Here’s a clip from Monday’s Satellite Media Tour with Seattle Fox TV Channel 13:
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The BIG News
No more teasing. Here it is. Starting tomorrow, February 1st, Beer Wars will be available to rent or buy to anyone in the US and Canada who has a TV or computer (or gaming console). So finally the movie will be widely available to a mainstream audience. Woo hoo!
The cool thing about all this is that it was made possible through distribution deals with Warner Bros. and Netflix. That’s right, these folks who know a thing or two about the film business, have chosen Beer Wars as part of their offering. After the long road it took to get here, this is a happy day indeed not just for me but for all the people who can now get to watch it.
So where will the movie be available?
In the U.S., Beer Wars is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Cox, Cablevision, Charter, Insight, Bresnan, Verizon FiOS, AT & T U-Verse, Dish Network and DirecTV. It is also available for download on iTunes, Amazon Video On Demand, Xbox 360 and PS3.
In Canada, the film is available to rent On Demand through Digital Cable and Satellite providers Rogers Cable, Cogeco, Videotron, Sasktel and Shaw.
The film will also be available through Netflix either through streaming or DVD. And you’ll be able to buy the DVD from Amazon.
If you live outside the US, you can buy the DVD here.
Here’s one of the spots that will be running on select on demand preview channels:
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The Countdown is On
I’ve been working like crazy on getting the film seen by a mainstream audience. I’m happy to say that February 1st is the launch date. Big announcement to come at the end of the week. And then I will spill all!
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Over to you…
When I made the film, I ended up with over 180 hours of footage. The film is only 85 minutes long. So… lots of footage is just sitting there waiting (begging) to be seen. And there’s some FABULOUS stuff, especially the interviews and brewery visits with some of the who’s who in beer.
I’m planning to edit some more videos but I need your help. Who do you want more of? Please give me your top 5.
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Let’s not forget the imports…
You asked for it. Who imports the rest of the better known imported beer brands into the U.S.? Here’s the list:
Constellation Brands
Corona Extra
Corona Light
Modelo Especial
Pacifico
Negra Modelo
St. Pauli Girl Lager, Special Dark
Tsingtao
Heineken USA
Heineken Lager
Amstel Light, a leading imported light beer brand
Heineken Premium Light
Dos Equis
Tecate
Sol
Carta Blanca
Bohemia.
Newcastle Brown Ale
Buckler (non-alcoholic)
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Who Owns What? Part II
The first list included the top selling beers for the Big Two. As promised, here is the brand list for Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors. These come off their websites and include only beer brands sold in the U.S.
In the interest of being thorough, the following are missing from the list:
- Anheuser-Busch has a 50% equity stake in Grupo Modelo (Corona, Modelo, Pacifico)
- Anheuser-Busch is a 49% shareholder in Coastal Brewing Company which in turn owns Old Dominion and Fordham
- The Craft Brewers Alliance (Redhook and Widmer and partially owned by Anheuser-Busch) holds a minority interest in Chicago’s Goose Island Beer Co. and Kona Brewing Co. of Hawaii.
So there you have it. The question to address is, why does this matter? I made a film about it. Why do you care? Read the rest of this entry »
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Who owns what?
I’ve received hundreds of emails and tweets since the film came out asking for a list of the beer brands owned by the 2 big brewers. I’ve been meaning to pull one together and when I received today’s issue of Modern Brewery Age, I decided to go with their partial list (for now). The list includes the top brands sold by Anheuser-Busch InBev and MillerCoors (based on sales for the 4 week period ending 11/1/09 from IRI Data Total US Food, Drug & Convenience). Read the rest of this entry »
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Thanksgiving
It’s been an amazing year. I finished my film. Released it theatrically and on DVD. And just closed the biggest deal yet which will get the movie into the mainstream. Announcement to come soon, I promise.
So much to be grateful for. Especially the supporters who believed in the film from the start (before they even saw it) and stood by it despite the naysayers. A big thanks to (in no particular order):
Read the rest of this entry »
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Sticks and Stones
When you make a film, you steel yourself for reviews. You know intellectually that not everyone will be a fan. Like real life, most documentaries are flawed. Your characters aren’t make believe. There’s no script for them to follow. You can’t just make shit up.
And indeed, as expected there have been 2 kinds of reviews – love and hate. Luckily, for my emotional well-being, the positive reviews run at 75%. I’m happy with that. Especially when they come from film critics whose opinions I respect.
Read the rest of this entry »
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The Latest David and Goliath Saga in the Beer Wars
I just got off the phone with Matt Nadeau of Vermont’s Rock Art Brewery. I’ve been following the story of Matt’s fight to keep the rights to his Vermonster beer. For those of you that don’t know the story, it’s one that is unfortunately becoming all too familiar. Big corporation (in this case, Hansen Beverage Company, makers of Monster energy drink) going after a small entrepreneur (Rock Art) over the right to trademark a name (Vermonster). Read and watch more about this ludicrous story:
Read the rest of this entry »
