The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie: Strange Brew (1983)

Directors:

Rick Moranis
Dave Thomas

Writers:

Rick Moranis (written by) &
Dave Thomas (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

26 August 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

The McKenzie brothers beer up under misfortune.

Plot:

Canada's most famous hosers, Bob and Doug McKenzie, get jobs at the Elsinore Brewery, only to learn that something is rotten with the state of it.

Plot Keywords:

Brewery | Hockey | Canada | Spinning Newspaper | Interruption By Audience

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Dave Thomas	...	Doug McKenzie
Rick Moranis	...	Bob McKenzie
Max von Sydow	...	Brewmeister Smith (as Max Von Sydow)
Paul Dooley	...	Claude Elsinore
Lynne Griffin	...	Pam Elsinore
Angus MacInnes	...	Jean LaRose
Tom Harvey	...	The Inspector
Douglas Campbell	...	Henry Green
Brian McConnachie	...	Ted
Len Doncheff	...	Jack Hawkland
Jill Frappier	...	Gertrude
David Beard	...	The Judge
Thick Wilson	...	The Prosecutor
Robert Windsor	...	Bailiff
Sid Lynas	...	Angry Man at Movie
Ron James	...	Man in Movie
Dora Dainton	...	Lady in Movie
David Clement	...	Man in the Alley
Paddy Sampson	...	Pensioner
Roger Dunn	...	Beer Store Clerk
Diane Douglass	...	Receptionist
Eric House	...	John Elsinore
J. Winston Carroll	...	Fire Chief
James Conroy	...	Bald Con
Glenn Beck	...	Prison Guard
Desh Bandhu	...	Parking Attendant
Ilija Ilijevski	...	M.C. at Oktoberfest
Mary Charlotte Wilcox	...	Nurse
Maggie Butterfield	...	Nurse
David Rigby	...	Policeman
Denis Forest	...	Policeman
John Kelly	...	Policeman
Dick Grant	...	Policeman
George Stinton	...	Policeman
Thom Bell	...	Hospital Orderly
Christopher Benson	...	Hospital Orderly
John Stoneham Sr.	...	Hospital Orderly (as John Stoneham)
Buddy the Dog	...	Hosehead the Dog
Mel Blanc	...	Voice of Mr. McKenzie (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Marshall Perlmuter	...	Janitor in Brewery (uncredited)

Directed by
Rick Moranis
Dave Thomas

Writing credits
Rick Moranis		(written by) &
Dave Thomas		(written by) and
Steve De Jarnatt		(written by) (as Steven De Jarnatt)

Produced by
Brian E. Frankish	....	associate producer (as Brian Frankish)
Jack Grossberg	....	executive producer
Louis M. Silverstein	....	producer

Original Music by
Charles Fox

Cinematography by
Steven Poster		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Patrick McMahon

Casting by
Pamela M. Roberts

Production Design by
David L. Snyder

Art Direction by
Debra Gjendem
Suzanna Smith
Stephen Dane		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Elena Kenney
Gustave Meunier

Costume Design by
Larry S. Wells		(as Larry Wells)

Makeup Department
Linda Gill	....	makeup artist
Kathleen Graham	....	makeup artist
Bron Roylance	....	makeup artist
Malcolm Tanner	....	hairdresser

Production Management
Marc Dassas	....	production manager
Jack Grossberg	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Harry V. Bring	....	second assistant director: Los Angeles
Edwina Follows	....	assistant director
Brian E. Frankish	....	assistant director (as Brian Frankish)
David McLeod	....	assistant director (as David A. MacLeod)
Larry Pall	....	second unit director

Art Department
Jack E. Ackerman	....	property master: special photography unit (as Jack Ackerman)
Paul Chadwick	....	production illustrator
George Miller	....	construction manager
Walter Woloszczuk	....	property master

Sound Department
Marty Church	....	adr mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
David Lee	....	sound mixer
Leonard Peterson	....	sound re-recording mixer
John Riordan	....	sound editor
Art Rochester	....	sound mixer: special photography unit
Steve Switzer	....	boom operator (as Steven Switzer)
Gregory H. Watkins	....	sound re-recording mixer

Special Effects by
Eric Allard	....	special effects: special photography unit
Henry Piersig	....	special effects
Frank Toro	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
John C. Wash	....	animator: special photography unit (as John Wash)
Matthew Yuricich	....	matte artist: special photography unit

Stunts
Bill Couch	....	stunt coordinator: special photography unit
Peter Cox	....	stunt player
Ted Hanlan	....	stunt player
Anne Lore Kemsies	....	stunt player
Doug Knispel	....	stunt player
Karen Pike	....	stunt player
Gary Reidt	....	stunt player
David Rigby	....	stunt player
Albert Texiera	....	stunt player
Jérôme Tiberghien	....	stunt player (as Jerome Tiberghien)
Shelley Cook	....	stunt performer (uncredited)
Hubie Kerns Jr.	....	stunts (uncredited)
David Rigby	....	stunt coordinator (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Ray Boyle	....	gaffer
Michael Brady	....	video tape operator
David Devine	....	video unit: Devine Videoworks Corp.
Henri Fiks	....	camera operator
John Grierson	....	camera operator: video
Rhonda C. Gunner	....	video: special photography unit (as Rhonda Gunner)
J. Barry Herron	....	underwater camera operator: special photography unit (as J. Barry Heron)
Ted Holt	....	gaffer: special photography unit
Malcolm Kendall	....	best boy
Jay Kohne	....	assistant camera
Gregory L. McMurry	....	video: special photography unit (as Greg McMurray)
Richard Mozer	....	video unit: Devine Videoworks Corp.
Andrew Mulkani	....	key grip
Thom Ryan	....	assistant camera
Tim Ryan	....	grip: special photography unit
Robert Saad	....	camera operator
Neil Seale	....	assistant camera
Peter Smith	....	assistant camera: special photography unit
Shin Sugino	....	still photographer
Gary Deneault	....	rigging gaffer (uncredited)

Casting Department
Clibby Verian	....	extras casting (as Clibby Verrian)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Erla Lank	....	wardrobe supervisor

Editorial Department
Bruce Baggot	....	assistant editor
Evan Landis	....	assistant editor
Bruce Lange	....	assistant editor
Ray Martin	....	color timer
Beverly Webb	....	post-production secretary: special photography unit

Music Department
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor
Scott Stambler	....	music editor

Transportation Department
John Cocks	....	transportation coordinator
Randy Peters	....	transportation coordinator: special photography unit

Other crew
Catherine Avola	....	production staff
Duncan Bruce	....	production staff
Jesse Cohoon	....	craft service
Marc Conway	....	animal trainer
Doreen Davis	....	production accountant
Karen Day	....	location auditor
Prudence Emery	....	unit publicist
Penelope Hynam	....	script supervisor
Susan Kavesh	....	production office coordinator
Janice Polley	....	production secretary
Charlie Royer	....	dive coordinator: special photography unit
Woody Sidarous	....	production staff
Robert Veer	....	technical advisor

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents) (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer)

Distributors

• MGM/UA Entertainment Company
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (USA) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Anthem Records  soundtrack available on: Canada
• Devine Videoworks Production  video unit (as Devine Videoworks Corp.)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals (as MGM)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  rerecorded at
• PolyGram Records  soundtrack available on
• Tiberghien and Rigby Assoc.  stunts

Also Known As:

Strange Brew (USA) (short title)
The Adventures of Bob & Doug McKenzie

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

Canada | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:PG | Iceland:L | USA:PG (No. 26857) | Canada:PG (Canadian Home Video rating) | UK:PG | Canada:G (Quebec) | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Etobicoke, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

The basic plot as well as many of the name of the brewing company are references to William Shakespeare's "Hamlet". The castle in "Hamlet" was Elsinore. The heir to Elsinore's father was murdered by her uncle, who then comes to her as a ghost.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Bob and Doug are in their parents' kitchen fetching beer for their dad, they drop a full glass of beer. When the camera shows it smashing against the ground, the glass is clearly empty.

Quotes:

Bob McKenzie: I was the last one left after the nuclear holocaust, eh. The whole world had been destroyed, like U.S. blew up Russia and Russia blew up U.S. Fortunately, I had been offworld at the time. There wasn't much to do. All the bowling alleys had been wrecked. So's I spent most of my time looking for beer.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Coven (2000)

Soundtrack:

Strange Brew

Before Wayne and Garth, there was Bob and Dog McKenzie.

"Strange Brew" is a spin-off of the Bob and Doug McKenzie shorts on Canada's export "SCTV" (which started in the early '80s on US television and won some awards). This movie is very much low budget and doesn't concern itself with continuity or much of a plot either -- it's a retread of "Hamlet" (that's right!) and one William Shakespeare even gets a co-writing credit.

Anyway, the film is not by any means a masterpiece but it's amusing in a so-bad-it's-good kind of way. (And incidentally this was purposefully bad, and Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas -- who directed and wrote it -- make no effort to conceal this.) The best part is actually the beginning when Bob and Doug reveal their movie about a man who survives the holocaust and wonders the earth in search of beer. I've rarely laughed so hard. "Pss, act!" is one of the funniest lines in cinema history.

After that it goes downhill but remains entertaining... Bob and Doug become embroiled in a plot by mad scientist Mad Von Sydow, who wants to take over the world and all the other stuff mad scientists like to do.

I've never seen such a pieced-together, fragmented movie in all my life. A number of scenes pay nothing to the film whatsoever. One hockey game sequence goes on for about seven minutes and doesn't really have anything to do with... well... anything! On top of that, characters come and go and disappear without mention again -- towards the end of the film, one of the bad guys gets his comeuppance, but the film doesn't even reveal how! Also the woman playing the ex-brewster's daughter is supposed to be about 21 but she's clearly in her mid to late thirties... and at one point her birthdate is revealed in the film, and according to the date of the film, it places her at a much older age... so evidently Moranis and Thomas didn't really care at all about trying to convince audiences of anything with this film.

And it's better that way. This is a really smug and self-knowing comedy, but in a good way. It's light-hearted and doesn't take itself seriously. Even during the end credits, Bob and Doug give their film a review and mention its plot weaknesses, but claim it's just good family fun and worth five bucks, and I agree. On an aside note I will have to say that the film's best sequences are those in which Bob and Doug are actually hosting their show, and sometimes I wonder if that would have made a better 90 minutes than attempting to come up with a half-a$$ed plot. But oh well, it's still pretty funny and amusing as it is.