I chose this unique way for launching the film because I wanted to start a conversation. And it starts as soon as the film ends. I invited 6 people who appear in the film to sit on the panel and to be inclusive, 2 who are not.
Let’s start with the 2 you won’t see. I wanted the new heads of MillerCoors and Anheuser-Busch Inbev to provide their perspective. Tom Long from Miller Coors passed because he had a “conflict” while Dave’s Peacock’s “handlers” told me they’d get back to me. Tick tock.
Here’s what to expect from the panel. Sam Calagione and Rhonda Kallman will bring you up to date on their stories. And after watching the film, you’ll be glad they’re there to fill you in.
Greg Koch, Charlie Papazian, Maureen Ogle and Todd Alstrom will provide their unique perspectives on where we’ve been and where we’re going. Having spent time with all of them while making the film, I don’t think there’s a shrinking violet in the bunch. I have a feeling that 30 minutes may not be enough to contain these personalities.
Also remember that none of them have seen the film so their reactions will be raw. And since I’ll be on the panel with them, let’s hope no shoes are hurled at me or at each other. That’s the cool thing about a LIVE show. Anything can happen.
Tags: Charlie Papazian, event, Greg Koch, Maureen Ogle, Rhonda Kallman, Sam Calagione, Todd Alstrom
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I am as interested in the panel discussion as I am in the movie itself. Thanks for including it Anat!
I would like to know WHY Beer Wars is not being shown in Madison or at Fitchburg’s IMAX theater in SE Wisconsin. It’s not even in Milwaukee: Miller City? Pabst Theater (haha)? Instead you chose to show it at a couple difficult-to-reach-on-a-work-day locations… Away from the smartest location to show Beer Wars at: Madison.
Why is that? Cheaper to do it that way? I think that undermines the purpose of a documentary, especially this one, isn’t it?
Madison is a college party city and let’s not forget it has the only Sundance Cinema in the United States. I just don’t get it. Can someone involved with the theater release of this movie explain why it’s not playing in Madison?
as if your film wasn’t enough Anat, we also get enjoy this as well. Glad i got my tickets when i did, also i have a friend that works at the theatre showing the film down here, and they said it’s going to be a packed house.
You wanted to start a conversation? Well, its too bad that you invited irresponsible and irrational attention whore Ben Stein to be the moderator. The guy has said that Darwinism is tantamount to Nazism and that Hitler would have approved of Obama rallies. I’m sorry that your amazingly poor judgment makes it impossible for me to support your venture.
I am a beer enthusiast and homebrewer from San Diego, CA. I just purchased several tickets for my friends and I. We are all REALLY looking forward to your film. I’m sure it will be great, so thanks in advance! DRINK BETTER BEER!!!
I have to second what Scott Zimmerle said above. You couldn’t find a reputable spokesperson? Ben Stein has “come out of the closet” as it were in these past few years as an enemy of science and freedom of thought. Your project is tainted by association, and I REALLY feel bad about that. As a homebrewer and and beer lover, science and freedom are important to me, “D-List” stars be dammned!
We can only show the film at theaters that have the ability to receive the satellite signal AND that are part of the NCM Fathom theater exhibitors.
Sorry it’s not showing in Madison on Thursday.
As to Ben Stein, sorry you feel that way. Please see my previous post.
I have been unable to capitalize on this event. I would have purchased pre-movie advertising to promote my local homebrew supply shop and our upcoming Big Brew Day in May. While I’m sure there will be pleas to support local breweries in the panel discussion please don’t forget to suggest viewers try homebrewing, find a local shop, and go see firsthand how great beer can be made at home at one of hundreds of sites for Big Brew 2009 !
Our local Homebrew Club will be attending in Wichita Falls, Texas
Ask for Homebrewers to raise their hands!
Ken Thornton
Wichita Homebrew Supply
Hey,
I live in Belgium and have friends who worked for AB-Inbev. It’s true that Inbev has become a corporate behemoth with more commercial interests than love for beer.
But they haven’t been able to destroy Belgium’s enormously rich beer culture, and they will never be. I think a lot has to do with people supporting their local beers, and enthousiasm rather than commercial motives. Therefore your movie is a very good idea!
Beers suffering the most are those that are stuck in the middle between large-scale beers, like Stella Artois, and niche beers like the Trappist beers (Westmalle, Rochefort, Orval, Westvleteren, Chimay). The Koninck brewery from Antwerp is one example. It would be a shame if these would disappear, but I don’t think anyone will let it go.
I wish the movie was available in Belgium too, as it looks quite interesting. On the other hand, I don’t think Americans need to worry too much. The survival of their micro-breweries is in their own hands.
Best regards,
Wouter
Any way we can ask questions after seeing the movie? Have smartphone, will Twitter/email/whatever to get the question to you.
I make beer on occasion and I went to a beer tasting yesterday
At the last minute, I cannot make the movie and I’m really disappointed. I hope you’re recording the live discussion so that I can watch it and the movie at a later date!
Will you please keep us posted on Rhonda’s progress with finding funding? We wish her the best.
Wow I was really excited to see this movie, which is why I think I am so let down. The movie has very little focus and misses the mark. Why would you even put Rhonda in that movie? She represents everything that is wrong with beer in America. She is not is the beer business. She is in the beer label business. For thousands of year women brewed beer and created the industry. She is the best you could come up with?
I feel bad for all of the brewers that were in your movie. They wasted their time giving you interviews so you could place them next to Rhonda. I am sure you could have made a good movie with all of the interviews you did, but instead you made this.
Is there anyway you can send me my $15 back? I promise to spend it on r
Is there anyway you can send me my $15 back? I promise to spend it on real beer, not Moon Shot!
I agree with the previous reply about Rhonda, this woman was nothing but a whore to the big beer industry or anyone for that matter that would buy her caffeine beer. This lady couldn’t sell her soul to the devil let alone her “beer” and she tried, over and over again, he just looked her in the face and laughed. I became more a fan of Sam Adams and JimK when he refused to back her. Cry me a river bitch and give up, no one bought your sob story (or your “beer”) you are a disgrace to the beer industry and single handedly made this film annoying and frustrating to watch. Was there any reason so much time was dedicated to her? I have this gut feeling she backed a good portion of the films cost and this was nothing but a marketing ploy for her to push her crap.
Take out Rhonda and the film over-all was decent, not 15$ worth, not even close but still somewhat entertaining and educational.
While I didn’t mind Rhonda as much, I agree that WAY too much time was dedicated to her. It’s important to see the struggle that small brands face, but I think you could have found a better example.
This was a more political add-on to “American Beer.” If people are interested in craft brew and the people who make them, I would recommend that movie. If you want to see how a few of those fight against the Big 3 and the 3-Tier system, then “Beer Wars” is where to find it.
Great Movie, congrats Anat!
Where do we go from here? How do we level the playing field so competition, from any venue, is truely encouraged and rewarded? In this market, I believe there’s room for everyone. This is the seed for hopefully a movement to eliminate the unfair practices plaguing the industry (actually not only this one). But our dollars are strong and highly coveted – vote with your wallet.
BTW, lost even more respect for Beer Advocate and Todd! It’s a voice but it does not represent the craft brew movement.
Anat, just wanted to let you know that I enjoyed the film event last night. Congratulations on getting this story out. I always knew, in the back of my mind, that craft brewers had significant obstacles preventing them from reaching their full potential, but this was eye-opening in some respects, especially the parts about how the big 3, really the big 1, have a grip on critical pieces of the industry like grocery store displays and distributors. What a crime; the 3-tier system runs against the values of the free market system.
Drove 40 miles to Kenosha WI to see the film and the theater was unble to get their equipment working. Worse yet I couldn’t even get a refund. They gave me a gift card even though I told them I wasn’t going to drive 40 miles to see a regular movie. I have a serious question to the producers of the movie. I am part of a homebrew club in Milwaukee WI with about 175 members who I’m sure would love to see this. Is there any way to get a copy to to show at a club meeting or a way for our members to purchase a copy. THanks
Anat,
Took in your event last evening and I am sorry to say that you lost me during the trivia/Did You Know segment. Your 3-year body of is questionable when one of your Did You Know’s stated that when yeast cells consume sugar they convert it to alcohol and WATER.
In Beer 101, I leared that it actually converts the sugar into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas.
Also, Jim Koch is not Willie Wonka.
Henry Herbst
I liked the movie and thought it was a very interesting perspective on the battle waged between the mega-brewers (mostly A-B) and the craft beer segment, particularly over shelf space and distribution. That was the point of the movie, not glorifying the craft beer movement.
I find it fascinating that everyone has such a big problem with the amount of time spent on Rhonda, but nobody has a problem with the amount of time spent on Sam. I know Sam Calagione is so cool and such a rebel and all, but doesn’t enough smoke get blown up this guy’s ass already? Is Dogfish Head really the most compelling craft brewing story out there or is it just that Sam is the hippest character out there? Of the 1400 craft breweries out there, Dogfish is probably the biggest outlier of them all. They may not be the biggest craft brewery out there, but they are certainly the most hyped, the most exclusive, and the most expensive. Dogfish is certainly not a representative sample of the 1400 out there. There are a lot of small 4000bbl or so craft breweries out there fighting to get distribution and shelf space outside of their immediate area. I’d have appreaciated some focus on one of those, rather than on a 75,000bbl a year brewery with distribution in more than half of the states in the union and a price point that is double the average micro. Enough of St. Sam already. We get it.
Hey Anat! First and foremost, excellent job on the film! It was incredibly informative and interesting. As a sales rep for a beer distributor in PA (we pride ourselves in our craft selection, currently 350+) it gave me a lot of insight on what goes on behind the scenes and the complexity of the legislation. I hope a lot of people get exposed to the doc and begin, as Sam said, to vote with their wallets and reject boring, bland, mass-marketed beers. In the end I think taste will prevail and as your film showed, with some creativity and skill, and a bit of luck, David can go up against Goliath. And win.
Thanks again for your hard work. It definitely shows.
Best Regards,
Tim Conheeney
FYI to my earlier post. The cooperate headquarters emailed me back and said they are going to refund my ticket price. I always like to make sure I say good things about a company that fixes their mistakes.
I simply cannot get over the irony of using a contrived product that is based purely on marketing (Moonshot), in order to highlight the struggles of the craft beer industry against (largely) contrived products that are based purely on marketing (BMC)!! Astonishing! I can barely think of a more unfortunate (or worse) vehicle to highlight the craft industry struggle against the big boys – VERY, VERY odd.
Just wanted to add that I worked until 8:00 the night of the screening (technically 10 after). Luckily I had purchased my ticket in advance and rode my bike in 15mph headwinds 3 miles directly from work to see this. I missed about the first 1/2 hour but wasn’t disappointed the least. Afterward I was salivating for some true brew and went to my local taproom for a delicious Bear Republic Racer X (mmmm, bitter) and a Cantillon Bruocsella 1900 Grand Cru (mmmm sour). Slainte!
Thanks again!
Tim Conheeney
PS – I think everyone focusing on Rhonda and Big Shot are missing the point of the doc.
Tim writes; “PS – I think everyone focusing on Rhonda and Big Shot (sic) are missing the point of the doc.”
Well, maybe but it’s such a huge irony/issue that the film maker has caused that particular distraction themselves.
I’m not focusing completely on Rhonda, it just didn’t belong in the film and she got way to much screen time, I think it took away from the over-all message of the film.
Just so I don’t seem like a complete basher of this film, I did think Anat did a excellent job at attempting to expose the big 3 and the 3 tier system. I found that part of the film very enlightening and I could see this as the beginning of a grassroots effort to take down the system. I also enjoyed seeing Dogfish head and the few other small brewers and I wish there was more of that.
I still stand by my point that Rhonda didn’t belong in this film and there’s thousands of other brewers that have had it much tougher then her and actually make a product that taste good and that they’ve dumped their hearts and souls into. Why waste so much time on her?!
I agree with both Tim and BA. Getting so worked up about Rhonda trying to build a brand and not a brewery does kind of miss the point of the movie. However, a little effort towards understanding the passionate geekery that would largely be supporting the movie would have revealed that she might not have been the best example to illustrate the point.
I enjoyed the movie but was completely turned off by Ben Stein. Did no one prep him before the interviews? Could he not find a lozenge? He seemed completely unknowledgable about the subject and interviewees. If the “live” segment was what made this a $15 movie then it wasn’t worth it.
Agreed, I am no basher, I am just let down. The only reason I am complaining is because this was really close to being a great documentary. It was full of great information and you clearly interviewed some great people. But the fact that you took the time to interview folks like Chris O’Brien then give them 20 seconds on screen to make room for Rhonda is questionable.
I don’t even mind her being in the film, she is part of the beer industry. She doesn’t make it or understand it, but she is in it. My issue is the way she is portrayed in the film and the amount of time she is given to peddle her worthless product. For me this is where the Doc loses focus and credibility. It comes off like product placement, instead of juxtaposition. She would have been a great way to make a point in the Doc, but instead we are meant to sympathize with her.
Anat, you were really close, but you missed the mark, and oddly enough the point.
I think this still has a chance to be a great Doc. Just go back in and re-edit the thing. Somewhere there is an editing room floor with Rhonda’s name on it.
To Stout and Morgan – more time was spent on Sam than on Rhonda in this movie. Would it have been OK if Rhonda’s time was divided up between Chris O’Brien, Garrett Oliver, Carol Stoudt, Greg Koch, and all of the other passionate and captivating brewers out there who only got a few seconds in the movie, and we still spent half of it talking about Sam? I’m really amazed that everyone thinks Rhonda should have been cut out, but nobody has a problem with all of the attention paid to Sam. Doesn’t that guy get enough attention already, even outside of this movie? Is his story that much better or more important than anyone else’s?
No I agree with that as well. I love Sam and his beer. I’ve read his books and heard him speak. He story is great, but there are many others… even those that were in this movie. He could be cut down as well, agreed. Make some room for Stone, Oscar Blues, etc. But from all the press releases it seems Anat wanted to focus on two stories, I am just question why Rhonda was number two.
Perhaps through no fault of this own (or maybe by design), Sam is definitely in danger over becoming over-exposed (if that is possible for a company with such a small share of the overall market).
Put me down as one of the people who wondered why Rhonda had any part in this movie at all. Her “never before thought of idea” came from 13+ year old Drew Carey Show episodes and she was clearly a marketeer who just happened to be trying to market a beer-like beverage. Her struggles in the beer wars were with trying to sell a crappy product to a bunch of people who know it’s a crappy product. A-B’s B-to-the-E which the movie highlights as a direct copy was actually closer to a wine cooler than beer and was reformulated almost a year ago into Bud Extra to not contain caffeine or guarana since A-B was looking at huge pressure and possible lawsuits from state’s attorney generals about the product. Even if Rhonda’s product were to receive wider distribution it would be driven out of the market by litigation something she must be aware of by now.
I only had one beer before the show and I’m glad I limited myself otherwise some of the graphics would surely have made me hurl. Your fonts and especially the repeated use of the store layout graphic in motion highlighting the brands A-B has purchased were painful at times.
All that said for the most part I liked the movie, thought the discussion panel was mostly worthless and would have loved to see you hit more breweries in 5 minute segments like you did with Leininkugels rather than focus so much on two of them, I’ve got a short attention span and found my mind wandering when the movie went back to Rhonda or Sam for the third and fourth time.
I second the question of whether this will be available as a DVD etc. The movie theater I tried to watch this event at had insurmountable technical difficulties so they cannceled the event after 10 minutes of trying, unsuccessfully, to make the feed work.
Morgan,
Calm down about Rhonda. Despite her struggles now, the woman helped pioneer and build one of the best sales organizations in the beer business with Sam Adams. I think her story regarding complete success as co founder of one of the greatest micro brands in the country to potentially losing everything is a pretty compelling story.
To Tom: The difference between Sam and Rhonda is that Sam is both a brewer and makes true craft beer. Caffeine beer is nothing new as I can recall it being offered by AB at busch gardens years ago. She’s trying to cash in on the energy-drink hype first- not trying to create a good product, and she was willing to sell out to the Big 3- even though they wouldn’t give her the time of day. DFH may be over-glorified, but at least they’re not sellouts and they make good beer.
Like Tim says, having a variety of brewers is not the point of this documentary. As I suggested earlier, go see “American Beer” if you just want interviews with small brewers. This was supposed to be about struggle against the bigger fish so it didn’t matter if it had 1 brewer or 10, the point is still relevant and the situations are pretty much the same. Though, having too many brewers would have lost that focus.
@ Buck, I’m with you. I’ve never liked BeerAdvocate. They’re more about being no-nothing beer snobs than actual appreciators of craft brew. I’m sure people love the site, as long as they agree with what the regulars on there are posting.
I think that a movie produced and directed by the former CEO of Mike’s Hard Lemonade cannot help but put a Rhonda Kallman on the screen. What I mean by that is that Ms. Baron would naturally see Ms. Kallman’s struggle as akin to her own when she was fighting it out as a small producer of a, technically, malt beverage. I agree with some of the posts who see Moonshot as little more than a label and brand, inside of which is, what, I’m not sure. And, how that fits into the picture of the craft brew business vs. the big Two is harder to uncover.
The film does expose the central problem in the industry, the distribution system, and the efforts by the big guys to keep a system in tact that benefits them exclusively. I found it a bit ironic, though, that Stone Brewing’s owner boasted of 46% year-over-year average growth in spite of the terrors of the 3-tier system.
Being an Oregonian, I took umbrage that the state with such a huge industry and many of the pioneers was not even mentioned.
Well, it was worth the trip to the theater, especially when I saw a patron walk out and drop two empty aluminum Hamm’s cans in the trash.
I understand the difference between Sam and Rhonda. That’s not the issue. The question is, of all of the craft brewers to profile, why Sam? Everybody is hung up on the idea of Rhonda being such a bad example considering the theme of the movie, but she’s really no worse an example than Sam is. Dogfish is a complete anomoly in the craft beer world. They’re 22 out of 1400+ in the BA’s list of top producing craft breweries in the country. Couple that with the fact that they’re selling their beer at double the price per ounce of most other micros, and I’d say that Sam is doing just fine. He’s built a great business and is growing. Why should I care? Because he’s fighting for more distribution when he already has more distribution than 95% of the craft breweries in the country? He wants a better spot on the supermarket shelf? When he already said that he doesn’t want his beer anywhere near an economy brand and has openly expressed that he feels his products are more akin to wine than they are to beer?
Forgive me for being cynical, but I don’t think that Sam’s inclusion in this movie has as much to do with the story of Dogfish Head brewery and the fight against A-B as it does with Sam. Watch Sam ride a surfboard! Watch Sam drive away in his crazy old beat up pickup truck that won’t start! Watch Sam draft his own legislation! Sorry, but this guy’s story is getting old. He doesn’t need to be the face of craft brewing. There are plenty of other stories to tell out there, and it aggravates me when someone has the opportunity to tell a new story and just falls back on Sam and his irresistable coolness. See the New Yorker article from a couple of months ago when Garrett Oliver got thrown under the bus for a piece that was supposed to be about craft beer and would up being all about Sam instead.
Showed up to beer wars an hour early last night. Anat and the crew didn’t seem to realize that the live feed was on as we saw them running through her lines, and talking to the crew for about 10 minutes. Then it actually played the first 5 minutes of the film before stopping and the “beer trivia” questions went up. Kind of funny.
I think a lot of the comments revolve around the difference between this movie being about the craft beer industry and about the beer industry. I’d even go so far as to say it’s really about the malt-beverage industry, as far as the specific subject is important – it’s much more a point about the struggle of the small vs gigantic than about craft beer. In that context, having Rhonda in the movie makes sense.
I think the problem is that much of the audience for a movie/event like this are people who are already big fans of craft brewing. I saw the movie with friends – all of us drink craft beer (and I think none of us drink the mass-produced junk). So, the audience expectations are a big part of the dissatisfaction with the focus of the movie. For those of us for whom craft beer is a part of life, we actually have to stop and realize that the majority doesn’t act that way, and the majority would want a light beer, perhaps even with caffeine.
I too wondered, though, why Stone and New Belgium people were in the movie at all, as little focus as they got. Perhaps the budget didn’t allow for as much travel to the west to extensively cover them?
Vorlauf hit it right on the head. The difference between Sam & Rhonda, is that Sam is a brewer of quality beer and Rhonda is a marketing whore. Anyone catch her skanky comment that they upped the caffeine to “69” grams? Goes perfect with her fake knockers. No lover of real beer would ever get on their knees at AB or Coors/Miller, and apparently she’s not even good on her knees. She said herself that there was nowhere for her to go at Boston Beer Co. If she believed in craft beer, she would have been more than happy to be there with Jim. She has no passion for the beer industry, she just wants to try and ride the “next big thing”.
I agree that the point of the movie was lost. There were a lot of great things in the Doc, but it wasn’t great. The graphics and dizzying camera shots were horrible. I expected more for 3 years worth of work.
@Tom: OK, we get it, you don’t like Sam. Shut the F$%K up about it already…
Anat,
First, the negatives:
Seriously, dump the Moonshot part. Making her marketing blitz (and surgical enhancements- Seriously? Gratuitous tank top shots?) such a big part of the movie was a discredit to the rest of the brewers and businesses and personalities you could have focused on. I wish nothing bad for Rhonda, but I have no sympathy for her, either, because she is trying to cash in on a trend that has nothing to do with the art of craft-brewing. I guarantee that crap, or more specifically, any particular brand of caffeinated beer, will be short-lived on store shelves. To be honest, I couldn’t even tell you what brewery contracts Moonshot for her, and I don’t care, nor am I curious enough to find out. The thing that kept popping into my head was POGs. Remember those? People paid tons of money to rent storefronts for that trend, and they disappeared overnight with no sympathy from me towards the business men who were just cashing in.
The footage, unfortunately, was often obviously dated, and this was just a bit distracting. This would have been fine, if all the footage was at least from the same year, and we could assume that you had sought distribution for the final product since then. But it appeared to span a range of several years, and there was no followup footage to catch us up on the intervening years. I will assume that this is because you were working alone or with a crew of 1 or 2, and of course it takes time for you to crisscross the country to visit every story. I hate to say it, but even travel shows can work with crews of 4 or 5, do their editing and post on the fly, and have things on the air to a waiting network in a month. A suggestion would be to have contract videographers at the 5 or 6 major locations supply establishing and followup footage, and then all you have to do is seamlessly interweave it into the story with current voiceovers and statistics, with the viewer never the wiser that the bulk of the location interviews with you in the shot took place several years ago.
My initial impression of the film was that it was going to be a too-light overview of things, due mainly to the “cute” touches of the animated little Anat, you getting honked at in traffic, the unsuspecting street interviews, etc. I can’t fault you for those touches, because you can, of course, choose any style you want for your filmmaking. You had to appeal somehow to the mainstream audience, but I don’t think this documentary will ever appeal to the mainstream, just by the nature of the subject. I would have preferred the humor as only the icing on the cake on top of a deep, hard-hitting investigation of how the Big 3 do things, with a side of touching profiles of the little guys’ struggles. My background is only that of a lapsed home-brewer who wants to get into the industry, but the choir of 150 you were preaching to in the seats around me was predominantly beer geeks. All I know is that I have made several long trips to New Belgium for birthdays and special occasions, just because of my love for a truly artisanal brew and the company who has accomplished so much, so I can only imagine how much more edge and hard-hitting, fact-finding and poignant journalism the true geeks and industry types around me would have preferred.
When it comes down to it, I wish you and the professionals you profiled would or could have come up with more positive suggestions on how to steer the industry in a profitable direction, where the quality craft brewers (regionals, micro-breweries and brewpubs alike) get the recognition they deserve for their innovation and quality and artistry, and can at least stay afloat amidst the tides of the Big 3 marketing blitz. Seeing point after point at how the Big 3 have all the advantage in the system, while offering no constructive suggestions how we can change things except to “support our local brews”, was frustrating. Damn it, your film left me with no other outlet than to go home and drink a micro, not that that’s a bad thing!
Now for the positives:
Thank you for delving as deep as you did into the stats and stories in your argument that the Big 3 are holding the little guys down. It was great that you touched on the 3 Tier System, and how the little guys have no chance of overcoming it, even though most of them are happy with just staying in business, with hopes of maybe growing to regional status. That was a major strength of the stories like Dogfish, and I would have loved an even deeper look at more breweries and businesses. Seeing “hometown” heroes like New Belgium Brewery and Applejack Liquors was great, and I wonder how many other towns and cities have businesses like them, who give a crap about what they are producing and selling, and I would have loved to see the personalities and emotions of a few more people behind those scenes.
The live debate at the end was really great. Even though Ben Stein seemed a tiny bit unprepared for exactly how the show was scripted to run, he was a great choice as moderator, and his humor made up for the lack of specific knowledge in the industry. I think the live debate served well to catch us up on some of the stories, and that, by itself, almost made up for the dated nature of some of the main production. It ran too short, and I would have loved if Charlie Papazian and the Beer Advocate representation could have had a bigger part in the main film. Their viewpoints would have had more clout in the debate, because it would have been more clear how much of an influence they had in the initial and current direction of the craft brew industry. I wondered if all the non-beer-geeks around me had to explain to their spouses who Charlie is and how so many owe him so much for getting things started in the 70’s and ramping up the excitement for the last several years with the GABF, and how much of an influence organizations like the Beer Advocate have on where this thing is headed.
Unfortunately, around half of my theater’s audience left as soon as the main production’s credits ran, so I think there was not enough advertisement beforehand that a live debate would follow. For that matter, I am not in a homebrew club, and never saw any advance advertisement about this film. Only because Denver’s Westword, a local liberal pulp rag, comes out on Thursdays, and because I am on their email list, did I notice their quick blurb about this screening.
The satellite distribution that you worked out with the theater chains was awesome. I knew they did that for corporations, but seeing it done and making it a truly one-night-only event, in combination with the live debate, really concentrated and solidified your audience for you. Of course, it seems that there were technical glitches in a few cities, and I had very quiet initial sound levels at my screening, but it was overall a very impressive way of getting your message to your niche audience.
Good luck, and thanks, Anat. The O’dells 5-Barrel Pale that I had when I got home was easily the tastiest beer I have had in a while, as good as any cold micro after an afternoon in the hot sun. You reminded me that beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, so more power to you doing God’s work. I hope only that the choir gets bigger and bigger for you with future screenings and DVD sales.
Jason
Now for my less-than-constructive comment.
Wtf were you thinking settling for Ben Stein?
Yes, I mentioned above that his humor did make up for his lack of prep and specific knowledge about the industry, and getting some smiles and mileage out of the answers as the moderator was his specific task, but that guy has some overtly dangerous views on several political and ethical subjects. At the very least, even his followers/supporters would acknowledge that he has no qualms about being controversial, and that is nothing but a detriment and distraction to your film.
I wonder if you could have gone to any local college or university, and contracted any experienced moderator for a few hours of their time, and walked away with less baggage then Stein’s presence loaded on your shoulders. For that matter, logistics of the live production aside, I would have expected you, Anat, to take the reins for the debate, catch us up with the group since filming, and lead everyone into several topics that you are now intimately familiar with.
Jason
Anat – Loved the show. Perhaps now more than when I first saw it last night. The shows that stick with you and gnaw afterwards are the important ones. I hope you might read this blog http://bit.ly/ltWvY from a Colo School of Mines CoEd that loves beer and has a way with words that I’ve never found in BrewsPapers. You made us think. Shannon is continuing your story in Coors Town, Golden Co. and hopefully to the rest of the country if she gets some exposure.
Our theater was able to play the beer trivia, but when it came time to show the real movie we got a big Dish Network logo on the screen and they canceled the movie after fiddling with things for 45 minutes – this was in Cupertino, CA (Silicon Valley).
Great film! I am curious to see if people that aren’t part of the beer industry went to see it and what their take is on it. Feel free to comment here or over at Core:
http://www.corebrewing.com/2009/04/beer-wars-movie-event-recap/
Ok, perhaps now that some of the dust has settled I feel compelled to respond to some of the comments that have been posted here. For those who didn’t get to see the movie because of technical difficulties, I’m really sorry, you missed a good time and an excellent movie. Anat put her heart and soul into this project, pretty evident for someone who can’t even drink beer. When I was trying to find the closest theater for the Dogfish crew to watch the film, it was Anat who spent her valuable time helping me. And it wasn’t because I represented Dogfish, she would have done this for anyone interested in viewing her film.
To Tom – engage your gas mask because I am about to blow some more smoke! I will be the first to admit that I am very biased. I work for Sam. Most of the things you commented on are true! Sam is cool, he is a rebel, he was on a surf board, he was featured in the New Yorker and yeah, maybe sometimes his crazy old beat up truck doesn’t start. But dude, you need to know the man, the man who puts his family first, the man who considers everyone of us on his payroll part of his Dogfish family, the man who knows everyone in the brewery by their first name, the man who keeps no secrets about his business encouraging homebrewers to follow their dreams, the man who is always open to suggestions and ideas, the man who will stop whatever he is doing to listen or answer a question when we have one, the man who believes in his product, his company and the people behind it. Yes Tom, I probably am his biggest fan but thats because he shows up at work just like the rest of us and takes an active part in his brewing business. Sam is not a shirt and tie behind a closed door, he’s jeans and sometimes flip flops in a tiny cubicle just like everyone else in the office. In the midst of everything that was going on the night of the movie, Sam slid in a “props to Big Mama – me!” He didn’t have to but he did” I will never forget my three seconds of fame!
Dogfish is an experience, it’s a whole package. I invite you to come and join us for a tour and tasting. And yes, Dogfish is slightly more expensive than your traditional beers but I quote from a line in a Pain Relievaz song “Aw Snap, it just occurred to me, shoulda bought QUALITY instead of buying quanity!” So there my friend is what Dogfish is about, quality.
For me, Anat’s portrayal of Rhonda was merely indicative of Rhonda’s struggle to promote her product. I felt sorry for her but if she is that passionate in her beliefs then who are we to judge her? I hope she succeeds. As far as Ben Stein – I thought he was hilarious. Everyone has skeletons in their closets, so what. I don’t really think it would have mattered who hosted the live panel discussion, someone somewhere would have found something wrong with them too.
Anat, you did a wonderful job. There wasn’t a person in our theater who didn’t laugh, clap or shout out at some point in the movie. I loved it and I thank you for your efforts! You have certainly given us all something to talk about!