Strange Brew: the plot is all in the foam

If there's one thing that most Oberlin students can appreciate, it's beer. And if there's one thing any self-respecting American can easily joke about, it's Canada. Strange Brew, starring Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as Bob and Doug McKenzie, and co-starring Max Von Sydow as the evil Brewmeister Smith, is the story of two brothers' search for free beer and the adventure that follows.

The movie begins with the McKenzie brothers' attempt at a futuristic sci-fi film, and its abrupt demise. After Bob's sympathy leads him to give away their father's beer money to a dissatisfied moviegoer, the brothers are forced to attempt a desperate scam for free beer, that inevitably leads them to the Elsinore Brewery.

In a vaguely Hamlet-esque atmosphere of deceit and mystery, the suspicious death of the elder Elsinore and the hasty marriage of the widow to Elsinore's brother leave estranged daughter Pamela with control of the brewery. When Pamela tries to take back control of brewery operations and replace the machine-run system with human workers, the dastardly plans of Brewmeister Smith and his gang of mind-controlled, hockey-playing mental patients become clear - to kill the young heiress and use the brewery to take over the world!

Bob and Doug are supplemented by Jean "Rosie" LaRose in a riveting performance by Angus MacInnes. The brothers and their faithful "boozehound," Hosehead, rush to Pamela's aid, only to be very nearly killed themselves by the wiley Brewmeister.

So don't be a hoser - check out Strange Brew this Friday, eh?

Strange Brew shows tonight at 7:30 p.m., 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. at Kettering 11 for $1.