(I wrote this 1500 character review for a web page that ended up only accepting 750, so here is the whole thing).
Two of Five Stars: Beer Wars Live
I only get over-the-air TV and mostly PBS, so I've seen a whole lot of documentaries ;) and this one did not rank at all on interesting content. There was so much more that could have been explained.
Where were the detailed stories from the guys who have been shutting out the craft brewers from the store shelves? Why do they do it? Do they feel guilty about it, or is it 'just business'?
I thought the tiny snippet of the lawsuit concerning the "Punkin Ale" copyright was an interesting story, but the Moonshot story took 20X the footage, and was a bore! I wouldn't drink that crap, because it's a gimmick, but the idea that she's got a mediocre idea that doesn't sell is ultra boring!
And where were the interviews with craft breweries that went out of business? They must have some really good war stories about precisely the moves that were made in their market that pushed them over the edge.
The best part of the movie was probably the live portion at the end (and several folks in our theater got up and left during the credits!)
I left with the feeling that someone, not mentioning any names, saw the craft beer phenomenon and wondered how to make a quick buck. Well, they got my money, but there won't be a next time for any of the people involved with the production of this movie.
The real story of the beer wars has got to me more interesting than what was collected for this movie! Maybe we'll see a PBS documentary done right on the topic!