Monday 18 February 2013

The Black Stuff








I'm not the Guinness fiend I used to be when I was a chain smoking bar fly and 'bon viveur' i.e. dishevelled drunk, but I have one every now and again and never fail to wonder at its perfection as a product. 'Guinness For You' is a fantastic short film from 1971 which fetishes every aspect of the drink, from the way the hops are gathered and fermented, to the way they put the labels on and, finally, how it goes down. It's extremely abstract at times, but the Guinness brand is always at the forefront. Oh, and a bottle only costs 50p in the new money!


Magnificently done, the film works as art and as advertisment, and I guarantee you'll fancy a pint as soon as you start watching it. If all that wasn't enough, it has a score from the wonderful Tristram Cary that features both his experimental electronic work and a more conventional orchestral element. Both are great. It's a superb way to spend a quarter of an hour.


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