A while back I recommended a lovely little movie from Norway called Buddy. It was in the modest selection of free, on-demand movies offered with Verizon FiOS TV, on the Film Fest Channel, sponsored by Stella Artois, a lager beer from Belgium. Here’s the commercial that runs before the Film Fest movies.
[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/OCT07/StellaArtois.flv 448 336]
When we ate at a TGI Friday’s I noticed Stella Artois on the menu and I ordered one and had my first taste. I’ve had many Belgian ales, but no lagers that I could recall. It’s a nice, light beer, with a lot more flavor than mass-produced American beers, and less bitter than a Heineken, a pilsener that borders on being skunky. (Marston’s Pedigree Bitters is an ale that is my idea of a truly great dry beer.) Later, I spotted a six pack of Stella Artois at a local store, and in further appreciation for the movie, I bought it.
The bottles are only 11.2 ounces! I’m sorry, but I don’t care how good the beer is. If the guy pouring Stella Artois in the commercial is going to be picky, then so am I — twelve ounces, and no less! Until then Stella Artois has lost me as a customer.
I was wondering that myself back when I posted this, and despite it being a landmark that should be easy to recognize, at that time couldn’t find any information. So I assumed it was probably computer graphics, and if it is they did a good job. I just checked Google again, and nothing stood out. Last weekend I happened to spot a 12-pack of Stella at the grocery store and, yup, the bottles are still 11.2 ounces.
Do any of you know where the final shot was taken? The train bridge on the inside of that rocky point-cove. I’d love to know where that is. Thanks.
A friend from Belgium informs me that Stella Artois is “kinda like Bud in Belgium, but better than American beer.” And there you have it! What passes for art theatre classy in America is run-of-the-mill in Belgium.
I have yet to sample a Stella Artois but I do like their commercials. They have some deal with the Kendall Square Cinema and they show a Stella Artois commercial before just about every movie. The commercials fit right in with the art theatre atmosphere of the Kendall. I just noticed that if you go to the Stella Artois website you can watch all of the commercials although it takes a bit of work. http://www.stellaartois.com/
Louis Jordan the black R&B performer who sang Caldonia? I think not! You must mean Louis Jourdan the French movie star. Hmm… well, maybe. A full-faced Jourdan in middle age, perhaps.
In England the pint glasses in pubs are marked with a ring for an exact pint, with a bit of space up to the rim for a small head on the beer. I’d heard a rumor that the ring regulation was going away, but I don’t know if that happened.
What a coincidence; we just caught this commercial the other night on one of the news channels, CNN, I think.At first Molly didn’t get how the guy slowed the train down, until I pointed out he had actually separated the dining car!
Doesn’t the bartender look like the late Louis Jordan? I can’t stand beer, ANY kind of beer, but I can certainly relate to his compulsive need for perfection! I know that a good bartender, at least in Europe, must know how to pour the beer from the tap just so, with the right head of foam, etc. Where I live, it’s strictly Rolling Rock and Bud from a can. When done, crush on your forehead!