Beer (1985) User Reviews

A Great 1980s Comedy -- Needs A Comeback!

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 6 February 2013]

An advertising firm, desperate to keep an account from a financially-ailing brewery, concocts a macho ad campaign centering on three losers who inadvertently prevent a robbery at a bar.

There is much to be said about the world of advertising, especially with beer. It could be parodied and satirized, and they made a solid attempt at it here. Although now thirty years old, it is interesting to see that the ideas depicted in this film have not really changed.

I loved the little kid with the ghetto blaster -- it is so 1980s! And then his father saying, "I have worked my whole life to keep big radios off your shoulders." This works well with the scenes not much later with David Alan Grier trying to be stereotypically black. Humor that is racial without being racist always makes me smile, and I think they nailed it.

Oh, and then there is Rip Torn. While he does not get as much screen time as he should -- and is not as weird here as he is in such films as "Dodgeball" -- you cannot go wrong with him showing up!

Too bad they couldn't whip out something unforgettable.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 5 December 2020]

While this has some really good ideas and a few very funny moments, there's more fuzz than hops in the script of this often sexist spoof of the advertising industry. Before old commercials made their way to online video sites, audiences didn't get much of a chance to see the classics, and this shows a few classic beer commercials as well as creating some for the fictional Norbecker Beer, the 80 something year old German beer now run by "Young Frankenstein's" Kenneth Mars. He's upset by the failure of the advertising agency to raise sales, and it's up to account executive Loretta Swit to raise them.

The campaign she comes up with stirs up women's groups over its attitudes towards women. Certainly, the catch phrase, "Whip out your Norbecker!" isn't exactly subtle, and how it changes the three regular men hired to represent the average male beer drinker (as the company doesn't consider women as average beer drinkers) affects their personal lives as Swit becomes obsessive in her desire to top herself with each commercial as they get more racy and "macho".

Of the three men, David Allen Grier is the most memorable, a hard-working bankruptcy attorney whom Swit considers "not black enough" which gives Grier some great opportunities to let loose and be truly funny as he tries to become more "ghetto" which is not what Swit wants. Rip Torn is excellent as Swit's recovering alcoholic friend who risks his sobriety by directing the commercials. With so many good elements, the film fails to fully satisfy simply because the script is trying too hard to be clever.

Norbecker-The Beer of Kings

[Uriah43 · 5/10 · 24 March 2013]

"A. J. Norbecker" (Kenneth Mars) is the owner of a brewery which has seen its sales of "Norbecker" beer decrease to abysmal levels. He attributes this to the poor marketing firm that he has hired and gives them one more chance to revive his sales. The advertising firm turns to "B. D. Tucker" (Loretta Swit) in a desperate attempt to keep the million-dollar account. As luck would have it, she and a veteran director named "Buzz Beckermann" (Rip Torn) go to a seedy bar and witness a robbery attempt which is accidentally stopped by three men: "Elliott Morrison" (David Alan Grier), "Merle Draggett" (William Russ) and "Frankie Falcone" (Saul Stein) who are nursing their beers while mulling over their bad fortunes. Because she needs something fantastic for a commercial, she uses some creativity and casts all three as heroes who prevented the robbery because it interfered with their drinking Norbecker Beer. This causes a sensation within the beer drinking world which feeds on itself and rapidly takes a life of its own. At any rate, the humor is okay but there is some sexual innuendo involved as well as some politically incorrect jabs at certain groups. Overall, the acting is adequate except for Loretta Swit who looks nice and probably gives a better-than-average performance. An average comedy all things considered.

A fine film

[farnum · 24 April 2001]

I think this movie is really funny. Especially the part where all the guys get drunk at the bar. Its so funny because its true! This is the best work that Loretta Swit has done since A*F*T*E*R*M*A*S*H. Everyone should get a case of Norbeckers, and sit down and enjoy some "Beer"!

Waste of time.

[jkutras · 1/10 · 29 November 2009]

Watched this piece ONDEMAND because the description was kind of outlandish. This film stinks of cocaine, the opening scene alone must have cost at least five figures in blow to film. This is a racist, homophobic piece of garbage that plods along for a good 1hr and 22mins with absolutely no direction. I am a little confused on how this has good reviews here. I won't bother telling you the plot line because as far as I can tell there is no plot. I'm pretty sure everyone showed up to the set everyday did giant lines, dressed Loretta Switt in plunging necklines to show as much flapjack breastage as possible and yelled action; letting the cast improvise in a cocaine frenzy. Much like real beer this movie nearly caused my liver to fail half way through. Save your money, and watch 'Strange Brew' instead.

"Whip out your Norbecker"

[merklekranz · 7/10 · 3 September 2011]

This film is going to rub certain people the wrong way. Specifically Blacks, women, and gays might take some offense. On the other hand, "Beer" is no more offensive than some "Saturday Night Live" skits. The acting is very good, with Rip Torn, Loretta Switt, and David Alan Grier, especially memorable. Kenneth Mars, in a supporting role, steals every scene he's in. There is some slapstick, along with at least a bunch of dark humor. Three average guys become heroes to the average American beer drinker, while their commercials make Norbecker Beer sales surge. "Whip out your Norbecker". Recommended viewing..................... - MERK

Less filling cause it doesn't taste great

[movieman_kev · 7/10 · 8 July 2004]

A struggling beer company employs a new ad campaign conceived by 'Hot Lips' Houlihan and lensed by Larry Sander's Director based on three losers (David Grier, William Russ, and Saul Stein, WOW talk about life imitating art)whom happened to be in the right place at the right time & get credit for foiling a robbery. The satire falls flat. While there ARE a few chuckles here and there, the movie as a whole makes you gassy. Skip this one, and either go to your favorite bar & drink real beer instead or just keep waiting for Coupon: The Movie.

My Grade:C-

Where i saw it: Showtime

A classic

[Charles_Bronson · 10/10 · 12 September 2003]

I recently learned of the classic that is 'Beer'. The day I was born was when this movie was released in theatres...and up until about 2 months ago, I never even knew this movie existed. It's funny as hell. Rip Torn alone makes this movie worth watching. A nice little cast, an interesting story and loads of laughs await you when you watch 'Beer'.

Best part is when David Alan Grier tries to be 'black enough' to his son. It cracks me up every time I see that part. Forget about this review...go rent the movie or buy it on video. Well worth the money.

The Unscrupulousness of Ad Agencies

[view_and_review · 7/10 · 20 January 2020]

The title is simple enough, so what's the plot?

"Beer" is a comedy that I appreciated, not so much for the laughs, but more for the content. It is a satirical look at advertising with a laser focus on beer commercials.

Norbecker beer is struggling with sales, lagging woefully behind behemoths such as Budweiser and Michelob. The company owner, Adolph Norbecker (Kenneth Mars), is spending $50M a year on ads and he's questioning his current relationship with The Feemer Agency, the main ad company he deals with. The Feemer Agency, and by extension Norbecker beer, get a significant break when a savvy, ruthless, corporate woman named BD Tucker (Loretta Swit) has a great idea. She wants to use the average man as the face of Norbecker Beer. It's a great idea but where will she find this man, or men?

She has a serendipitous encounter with three men who are liberally labeled as heroes when a robber is apprehended. Elliot (David Alan Grier), Merle (William Russ), and Frankie (Saul Stein) simply piled on top of the robber after he was hilariously knocked out. For that act they were called heroes and they would be the new faces of Norbecker Beer.

Even if we were to generously call them "heroes" for piling on top of an unconscious armed robber, what Tucker made them into was almost divinity. She took their feeble act of "bravery" and with the help of camera magic and misleading advertisement made it into a selfless act of heroism.

This movie was so enjoyable because of the accurate depiction of beer companies and beer commercials. It's laughable that a guy could be transformed into a strong, brave, desirable man with a flock of beautiful women by simply drinking X brand of beer. The Feemer Agency, wanting to one-up the competition, became more unprincipled as sales ballooned for Norbecker. They were shameless in their exploitation of women and duplicitous depiction of average men who drank Norbecker beer. There was no moral floor for The Feemer Agency and Norbecker as they were governed only by the book of sales.

As The Feemer Agency became more degenerate you wondered how it was going to end. The three men were becoming more "woke" which would bring them in direct conflict with BD Tucker who was completely without conscience. It did, and everything fell apart when the three men were caught having a fight in a gay bar. It was not the best ending, but it showed just how unprincipled Norbecker beer was. From that situation they pivoted off of the "are you tough enough" slogan to the "are you sensitive enough" slogan. Just showing that people will come and go but the wheels of the commercial machine will keep turning.

It has aged pretty well

[mpenman · 5 December 1999]

I caught this when it first came out, and considered it a lame-ass attempt at Brooks-style humor.

Just rented it for a buck yesterday, and it actually turned out to be halfway funny. Just getting to see some old *real* beer commercials was worth a point, and Loretta Swit showing off her withered dugs via various plunging necklines gained it another. Dick Shawn and A.J. Mars are always great (especially that final "sensitive" commercial). And seeing David Alan Grier get in some practice for his later "In Living Color" bits was keen.

I give it 6 out of 10.

The end product will be tastier

[xander-2 · 11 February 1999]

I did watch this load of watered down brew right through to the end.When you are stuck out on the Atlantic ocean on a ship far from civilisation anything is watchable for the sake of something to do other than work,eat and sleep.If you occasionally have your mind in neutral the whole experience is similar to the end product of the beer you could be drinking right now. Give it a miss and go to the pub instead and have a pint of the real stuff.

Before politically correct

[posarella · 30 August 2011]

I get it, I'm politically correct now. But there was a time when this was not yet the norm. As a woman, a few scenes here are hard to swallow. However, this film is very funny, understanding its context, its time. Be prepared to be pleasantly surprised by the ancient iconic beer commercials and the stories behind them, the ridiculous world of advertising. David Allen Grier and Lorretta Swit make it memorable, yet the genius behind this film is in its direction. Patrick Kelly fully understood the ins and outs of the ad world, the writing is pitch perfect too. This is a film for advertising geeks, but it will also entertain those outside the ad world too. Enjoyed it thoroughly!