When ‘Mars Attacks’ with Space Dust

The Movie: Comedy-Sci-Fi / 1996 / Tim Burton Productions – Warner Bros. 

The Beer: IPA / 8.2% ABV / Elysian Brewing Co. – Seattle, WA

“Existence of Interplanetary Life Confirmed” – The New York Tribune

“Martians!!!!!” – New York Post

Unless you have been inhabiting your own planet for the last two months — or perhaps just avoiding the daily news like the plague due to pandemic fatigue — you are probably somewhat aware of the exciting recent news coming from outside Earth’s atmosphere. In addition to NASA’s Perseverance Rover, both China’s Tianen-1 orbiter and United Arab Emirates’ Hope Orbiter arrived at our red planetary neighbor in February of this year. Are the headlines quoted above only the latest “hold my beer” responses to the collective “thank God 2020 is finally over” sentiment most of us have felt since that dumpster fire of a year flipped with the calendar? 

Before entering full 1938 War of the Worlds panic mode, rest assured that those headlines will not be verified by a quick jump from this article to your favorite news source. Instead, they can be spotted on front page papers less than 15 minutes into Tim Burton and Warner Bros.’ Comedy-Sci-fi classic Mars Attacks, moments after President James Dale’s emergency address informing the American public that “We are entering the dawn of a new era… It is profoundly moving to know that there is intelligent life out there, and our world will never feel quite the same again. Good night.”

Motivated by the very real news of the three recent Mars 2021 missions, I knew I wanted to do a beer and movie pairing that celebrated Hollywood’s representation of humanity’s quest to know what signs of life may exist out there among the heavens. Then I realized that neither of the other members of my movie viewing party (shout-out to my wife Jordan and our roommate Mary) had previously had the pleasure of watching one of my least favorite actors get vaporized before being given enough screen time to ruin another film. It was time to revisit this gem of a parody on alien sci-fi — a genre that so often takes itself way too seriously.  

In addition to the above mentioned vaporization and the comedic genius of casting Jack Nicholson simultaneously as the Nixon-esque President Dale and the venture capitalist hotel and casino tycoon Art Land, there are just too many good surprises in this classic (that so many of us growing up in the 1990s and 2000s likely first were treated to on a Friday night on TBS). Mars Attacks also successfully sneaks in just enough commentary on American arrogance and extravagance to feel culturally relevant a quarter century after its initial release.

From established star Glenn Close as first lady and mother to a pre-Star Wars Natalie Portman, to a fresh-off-the-GoldenEye-set Pierce Brosnan interacting with Jim Brown of Cleveland Browns fame, Warner Bros. and Tim Burton really had the stars aligned to make this movie a blast — a blast that includes destruction of a certain Capitol building and prompts President Dale to say, “I want the American people to know they still have two branches working for them. And that ain’t bad.” 

But before loading up your Hulu account to steam this star-studded classic, I suggest grabbing a mixed six pack from Seattle’s Elysian Brewing Co. Look out specifically for Space Dust IPA, an out-of-this-world (not sorry for the cliche’) hopped-up pairing with Mars Attacks that, at 8.2% ABV, will quickly help you settle in to the 1 hour and 45 minutes of un-cliche’ hilarity and just thought-provoking enough social commentary coming your way. 

Describing the beer on their website, Elysian says, “the hopping is pure starglow energy, with Chinook to bitter late and dry additions of Citra and Amarillo.” If you are not typically a consumer of IPAs, those starglow energy hops are probably going to blast your taste buds like a Martian ray gun, but the light-to-medium body and satisfyingly alien (perhaps owed to notes of real space dust?) flavor profile make that initial bitterness all worth it. Maybe just as viewing Mars Attacks — either for the first time, or the first time in too long — may help you momentarily forget about every non-Mars related news story currently on NPR.  At the very least, I am sure you will enjoy seeing Jack Black vaporized not a moment too soon, just as much as I did.

*Bonus*

 The folks at Elysian Brewing Co. recommend combining a Space Dust IPA with their Superfuzz Blood Orange Pale ale to create a Fuzzduster!