web counter
 

The Grapes of Maynard James Keenan's Wrath

By TK | Posted Under Trailers | Comments (20)

maynard-james-keenan-with-wine.jpg

This one’s been quietly bouncing around for a while, but it’s our first time covering it. I don’t usually cover documentaries, but this one … this one is special. Because if there are two things I love in the world, it’s family and dogs.

Wait … this is about neither of those things.

However, if there are two other things that I love in the world, it’s rock and roll and alcohol. Blood into Wine is a glorious combination of the two, featuring one of my favorite, and one of the most enigmatic performers ever — Maynard James Keenan, lead singer of Tool (as well as A Perfect Circle and Puscifer). Keenan, in addition to being an iconic and brilliant musical talent, is also a not-so-amateur winemaker — in 2004, he founded Caduceus Cellars (named after the ancient symbol for commerce, and the staff of the Greek god Hermes) and Merkin Vineyard, named after … well … anyway.

Regardless, below is the trailer for Blood into Wine, a documentary about Keenan’s Arizona winemaking. It looks like a combination of an honest picture of his life, the beautiful lands that he works on, as well as a goofy-assed, comical depiction of the process. It also features Bob Odenkirk, Milla Jovovich, Fairuza Balk and Patton Oswalt.

If those names and that premise isn’t enough to get you interested, then we just can’t be friends.

Blood into Wine premieres at The W Hotel in Scottsdale, AZ next month.









Each Time You Like, Share, Tweet or Stumble a Pajiba Post, An Angel Does the Paul Rudd Dance

← Repo Chick Trailer | James Marsden in I Hop →









Comments

Fucking sweet. Let's be friends.

That is all.

Posted by: Lurkey Turkey at January 26, 2010 11:27 AM

Maynard just came to a Whole Foods in Sacramento (where I live) and was signing bottles of his wine for fans. The amazing thing was that I got a feeling like he was annoyed by all the Tool/APC love, as he was truly there to share his wonderful wine with people who were there only because of his musical talents. He's certainly an ecclectic man, to say the least, but above all he is passionate, and in this world of fakes and phonies it's nice to have a celebrity driven by passion rather than money or fame.

Posted by: John Denver's Wingman at January 26, 2010 11:28 AM

OMG, is that his face? I've never seen it before.

I enjoy it.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverpuppet at January 26, 2010 11:31 AM

Also, Fairuza Balk?

Interested. I was already interested, but now I'm VERY interested.

Posted by: Anna von Beaverpuppet at January 26, 2010 11:32 AM

Being a serious oenophile and a big Tool fan this is quite the convergence of interests. Count me in.

Posted by: Eep at January 26, 2010 11:39 AM

MJK is one of those persons that all around leaves me tongue-tied.

Dig the music... love the wine... he's so interesting and a deep thinker...
and he's the hawt-ness to boot.

One of the only performers that makes me all heavy sighs and eyes agog.

Bunk time ahoy.

Posted by: Ms MoMo at January 26, 2010 11:43 AM

By the way, let me take this opportunity with winey eyes turned this way to recommend Oz and James' Big Wine Adventure. Surprisingly reasonable to order from the UK and will play on most computers in my experience (no region coding, it's just in PAL as opposed to NTSC so your standalone player likely won't like it). It's got James May from Top Gear being lead around France (then California in the second series) in an effort to turn him from a pub crawler to a wine ponce. Fantastic stuff and a bit educational too, especially to the wine n00b.

Posted by: Eep at January 26, 2010 11:56 AM

I had the good fortune to receive a slate of samples to review from Caduceus and Arizona Stronghold -- the latter being his collaboration with Eric Glomski, who's the pioneer of Arizona winemaking. I also tried a couple of Glomski's wines.

Celebrity or not -- these wines kick ass. Copious quantities of bunkworthiness for wine lovers.

http://www.thenakedvine.net/2009/07/arizona-stronghold.html

Yeah, I know -- self-promotion is frowned upon, but this is relevant, dammit!

Posted by: Mike at January 26, 2010 11:56 AM

Seeing Tool live was one of the highlights of my teenage years. I love JMK. He's so damned interesting. He's also been a stand up comic, attended West Point, and is purple belt in BJJ under one of the Gracies.

Yeah, he is that much of a badass. I've got to see if I can get some of his wine. He actually appears at the tasting events at Arizona Stronghold in Jerome fairly often. Here is the website for Caduceus Cellars. I'm going to find some way to see this.

Posted by: Melody at January 26, 2010 12:41 PM

We're screening this February in Austin with a multi-course feast and wine pairings from Caduceus. Hell, Maynard is even sending us Almonds from his farm to use for one of the courses. The doc is great, and surprisingly funny. Tim and Eric especially make for an entertaining interview with Maynard.

Check out the menu here!

Posted by: Bret at January 26, 2010 12:59 PM

I may have hit the jackpot. I will have to check this and his wine out. Tool has always been such an inspirational band and I truly regret missing them when they came down here. My brother and sister got to go, and they still talk about it being the best concert they have every experienced.

Posted by: Shadows of Dakaron at January 26, 2010 1:00 PM

Bret Any idea if they're doing the same in Houston? I know it's showing...

Posted by: Eep at January 26, 2010 1:19 PM

I'm not much of an wine connoseiur (sp?) myself, but I am a big Tool fan. Seen them live twice so far, both times were amazing. A Perfect Circle rule too, although that's more down to Billy Howerdei, who wrote all the music. APC fans would do well to check out Billy's new project, Ashes Divide - some truly gorgeous music.

Posted by: Dill The Devil at January 26, 2010 1:21 PM

hey. tim and eric. i like.

Posted by: farik at January 26, 2010 2:06 PM

*stumbles into the room and blinks*

*holds out own wine glass*

Yes, please.

Posted by: Your Mom at January 26, 2010 3:48 PM

Fwiw, to anyone in the Houston area I checked and yes, the West Oaks Alamo Drafthouse is doing the same feast thing Bret described. I can't make it, but please, go forth and enjoy in my stead.

Posted by: Eep at January 26, 2010 4:40 PM

this wine is delicioso. i'm from the east coast but went to Arizona basically just for this wine. it was amazing to just be where Maynard has walked ....... haha.. i am obsessed

Posted by: kam at January 26, 2010 5:54 PM

The Mr and I went down to San Antonio to see Puscifer and we were tempted to pay the extra fee to meet MJK and try out his wine. We ultimately passed on the wine tasting because we'd just seen that episode of Castle, where he tells his daughter it's better to admire your musical heroes from afar for fear they turn out to be horrifyingly human up close.

I REALLY REALLY didn't want to find out if MJK is an asshole in real life, because then what would I play in my car? All CD slots are taken up by Tool, Puscifer or APC (yes, I'm that dumb). So instead, we watched from afar as he did his thing on stage, and laughed at the people who stood for HOURS just to shake hands with a guy and then pay more money to drink his wine.

Btw, I don't know if he's an asshole in real life. I have no proof either way, just sayin', by NOT meeting him, I get to remain in blissful ignorance.

We will be checking this doc out (yay Alamo!! /cue snoopy dance)

Posted by: Stella at January 26, 2010 7:14 PM

I've toured the vineyards, and it is a beautiful place, right on Oak Creek in the middle of nowhere in Arizona. His wine is very, very good. And he is an amazing guy (well, as far as I know from his concerts and musical genius).
Jerome is a cool place to visit, an old mining town perched on the side of a mountain about an hour from the vineyards, now an artists' colony.

Posted by: nancy at January 27, 2010 12:04 PM

I went to see the Puscifer concert a few months back when they were in San Antonio and had the great fortune of going to the winetasting before hand. No need to wait hours, I just bought the tickets for my wife and I. We sampled the Chupacabra and listened to a great wine lesson from Maynard's personal tour manager. For the life of me right now I can't remember his name but he was a very knowledgeable guy. Anyway we got to meet Maynard and he is exactly like how he comes across in Blood into Wine, which I saw last night at the Westlakes Alamo Drafthouse. He answered a few questions, could have been more but most people were too star struck to speak. Their loss was my gain as I got to ask two questions. He really is passionate about his wines and music, so much so it makes you want to find something that you could be equally passionate about. He is by no means a people person but was still very nice and just made me like his wine and music even more. Which by the way, I didn't think would be possible. If you're a Maynard fan, a documentary fan, wine fan, or just like to laugh and learn see this documentary. I would really like to meet Eric now.

Posted by: Gerard at February 21, 2010 8:47 AM