“The Book of Boba Fett” | How an Action Figure Comes to Life

When I was in elementary school, my favorite Star Wars toy was the R2-D2 action figure. It had more points of articulation than most of the human characters, and translucent plastic at the top and front of his domed head made it look like his little eyeball-light thing was illuminated whenever I’d shine a light on him.

Star Wars toys were at the center of a lot of playtime in my childhood. R2-D2 and the Luke Skywalker action figures (which, by the way, bear only the vaguest resemblance to Mark Hamill) were always on the lookout for Stormtroopers on top of my dresser, or hiding from bounty hunters under the desk, and sometimes plummeting from the top bunk into the chasm between the bed frame and the wall. When our family’s golden retriever chewed the leg off a Han Solo action figure, my brother stated as a matter of fact that Jabba’s rancor had done it.

There’s more creativity and imagination in a young kid’s playroom than in most Hollywood writer’s rooms. Read More

Quiz | Craft Beer or PlayStation 5 Game?

Take our quiz: Can you tell the difference between a craft beer and a game released for PlayStation 5?

Happy birthday, PS5! The PlayStation 5 was released on November 12, 2020. It’s still hard to find, but it’s incredible to play. This console has everything: ray-tracing, a new wireless controller with adaptive triggers, an 825GB SSD and a whole bunch of other technical specs which look impressive but don’t really make much sense to me.

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MacLeod Ale | Deal with the Devil IPA

Deal with the Devil IPA is not the beer that MacLeod Ale Brewing Co. anticipated when it was established in 2014. But in addition to being a delicious IPA, Deal with the Devil also tells the story of MacLeod’s evolution from a British-style cask ale brewery to one of the most beloved beer companies in Los Angeles.

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Election 2020: Reminding Myself “The West Wing” Isn’t on the Ballot

Quick aside, so my editors don’t have to put a note in: I speak only for myself in this post. PorchDrinking staff and contributors do not have any official political stance that I’m aware of, and I have no animosity for people on this site or in our country who respectfully disagree about matters of policy. Also, sorry to die-hard “West Wing” fans if I do the show a disservice. All that said… go vote.

A millennial is about to write 1,000 words arguing that a television show from 21 years ago isn’t real life. It’s the kind of groundbreaking content that’s going to save this country. You’re welcome, America! Read More

QUIZ | ‘The Witcher’ Character or Bon Iver Song?

Okay, I have a confession.

I have not watched “The Witcher.”

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Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker | Why I’m Not Nervous (Okay, Maybe a Bit)

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker will be released in theaters on December 20, 2019. After over 40 years, the saga of a galaxy far, far away will come to a conclusion. Am I excited? Yes! Am I nervous about whether it’ll be good? Not at all. Am I nervous that talking about Star Wars has become fraught with all kinds of inter-fandom drama over the last few years? Sure am!

I’ve shared before just how excited I get for new Star Wars movies. Here I try to make clear how I feel about Star Wars as it goes into this final chapter. Just one diehard nerd’s thoughts. Hope you enjoy… Read More

Event Preview | Stone Brewing 23rd Anniversary Grand Celebration

Stone Brewing is turning 23! To celebrate, Stone is hosting the Stone Brewing 23^rd Anniversary Grand Celebration this weekend! The event will be held on Sunday, August 18 from 3-6 p.m. More than 50 breweries will be pouring (including Stone, of course). Along with the complimentary tasting glass and a new pour list, there will be food, music and an amazing new venue. Here’s everything you need to know! Read More

2019 Oscars | Red Carpet BINGO

There’s plenty to watch at the 91st Academy Awards this Sunday. After controversy over old tweets, appointed Oscars host Kevin Hart dropped out, and the ceremony will not have a host. A Netflix film is nominated for Best Picture—NETFLIX! The guys who used to mail you DVDs might win Best Picture! And here at PorchDrinking, there’s a drinking game for the ceremony. Play along!

But before the ceremony begins, there’s some fun to watch on the red carpet! We’re bringing you Oscars BINGO for watching the (seemingly endless) hours of coverage of beautiful people showing up to celebrate each other. Who will the stars of Hollywood be wearing? What will the color of the year be? Will Spike Lee wear a hat? How much small talk about the freakishly cold LA weather this weekend will E! hosts be making with celebrities? Find out at your Oscars viewing party, as you play PorchDrinking Oscars BINGO during the Red Carpet with your friends! Read More

Stone Brewing 22nd Anniversary Celebration & Invitational | Event Preview

This Saturday, Stone Brewing is throwing a party to celebrate its 22nd anniversary. And in addition to pouring Stone beer, Stone has hand-selected some of the best breweries in the world and invited them to join for an event with food, music, private tastings and the best place to drink beer in California this weekend. I’m making the pilgrimage from LA to San Marcos, and here’s all the information you’ll need to join in the fun.

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Angel City Brewery Releasing Double IPA Cans in Honor of IPA Day

All the other “National ___ Day” celebrations can go home. I don’t need National Hot Dog Day or National Maple Syrup Day or National Hug a Cat Day (that’s a real thing and it’s June 4, by the way). What I need – what we all need – is National IPA Day. I plan on celebrating IPA Day with at least one of the two IPAs from Angel City Brewery, which is one of my favorite LA-based breweries and its IPAs are part of the reason.

To honor the special day, one can stroll into the Public House and order its DIPA  and, as part of the celebration, get it in cans on August 6. (A few days late, but isn’t every day National IPA Day?)

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The Ultimate 6er | Summer Movies 2018

Have you been enjoying this year’s slew of summer movies? From big-budget sequels and spin-offs of beloved franchises to… um… other big-budget sequels and spin-offs of beloved franchises, Hollywood has a slate of blockbusters for you to enjoy this summer. And whether you’re reclining in a big leather seat at the air-conditioned theater, drinking beer at an Alamo Drafthouse, or getting cozy at a drive-in, we know you’re going to see summer movies just to have a good time and relax. So here’s the Ultimate 6er to pair with this summer’s movies. Enjoy!
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Oscars 2018 | Red Carpet BINGO

This weekend, the stars will be out in Los Angeles to celebrate the 90th Academy Awards. The ceremony starts on ABC at 8 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. Pacific). But starting at 5 p.m. Eastern (2 p.m. Pacific), E! will bring you all the red carpet coverage you could possibly want – and then probably another hour or two after you’ve had your fill.

This year’s red carpet coverage will be a bit different. Not just because the forecast in LA is calling for clouds and rain. There’s also the fact that E! has a couple scandals on its hands (Catt Sadler left the network over pay inequality, and Variety has reported on sexual misconduct allegations against red carpet host Ryan Seacrest.) And in the era of #TimesUp and #MeToo after the amazing reporting on Hollywood’s epidemic of sexual harassment and assault… there’a a lot more on people’s minds than who they’re wearing.

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Revisiting Star Wars: The Force Awakens

As you know, it’s time for “The Last Jedi” to come out. To celebrate, I’ve re-watched the prequel trilogy. I’ve re-watched the original trilogy. And I’ve re-watched “The Force Awakens.” But you don’t need my opinions on “The Force Awakens.”

You need Nik Heimach’s opinions.

Nik Heimach is one of the most thoughtful critics and consumers of pop culture that I’ve ever met. You may have seen him on PorchDrinking before. But you don’t know the half of it.

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Revisiting Star Wars: The Original Trilogy

“The Last Jedi” comes out in a matter of hours. To celebrate, I’ve been re-watching the Star Wars movies.

I watched the prequels and wrote about it here.

No one asked me to do this, by the way.

I just really really love Star Wars.

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Revisiting Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy

I’m really, really excited for the new Star Wars movie. If you added up the time I’ve spent watching Star Wars movies in my life, it’s probably in the days. That’s not to mention the time spent playing with toys, writing about Star Wars, playing video games and standing in line for the Star Wars rides at Disneyland. And every once in a while, I need to add some more time to that counter. In anticipation of “The Last Jedi,” I’m going back and re-watching ALL the Star Wars movies. In order. Yes, starting with the prequels trilogy.

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The Only Memes I Can Tolerate Are Star Wars Memes

I’m a bad millennial. I don’t like avocado toast (or avocados in general). I pay for a monthly cable subscription. I’ve never once posted an Instagram Story. But of all the millennial crazes, the thing that makes me feel oldest is the ubiquity of memes. For geezers like me who don’t really “get” it… I’ve gleaned that memes are really just shared jokes on the internet, usually involving superimposing a caption onto a viral-worthy image or video.

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Angel City Brewery | Zero Flocs Given

Here in Los Angeles, I tend to get a bit of season-envy this time of year. My friends in the Midwest and East Coast are bragging about sweater weather, while I’m still cranking the AC in my car and wearing flip-flops on the weekends. Having nearly 300 days of sunny weather is great, but sometimes I like a bit of cloudy weather. Angel City Brewery likes things a little cloudy, too. Hence their new Zero Flocs Given Hazy IPA.
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Questions About The Trailer for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”

The trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi is out. The hype, speculation, ticket sales, merch shopping, theorizing and on-air promotion is only going to get more intense from here until the December 15 release date.

I’m sure PorchDrinking will be bringing you plenty of The Last Jedi content – already I’ve got half a dozen ideas for things to write about – but for now, let’s dig into this trailer. If you’re anything like me, you’ve probably watched the trailer 10 or 20 times, looking for new bits of information about what will happen in Episode VIII.

So here are some of the questions we still have about Episode VIII after watching this trailer. Read More

Event Preview | DTLA Breweries United ’17

This week, it became official that Los Angeles will be the host city for the Summer Olympics in either 2024 or 2028. We’ll just have to figure out whether Paris or LA goes first; one way or another, the Olympics are coming to Southern California in the next 11 years. As we look ahead to people from all over the world coming together in LA to compete and peacefully celebrate unity, it’s a perfect week for LA’s brewers to unite at the second annual DTLA Breweries United festival (and it’s all for a good cause).

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Ultimate 6er | “Better Call Saul”

“Better Call Saul” is not just the most successful TV spin-off of all time (apologies to Frasier Crane), but the best drama currently on television.

Fans of AMC’s “Breaking Bad” came to love Saul Goodman, the smug, sleazy, wise-cracking *criminal* lawyer. Saul got Walter White and Jesse Pinkman out of a few legal jams, and his way of bluntly telling the truth delivered some of the series’ best one-liners.

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