If you have never seen the classic 1983 film Strange Brew, you must check it out. I first saw it when I was about 10 years old, and ever since I have been known to spontaneously remark: Take off, you hoser!” or “Good day, eh?” A movie with lots of CCs and an evil Brewmeister set to take over the world! What’s not to like, eh? Especially the famous “no brakes” scene as seen here, thanks to Youtube. Like silly, funny films? Then check this one out, eh?
image: imcdb.org
And as a bonus, Brewmeister Smith and Claude Elsinore are following our two hapless beer-lovin’ heros in an early “Electronic Fuel Injection” Panther! Beauty, eh?
I love, love, love, love, love this goddamn movie! 🙂 It’s because of this movie that I started to watch older seasons of “SCTV” and appreciate characters other than Bob and Doug.
I’ve never seen this movie.
I think I saw a Vega near the beginning…and it wasn’t smoking!
Meet the only talking Fury…
I saw this movie in the theatre with my whole family. Mom though it was stupid, but everyone else loved it.
Mostly this was shot in Toronto, but “The Big Hill” is James Mountain Road here in Hamilton. Kind of a funny continuity thing that they go down the big hill then crash into the lake about 50 miles away.
SCTV was great. Was always confused by the name tho…Chicago is the second city, but the show was Canadian.
Forgot all of the big name stars on that show, just remember John Candy and eugene Levy. And the guys in this move…Dave Thomas and…Rick Moranis?
Yep. Though Moranis was not part of the original Second City troupe. He and Dave Thomas were friends and Dave brought Rick along for an informal audition.
Don’t forget Joe Flaherty, Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short and Andrea Martin!
I was always confused by it as well, as were my parents who were fans when it was on the air. We all believed it was Chicago’s pseudo SNL in those dark pre-wikipedia days!
Chicago, Canada, doesn’t matter. Great show and horrendously overlooked by many. That was a very talented group of people.
You’re correct The Second City Theatre Immprov is in Chicago on N Wells. There is an association with SCTV but it’s a separate entity. Use to go there often back in College. Saw a lot of the SNL group before they were famous one notable being John Belushi
Take off, eh?
These guys had their 15 minutes of fame just before the movie came out with the single “Take Off” (featuring Geddy Lee of Rush singing the song’s title over the brothers’ bickering) as well as their take on the classic “12 Days of Christmas” (Three French toasts, two turtlenecks, and a beer …in a tree). As a preteen about ten years ago, I thought these two were about the funniest thing I’d ever seen. And they still are!
Minor side note, when does the movie actually take place? I’d assume 1983, given that that’s when it was released, but Pam Elsinore mentions her birthday being in 1959, meaning that in order for her to be turning 21 in the film, it would have to take place in 1980. But when the McKenzies have suited up with Rosie LaRose and the lunatics to play hockey, the following exchange occurs:
Bob: You okay, hoser?
Doug: [heavy breathing] I am your father, Luke. Give into the dark side of the Force, you nob.
Bob: He saw “Jedi” seventeen times, eh? Beauty.
So they know about “Return (or maybe “Revenge”) of the Jedi,” which was released in 1983. But that line was famously (mis)quoted from “The Empire Strikes Back,” in 1980. So when did it take place?
…I dunno. Maybe I’m just putting too much effort into analyzing a movie that needs no analysis.
Hey hoser, you’re definitely over-analyzing the movie. Have another beer, eh?
I was just singing the Bob & Doug 12 days of Christmas last night! I wanted to teach my kids the “good” lyrics.
You’re a hoser! Got one of their albums on vinyl. Hilarious and bears repeat listening. Max von Sydow was in Strange Brew. From Ingmar Bergmann to this. Go figure.
Strange Brew is one of the funniest movies of all time, and the red van was an inspired act of “car casting,” in my opinion.
There are silly lines in this movie that get in your head and refuse to leave. In high school, friends and I were always telling each other to “take off,” and saying “there was nothing to do, all the bowling alleys had been destroyed” when we were bored and could not think of anything to do. While playing hockey, I still sometimes say “The power of The Force stopped you, you hosers!” after making a big save while playing in goal.
The yellow police car of Toronto….too bad they removed them due to films set in NYC, LA, etc… but filmed in Toronto to avoid the confusion with the taxicars.
Here another van clip I spotted on Youtube, featuring Cheech and Chong.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtSr-GLFz8s
and an other exterpt from the same movie dubbed in Quebec French.
I love that van scene from C&C!
Even though I was born in 1981, I tend to gravitate more towards comedy from the late 70s-early 80s era.
You might appreciate Dave Thomas and John Candy in “Rocket Boy”…
I always thought that all of the Plymouth Furys of this era were destroyed in the making of the Blues Brothers or the Dukes of Hazard. 🙂
Not all of them, some Furys just had their dignity taken away…
SCTV was the funniest TV series I have ever watched. As a teenager, I never missed it, even when it was on at 11:30 pm Saturday night. The best ones were the early shows made in Edmonton, simply because that was the cheapest place to make it. John Candy was hilarious. A great talent dead at I believe 42.
Bob and Doug were excellent satire of the working class Canadians. It was so accurate that even Hosers loved it. In fact, it was from these characters that the term “Hoser” was derived.
My understanding was that the term ‘hoser’ did not exist before the Bob and Doug Mackenzie characters began using it. The story was when they were working on the sketch, they wanted some sort of Canadian derogatory term to use that was safe for television, and that’s what they came up with.
More views of the McKenzie Brothers’ 1971 GMC Vandura.
First, from the front, dressed for futuristic battle in the movie-within-a-movie that is Strange Brew‘s opening sequence, Bob & Doug’s home-brewed sci-fi masterpiece Mutants of 2051 A.D.…
The rear view, complete with obligatory “CDN” spare-wheel cover and optional “BEER LOVERS” bumper sticker.
…And finally, the airborne view, as the McKenzie Brothers’ Vandura makes its bid to become to the Great White North what the Duke Brothers’ “General Lee” Charger is to the South. Take off, eh! It’s a beauty way to go!
FUN FACT: I have a friend in North Carolina who has never been to Canada, but has watched Strange Brew 25 times. I told him “That’s about 23 times more than I have.”
I have the DVD at home, maybe I need to watch it again sometime soon.
I remember going to see it in the day and being a little dissapointed but having seen it a few times since its grown on me. The reception office for the brewery was filmed at what is now my companys head office in Rexdale (suburb of Toronto). It looks pretty much the same. Also a good laugh is our old style beer stores–no self serve back then. Mel Blanc was the unseen voice of the boy’s father. The other laugh is seeing the CN tower not surrounded by high rise condos and the Roger’s Centre