

Adult Beverage Film Podcast

Listen on Apple Podcasts

🍹 Drink of the Episode: The Traditional White Russian

An elegant beverage for a less civilized age. The Dude’s signature drink, mixed just the way he likes it (minus the powdered creamer).

1 ½ oz. Vodka
½ oz. Kahlúa
A Dash of Heavy Cream
Instructions: Shake with ice in a mixing cup, strain into an old-fashioned glass over fresh ice, and let it tie your afternoon together.

There are few films in the American cinematic canon that can survive a disastrous box-office opening, completely baffle casual moviegoers, and somehow go on to spawn a literal, legally recognized religion.

But then again, The Big Lebowski isn’t just any movie. It is a finely tuned, brilliantly convoluted, bowling-alley noir masterpiece.

On this week’s episode of the Adult Beverage Film Podcast, the crew—Kent, Patrick, and Laura—decided to pay homage to the Coen Brothers’ 1998 cult classic the only way they knew how: by breaking out the heavy cream, pouring some dangerously over-proofed White Russians, and diving headfirst into the lanes.

If you’ve ever wondered how a movie about a stolen rug and a case of mistaken identity became a timeless piece of pop-culture folklore, grab a beverage and pull up a chair.

A Flop That Became a Phenomenon

As the crew notes early in the episode, The Big Lebowski was not an immediate darling. Coming off the massive, critically acclaimed success of Fargo, audiences and executives didn’t quite know what to make of Jeff Bridges wandering through a Los Angeles Ralphs in a faded bathrobe looking for half-and-half.

“It’s a movie that demands a second viewing,” Patrick points out during the episode’s opening round. “The first time you watch it, you’re trying to follow a kidnapping plot that doesn’t actually matter. The second time, you realize the plot is just an excuse to hang out with these incredibly weird, beautifully written characters.”

The team tracks the fascinating evolution of the film’s cult status—from midnight screenings and fan-led “Lebowski Fests” to its status today as a masterclass in screenwriting.

The Genius in the Details: From Deakins to Goodman

While the podcast is known for its laid-back, drink-in-hand energy, the trio couldn’t help but pull back the curtain on the filmmaking craft that elevates Lebowski above standard stoner comedies.

Kent leads a deep dive into the legendary cinematography of Roger Deakins, highlighting the iconic point-of-view shots from inside a rolling bowling ball and the grand, Busby Berkeley-esque scale of the Dude’s dream sequences.

But you can’t talk about The Big Lebowski without talking about Walter Sobchak.

“John Goodman is the absolute anchor of the chaos,” says Kent during the character breakdown. The crew explores how Goodman takes a character who should be entirely unlikable—a screaming, boundary-defying, aggressively intense Vietnam vet—and turns him into one of the most quotable, strangely loyal friends in cinema history.

Meanwhile, Laura steps into her recurring role as the podcast’s necessary voice of reason, keeping the guys’ tangents on the tracks as they debate the exact cultural impact of Julianne Moore’s avant-garde Maude Lebowski and John Turturro’s unforgettable, purple-clad Jesus Quintana.

“Careful, Man, There’s a Beverage Here!”

Of course, it wouldn’t be an Adult Beverage Film Podcast without a bit of tactical chaos. By the time the episode hits the hour mark, the White Russians are doing their job, leading to a hilarious debate over the film’s notorious edited-for-television dubs (specifically, what exactly happens when you “find a stranger in the Alps”).

Ultimately, the crew delivers their final verdict on the film’s legacy. Is Jeffrey “The Dude” Lebowski a modern-day philosopher saint to be emulated, or just an incredibly lazy guy who got swept up in a comedy of errors?

The consensus? It’s a perfect strike.

Featured Posts: Movie Reviews and Podcast

The Verdict: Masterpiece or “I Shit My Pants at the End”?

“I Want to Believe”… Or Do We? Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day

Lens Flares, Adam & Eve, and Fake Deer

What Else Are They Watching?

Hit Play & Join the Conversation!

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📋 Ingredients

🛠️ Mixology Instructions (The Protocol)

“I Want to Believe”… Or Do We? Steven Spielberg’s Disclosure Day

💬 Tasting Notes & On-Air Toast

Share this:

Like this:

Project Hail Mary: Science, Space, and Spirits with Thomas Manning

📋 Ingredients

🛠️ Mixology Instructions (The Science)

💬 Tasting Notes & On-Air Toast

Share this:

Like this:

Science, Space, and Spirits: Why You Need to Listen to Project Hail Mary on the Adult Beverage Film Podcast

Project Hail Mary: Science, Space, and Spirits with Thomas Manning

The Guest: Critic Meets Set Veteran

The Flight Plan: Amnesia, Astrophage, and Interstellar Bromance

Survival Drinks: What Are You Sipping in Deep Space?

Why You Need to Hit Play Today

Share this:

Like this:

The Big Lebowski

🍹 Drink of the Episode: The Traditional White Russian

A Flop That Became a Phenomenon

The Genius in the Details: From Deakins to Goodman

“Careful, Man, There’s a Beverage Here!”

Share this:

Like this: