Wine & DVD - Shirvington Shiraz and "The Producers"

Last night we shared a bottle of Shirvington Shiraz 2005 from McLaren Vale in Australia. This is one fantastic bottle of wine! The nose was wonderful, filled with vanilla, berries and a hint of spice. The palate was a burst of flavor, everything you'd expect from an Aussie Shiraz. It started out with an explosion of berries, and finished with a beautiful round of vanilla. Smooth, silky and sensational!

"The Producers" - this was the new version (adapted from the Broadway musical) released in 2005 starring Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick reprising the roles of Max Bialystock and Leo Bloom, originally played by Zero Mostel and Gene Wilder. I think Nathan Lane did a pretty good job as Max, but (in my humble opinion) Matthew Broderick just didn't quite cut it as Leo. His portrayal seemed too...forced. Gene Wilder was naturally goofy and the role was perfect for him. I think this was a role better suited for someone like Rob Schneider. Matthew Broderick is a fine comedic actor, but he's not goofy. And the role really did call for someone of that ilk.

The original was not a musical, but the newer version was. I didn't feel the storyline called for it being a musical, the original was much better. One of my favorite characters from the original movie (LSD played by Dick Shawn) was not in the newer version, and I think he was a critical member of the cast.

The plot of the movie: Leo Bloom, an accountant, discovers an error in Max Bialystock's books from the production of his last play, which flopped. It turns out he raised more money than it cost to produce the play. Leo offhandedly states that you could theoretically make more money from a flop than from a hit, if you were corrupt enough to do that, of course. Max jumps on the idea and enlists Leo as his co-producer/co-conspirator and it goes from there. You'll have to watch it yourself to find out what happens ;-)

I will say that you absolutely HAVE to watch the gag reel on the bonus section of the DVD. I think I laughed harder at the outtakes than I did during the entire movie!