This week, we need a stiff drink after Roger Donaldson’s 1988 movie Cocktail. How does a film get such a terrible reputation? Is there anything more ’80s than a protagonist who really, really wants to start a franchise? What did The Beach Boys do to deserve “Kokomo”?
Content warning: excess consumption of alcohol, suicide
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Unanswered Questions:
- Would the film have been improved by keeping the darker elements present in earlier drafts of the script?
- Are the tensions between theory and practice irresolvable?
- Who should we credit with the relatively strong, well-rounded female characters in this film?
Further reading:
- Cocktail: A Novel (Internet Archive)
- Jerry Thomas’ Bartenders Guide: How to Mix All Kinds of Plain and Fancy Drinks
- Flair Bartending: A Brief History
- Vieux Carre
- Corpse Reviver #2
- The Last Star In Hollywood Definitive List Of Tom Cruise Films
- The Last Star In Hollywood: Production Schedule
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Join us next time as we watch the most successful Cruise movie of all time — according to the Academy, at least — Barry Levinson’s 1988 drama Rain Man.
The Last Star In Hollywood is an independent podcast produced by Elizabeth Rae and Alastair Stephens.
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