Everybody wants to quit their jobs and own a bar. . . of something. Yep. There's nothing cooler than handing alcoholic beverages to strangers.If you could own one club/bar from any film, which one would it be?
Panelist: AndrewPrice
I was going to say the Star Wars Cantina, but I imagine they have a lot of clean up. Then I thought about the one in From Dusk Til Dawn, but I doubt vampires are good tippers. So I'll go instead with the club from Cabaret. Weirder than the Cantina, more Nazis that Rick's Cafe, and they ain't got no problem with droids making it in the booths.
Panelist: T-Rav
The retro '50s joint in Pulp Fiction where John Travolta and Uma Thurman have their dance. I'm not big on the idea of having to look after a club or bar, but I really like the '50s.
Panelist: Tennessee Jed
I am partial to Moulin Rouge on earth, and the bar on Tatooine from Star Wars for extra terrestrial.
Panelist: ScottDS
The Double Deuce, as seen in Road House, a film I saw for the first time just last year and absolutely loved. I recall telling my friend, "I wanna be just like Dalton when I grow up!" Of course, my answer is predicated on having Dalton - who graduated from NYU with a philosophy (!) degree - as my bouncer.
Comments? Thoughts?
112 comments:
Rick's American Cafe for Sam's music and the well-dressed clientele! (it was on TCM Friday nite)
o.k. great choice Cris. There is something about a well dressed clientele, particularly if we are talking tuxedos with black tie and cumberbund for the guys, and above the elbow matching gloves for the ladies.
I know one bar I wouldn't want to own was the one in the early stages of Indiana Jones (where Karen Allen is in the drinking contest.)
Anything where Marlene Dietrich can romp 'n stomp.
Now I'm glad I didn't also say the Star Wars cantina. :-)
If I had to choose between Moulin Rouge and From Dusk til Dawn, I would probably go with the former. Slightly less decadent (and less deadly).
Rav - I think the name of the place was Jack Rabbit Slim's. Not exactly a bar or club, but you were honest and heartfelt in your choice. 50's was a very cool time. Pick up the DVD of Ricky Nelson's songs at the end of the old Ozzie & Harriet shows for a real treat. In addition to Rick, you have the legendary James Burton over his shoulder on lead guitar. (Burton a member of both the rockabilly AND rock 'n roll halls of fame. :)
o.k. I take back the honest and heartfelt comment (l.o.l.)
I should also point out how glad I am nobody mentioned Micky Gilly's which was featured in the film Urban Cowboy
After writing my Police Academy article, I'm glad nobody mentioned the Blue Oyster Bar. (Not that there's anything wrong with that!) :-)
Good choices, everyone. I tried not to mention the Star Wars cantina myself but Andrew's right: it's probably all rather unpleasant.
I think the bar in Raiders was actually called The Raven. I have a friend who would've chosen The Winchester from Shaun of the Dead.
I go with the bar from Dusk til Dawn, you can always have a lot of holy water on you. Once you know the dangers, you can side-step them or defeat them.
The scariest bar would probably be the Moulin Rouge. I think it would be the perfect place to enlist/shanghai French Foreign Legion Troops.
I'd like to own the bar in St. Elmo's Fire just so I could throw out all those douche-bag yuppies.
Jed, I wouldn't want the bar, but I would definitely want Karen Allen as bartender. Just saying. ;-)
ink and paint club - roger rabbit
Happy Tax day everyone! Ahhhhhh!
another one that was pretty cool was the Coco Bongo club from the film "The Mask." Outlaw - something about Rob Lowe's face that just says "toss me out"
Tryanmax - loved the film, but can't remember the club. Old age??
The EGA bar from Heartbreak Ridge. Not the one where his ex worked.
Good morning everyone! Excellent choices as usual!
ink and paint club - roger rabbit
D'oh! I can't believe I forgot about that one! Hell, one of my favorite scenes in the film is the piano duet between Daffy and Donald Duck (if you could call it a duet).
Cris, That is a great choice too. Indeed, that would be a totally cool bar to actually visit.
Jed, That's true. A well-dressed clientele makes any bar more classy. Ditto on restaurants!
T-Rav, LOL! Less decadent and less deadly!
On the Cantina, yeah, I imagine they do a LOT of cleanup... and not just arms and bodies.
Jed and T-Rav, I very much considered Jack Rabbit Slims. That's a cool bar/restaurant too. It's too bad it doesn't exist or I would add it as a tourist thing some day.
I don't recall Urban Cowboy enough to remember the bar except it had one of those fake bulls.
Scott, I had no idea her bar had a name, but it The Raven wouldn't surprise me since her last name is Ravenwood.
It looks like homey kind of place, if you don't mind the smell of yak!
Joel, The bar from Dusk til Dawn was pretty cool until the vampire thing. But you are correct, if you are properly prepared, then it will all probably be ok. Plus, think of all the money you'll make selling the stuff from the trucks!
Outlaw, LOL! Very noble goal! :) After all, yuppies do get annoying, that's for sure.
T-Rav, She'd keep the clientele in line, that's for sure! Of course, you'd have to make sure she doesn't drink your profits away!
tryanmax, Excellent call! Now that would be a fund club, especially the entertainment. I love the line: "And I mean ice!" And then he gets rocks anyway!
Who knew there were so many cool bars in films?
DUQ, I have already paid my taxes this year. Hurray. And as usual, they tried to squeeze money from my very bones. Booo.
Jed, It was a bit like Rick's Club, only they had penguins as servers, Donald and Daffy went on stage together and then the incredibly sexy Jessica Rabbit sang.
Patriot, I honestly don't remember that one? I remember him drinking with his buddy, but I thought that was in an office?
Scott, It's more of a duel than a duet. Pianos at 10 paces.
The bar in The Trouble With Tribbles. Buy tribbles, brawl with Klingons...what's not to like?
Great choices you guys!
I suppose I should mention the bar in the Sopranos (The Bada Bing) but that one was a pretty risque bar. Of course, as a married guy I only mention it for academic reasons.
Ben, Brawl with Klingons! Sounds like a lot of fun! Plus, who wouldn't want a close up view of the Enterprise out the window! :)
Kelly, Yep. The film world is full of cool bars. I think that's probably to maintain the whole "really cool world" fantasy effect. It wouldn't be a cool world if your main character just went home and watched television!
Ben, You snuck a second comment in on me! LOL! (I wish Blogger would go back to the old system. //sigh).
Anyhoo, "I only mention it for academic reasons" -- LOL! I'm sure your wife will be glad to hear that! ;)
The saloon in Blazing Saddles looked fun (plus who wouldn't wanna see Lilly Von Schlupp sing?).
For um...academic reasons again.
Okay I better stop thinking of bars before I get into trouble.
Then there's the Wonka bars in Willy Wonka (the original).
The bar in Blade Runner.
I can't believe I almost forgot the bar in Serenity. Just be sure to make a quick exit if River Tam shows up!
Ben, I kept waiting for someone to mention the bar in Serenity. Just don't be there on the wrong day!
Wonka bars! LOL! I'll bet they taste pretty good.
Shoot, all the good bars are taken! How about the bar in Cocktail? Yeah, it wasn't great, but the bar tenders were entertaining.
Scott, The Double Duece would be totally fun.
Ben, Wasn't it called an Odi Bar or something like that?
By the way, everyone, we've been awash in people coming to visit Jed's Titanic article, probably because the anniversary of its sinking was last night.
If you have an interest in the ship, then be sure to check out Jed's article again: LINK
I never watched the show but I think Felicity had a bar the characters went to called The Epstein Bar. I just like the name. :-p
The bar in Serenity was called The Maidenhead.
There's also Quark's Bar on DS9 and that bar in Star Trek III where Bones tries to hire a ship. I think in the script, it's described as being "across the street from the Star Wars bar."
Scott, That bar in Star Trek III is horrible! It's like they cleaned out an office, put in a table and some chairs and then had a bunch of people standing around looking miserable. That thing belongs in the Set-Decoration Hall of Shame!
Scott, Huh, you're right. So what was the "odi bar" he mentions? I guess an odi bar is just where the drinks are served?
Rick's Cafe Americain
I know it's not original... :-)
I think River sees an ad for "Fruity Oaty bars" and that's what makes her go crazy (at least in that scene).
Floyd, No need for originality when you've got a good choice! :)
Scott, That makes a lot of sense. I also didn't grasp that. I though he (Tudyk) was referring to "the bar".
Andrew -
Yeah, those mid-80s Trek films were all done on the cheap. The bar was a redress of the Enterprise sickbay set. And ever since someone on the Trek BBS complained about this, I can't forget it: the two officers playing the holographic biplane game.
Would people 300 years from now really be playing a game with vehicles that date back to WW1? That would be like Nintendo selling a game today that takes place on an 18th century sailing ship!
I like the First Bar in Kill Bill 1. Ben probably has some academic reason to like the second bar in Kill Bill 1.
Scott,
There are games out now where you can play 18th century sailing Ships. Have real time gun battles as well.
Scott, It seems out of place, though I can see a game like that in the future -- we do enjoy all kinds of games. What really gets me about those two, however, (and I see this every time I see that scene) is how little they are enjoying the game. They are basically sitting there, barely moving their hands, and moving nothing else. It's like they were told: "act like you're driving a truck." You would think they would be more excited or would be more "into" the game physically. It's like whoever put this scene together had never seen anyone playing a real videogame and just didn't realize it's not like reading a book.
Joel, That's true -- Pirates. I enjoy that one a good deal.
Ben would definitely have academic reasons to enjoy the second bar in Kill Bill! LOL!
Joel, Andrew -
I knew as soon as I mentioned that, someone would correct me! Sadly, my interest in video games more or less begins and ends with Mario.
Which reminds me, there's a ridiculous bar in the Super Mario Bros. movie. (The Boom-Boom Bar? Does that sound familiar?) I know we talked about this recently but I cringe when I think of that film. As a 10-year old, I was excited but today... man, oh man!
Joel: Well played sir...well played. LOL!
Scott, I hate to say it, but that bar doesn't ring any bells?
Andrew -
Just asking. My brain went from video games to bad video game movies and I suddenly remembered a bar. I don't remember anything about it, either!
No love for the Cafe 80s in Back to the Future II? :-) You walk in and you have virtual re-creations of Reagan and the Ayatollah trying to sell you a drink.
Scott, we've got to wait three more years for that cafe. Then we'll see how good it really is (and also test out our flying cars and stuff).
BTW, OT: I see that Chuck Norris and Van Damme is gonna be in The Expendables 2! :^)
Incidentally, and totally OT, but Walk the Line is playing on FOX right now, only dubbed in Spanish for some reason. It's...jarring.
Mattel is actually coming out with a re-creation of the hoverboard but, sadly, it won't actually hover.
It's amazing 2015 is only three years away and we still don't have flying cars. (And in the film, they still use fax machines which I find funny.)
Guesses about the future are always difficult because you always miss the little thing... and the big things. ;)
I actually suspect hover technology and flying cars won't happen. Sadly.
Ben, It sounds like they're getting them ALL together! LOL! What a great idea!
T-Rav, That would be very disconcerting.
Scott: Then again, do we really want most drivers to have flying cars? Granted, it would create a lot more emergency services jobs but there would be a big downside I think.
Man crashes buick into empire state building. Alcohol may have been involved.
IRT flying cars: unless they can come up with some sort of failsafe system (yeah right) I also, sadly, don't see flying cars becoming a reality for anyone other than licensed pilots.
Andrew - linked over to Titanic. Apparently lots of visitors, but nobody left anymore comments :(
Andrew: all the badasses from the last 4 decades. What's not to like? I do hope they have a better story this time though. I'll still watch it regardless, but it would be the icing on the cake.
My only hopes for the Expendables sequel are: that they embrace the R rating and they pull the camera back far enough to capture all the action. I thought Stallone had great intentions with the first film but he shot it like an action film from today.
And obviously, an R rating isn't a guarantee of anything but there is a certain gritty "adult" atmosphere that's often missing from PG-13 action films. And blood packs. It's a shame many filmmakers opt for CGI blood nowadays. It's certainly cleaner. :-)
Jed, I know, but that's the life of a blogger. You've gotten over 6,890 hits though. That is quite an achievement! :)
Flying cars are just kind of a gimmick. I don't see that they would make our lives so much better in any respect; people are just trying to make flying cars because, well, they want to see if they can. Which is the case for most of the scientific field nowadays, unfortunately.
Ben and Scott, I also hope they get a better plot. While I enjoyed the first one to the extent of seeing them all in action, the story itself was ultra weak. I would have hoped for a lot more.
I also agree about pulling back the camera. I usually use the action moments in most modern action films to do something like send e-mails because I just don't care about blurry close up action. It's all the same and it's all worthless.
6,890+ hits? Dang, Jed!
T-Rav, Flying cars would work if they allowed us to be rid of roads. But that would require the development of some technology with reasonable energy usage compared to simple tires. That won't happen. Also, without roads, you suddenly have the danger factor as people come blasting by your window or through your backyard. Major safety hazard!
T-Rav, It's been impressive, especially this week. It was only 6,000 yesterday afternoon.
(For the record, we usually get about 400 unique visitors a day and about 150-300 hits per article. So Jed is doing quite nicely.)
T-Rav - " 'tis the subject matter, not the Jed"
(anonymous) :)
Clubs/Bars... I'd probably choose "Jefty's Road House" from ROAD HOUSE (1948 --the non-Swayze one) minus psychotic owner Jefty (Richard Widmark); it's a northwoods-set bar, club and bowling alley, all-in-one... plus Ida Lupino (rowrrr)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2WilVvD4r8
Jed, But it was the Jed who chose the subject matter!
Backthrow, I don't know that one.
Here's your link: LINK
Andrew, thanks much for the link conversion.
I consider it my duty to highlight the forgotten and the overlooked in the movie and TV world. :^)
You're welcome Backthrow. Thanks for pointing it out, I'd never heard of it.
I checked out the trailor, by the way, that is one young Richard Widmark!
Andrew.....the EGA (Eagle Globe Anchor) bar in Heartbreak Ridge is the one where Eastwood greets his old bartenderess and reminisce about old times and then Chuzu comes in and they sit around drinking a couple beers. Has all the old USMC photos on the walls.
The other bar is where all the brawling takes place.
USS Ben USN (Ret)......... Surely you know what an EGA bar is?
Patriot, I don't doubt you, I just don't remember the bar. I haven't seen the movie in many years and all I remember is the two of them drinking, but not the surroundings. That's another interesting film I should watch again.
Hi Patriot! Aye! United States Marine! Oohrah! Semper Fi! :^)
I was on a gator freighter for 3 years and we almost always had Marines on board.
Good call on the EGA bar! I love that flick!
I first thought of Cheers, because well everyone knows your name, but that is on TV. Also from TV Moe's Tavern came to mind but that place is a dump, 10 Forward from ST:NG seems pretty cool but I get the feeling they were not actually drinking and it would be pretty boring.
As for movies, if you had of asked me as a kid it would have been the Walkabout Creek Hotel from Crocodile Dundee.
As a teenage it would have been the Double Deuce, though I'd only want it after it has been cleaned up and as ScottDS said with Dalton being the cooler.
And now I'd want something nice and laid back, most likely the The New York Bar from Lost In Translation as I'd love to live in Japan.
Scott
I used to think I'd like to have a bar, but then after a lot of thought I decided against it. I figure it would be like being married to a nymphomaniac; it'd be fun for a little while, then...
Scott, An excellent list! Japan has a lot of neat things and that was a pretty cool bar. I've been to Japan (2 weeks) and thought it was really neat.
Mike, I get the feeling it's not all it's cracked up to be on television. In fact, it sounds like a lot of work and like everyone else around you will be the ones having fun. Unless you're a rich owner, I guess. And even then, I'm not sure how neat it would be over the long run?
Anon/Scott -
Re: Ten-Forward, they were not actually drinking. That is to say, on TNG, they introduced the idea of synthehol, an alchohol substitute without any of the side effects. As far as Trek goes, I'd go with either Quark's Bar or the bar on the space station with the Tribbles. :-)
Scott, I had a friend who used to describe non-alcoholic beer as "for people who don't want to get drunk, but really like to piss." That's what I think every time I hear about synthehol.
Andrew I also spent 2 weeks in Japan for my brothers wedding and I loved it. The food, drink, sights and of course the people. Good description of non-alcoholic beer, I don't get the idea of it myself.
Thanks ScottDS I couldn't remember synthehol off the top of my head. And as someone who is have their third drink of the morning (after my 7th night shift in a row) the idea alone insults me. You are right Quarks Bar would be a better place any day, they actually had fun there.
Scott.
Andrew, I went back to school a few years ago and worked part-time in a liquor store. One slow afternoon, I was reading a trade magazine article about how careful bar owners have to be with their customers. The first line of the piece went: "A man walks into a bar. Is that the beginning of a joke or a lawsuit?"
The old couple that owned the store had a son who owned a private club and I'd help him out when he was really busy. He and I were talking about booze and drugs one night and he told me it was silly to try to outlaw either, pointing out that alcohol prohibition didn't work and that we aren't winning the war on drugs, either. "People will always drink and do drugs." he said. "If they can't do either of those, they'll huff glue or eat morning glory seeds or whatever they can to get high. They'll hit themselves in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when they stop."
People who don't touch either drugs or booze often have addicting habits that can be as harmful or more so. My ex would spend the rent money on clothes, my preacher uncle drinks four/five pots of coffee a day and I've got a friend who sits at his computer at least 12 hours/day.
That old lady I worked for made the most profound statement about alcohol I'd ever heard. "This sh*t is to sell, not to drink."
Semper Fi Ben...! Grandfather USN WO WWI and WWII.....career Navy. Father Naval Aviator USNA 1951.... Brother USN Fireman on the Nimitz during Vietnam. Son #1 USMC OIF veteran Anbar Province in Indian country. Son #2 US Army Crypto Linguist. Nephew, Neice USMC. Other nephew US Army. Like LT Dan, relatives have fought in every war this country has been involved in. From Revolutionary War on....... Always glad to see fellow travelers on the inter webs!
Upon further review, the bar in Stripes where the mud wrestling took place might be fun. It looked pretty packed, might be able to pull down a few bucks there.
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Coyote Ugly. :)
Scott, I don't understand non-alcoholic beer either. It just seems all around wrong.
Mike, That's the modern world for you -- everything is a potential lawsuit. I've represented some bar owners and they seem to be easy targets of litigation.
Outlaw, I was wondering why no one mentioned that as well. Perhaps the movie just didn't go over all that well in hindsight?
I think I'd like to go to the bar on Mars in Total Recall if for nothing else than to check out the chick w/ 3 boobs.
We had faux beer while I was in Iraq. Never understood it either, but then again the taste of beer was not what attracted me to it in the first place.
It (the faux beer) went pretty much untouched the 37 months I was down range.
Precocious ... combustionable ... I'd need a Sambuca milkshake from the bar in Ford Fairlane. Light me, Harry!
I'd also like to own The Gold Room from The Shining, which implies owning the entire Overlook Hotel. I'm okay with that.
I was going to suggest Coyote Ugly as one I wouldn't want to own. My ex & I used to have an odd idea of bar/bookstore. Then it turned out they already existed. I used to be the sober person in the group, so I don't really see the attraction to always being the sober person - who then has to tell the drunks "no".
RE Expendables - all I gotta say: "Jason Statham"... I have to admit that beyond him, I really enjoyed the 1st movie and am looking forward to the next one.
Mike, That was a recurring joke in Paul, that he'd drawn an image of a woman with three breasts and everyone was impressed with that. LOL!
Outlaw, I don't know anyone who drinks non-alcoholic beer. They all want the alcohol or not at all.
Eric, I have to watch that again. I haven't seen that in 20+ years now.
tryanmax, LOL! I'd be ok with owning the Overlook as well, just so I didn't have to stay there over the winter!
rlaWTX, A library bar? Interesting. That would probably be hard on the books though.
Patriot, that's amazing! Bravo Zulu to you and your family!
I know next to nothing about my family history other than my grandparents were both retired sheriff's deputies and I had an uncle that served in Vietnam. Sadly, he died of cancer over 20 years ago, which may have been linked to agent orange exposure.
Our youngest daughter was 101st Airborn. :^)
Became a psycholigist and is now going training to be a trauma surgeon. :^)
Bravo Zulu to you also Outlaw! I only saw Iraq from the water during the Iraq/Iran war.
We got two beers after 120 days in the Gulf but they tasted horrible. Too much formaldahyde.
Had a few short port calls in Bahrain after that. Worst place for liberty I ever been to.
I'd go with Rick's but the whole Nazi thing would put a damper on it.
Cabaret? According to Liza Minelli a lot of the female dancers had armpit hair.
Roger Rabbit Ink and Paint Club? Yes, the entertainment would be awesome but since it is a toon bar with hot toon women performing there is a good chance you would have to deal with a certain lusty wolf.
(Greatest. Cartoon Short. EVER!)
Cheers?
Or can we not say TV?
It's where everybody knows your name!
Kit, TV is fine.
I wouldn't be surprised about the club in Cabaret. So it might need a hygiene code after I take it over.
That is a great wolf.
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