Our trio of movies this week deals with black humor. That's not like "black jobs." See Donald Trump for a definition. Black humor isn't a racial descriptor. It is a type of humor that deals more with wry chuckling than the slapping of knees. In wine, we sometimes refer to a "barnyard" aroma, especially in wines of the Rhône Valley, or in wines that we like but don't know what else to say about them. That funky scent might elicit an "It wasn't me" response, but it can really liven up the ol' tasting notes. These movies are funny, but the humor works from the inside out.
The 1970s closed out with Buffet Froid, a 1979 French film starring Gérard Depardieu. It's a murder mystery in which few people seem to care about the murder. They say that revenge is a dish best served cold. So is a buffet of dark humor. This twisted comedy is so cold the butter's hard and the jello is jigglin'.
It's in French, so hopefully you either speak the language, or don't have an aversion to subtitles. One viewing will show you that the old trope about the French thinking Jerry Lewis is a genius is right on target.
I'd love to pair Froid de Canard Sauvignon Blanc with Buffet Froid, but it seems the producer ran out, no doubt owing to the catchy name (cold like a duck) and the $8 sticker. Since a buffet froid is really a table of cold dishes from which guests serve themselves, we can stay with the grape and aim for higher quality. Hippolyte Reverdy Sancerre is a Sauvignon Blanc, it has the catchy name, and comes with a price tag in the $40 range.
After Hours made 1985 tolerable for me. Well, that and "Money for Nothing" by Dire Straits. But a year otherwise filled with Wham!, A-Ha and "We Are the World" made many of us feel like Griffin Dunne's character, stuck in SoHo with the uptown blues again.
Younger people watching After Hours for the first time will no doubt think it was foolish for Paul Hackett to expect to take a cab with nothing but a $20 bill to his name. And he expected to have a drink while downtown! No cap! But we used to do it all the time, after cashing a $20 check at the grocery store. Hey, it won't post until Monday, right?
Just as 1985 trapped us in crazyville, Hackett found himself trapped in his big night out, his escape eluding him time after time. After Hours is one of my favorite films of all time. Several of Martin Scorsese's other movies keep it from the Number One spot.
I can't resist pairing City Winery's New York City CAB with After Hours, since that cab ride is where the black comedy begins. NYC CAB is actually made from North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon grapes shipped to the Big Apple, but New York could use a little California in it. $30.
Anyone who has ever tried to quit a habit quickly can relate to Cold Turkey. The 1971 movie centers on a small town that tries to quit smoking for a month in order to win $25 million cash from a tobacco company. Of course, the ciggy maker works against the populace to keep from having to pay up. It's rather like how Big Tobacco lied for decades about their product. In real life, though, the stakes are higher.
Cold Turkey was directed by Norman Lear, his only time to call the shots for the big screen. It has the feel of a television episode to it. Dick Van Dyke and Bob Newhart help that feeling along.
The wine for this film should be one that pairs well with cold turkey sandwiches on Black Friday. A rosé is in order here. Knapp Winery Rosé Saigneé is made in New York's Finger Lakes region and sells for $22. The grapes in this ruby red wine are Saperavi, Arandell, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. I'll bet that two of those aren't on your Century Club list yet.
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