VHS and Chill: Watching 'The Blue Lagoon' requires a STIFF drink

by Eve Vawter

It's summer, and what could be better in the summer than chillaxing with a delicious tropical cocktail and watching a movie? Especially a movie that transports you to an exotic locale and explores a beautiful relationship between two young people? Nothing, I say! Well, unless that movie is 1980's The Blue Lagoon and the beautiful relationship takes place between two cousins and results in them having a baby together before the viewer assumes they die tragically from consuming poisonous berries right before they are rescued. Spoiler alert! They are just sleeping.

Make no mistake about it, The Blue Lagoon is seriously ffffffff'd up. 

I was 11 when this movie hit theaters, and even though I think every 11-year-old wanted to be the Jordache-clad-long-haired-caterpillar-eyebrow'd-Michael-Jackson-datin'-Pretty-Baby Brooke Shields, I think most teens (which is what I was when I was finally able to see it) who saw this movie were made pretty uncomfortable with a lot of scenes in it.

It was awkwaaaaaard.

Not only does Brooke's character, Emmeline Lestrange, (which may be one of the best cinematic character names in the history of filmmaking and literature, because this cinematic shlockfest was based on a book) stumble upon Richard Lestrange (played by an 18-year-old Christopher Atkins) jerking off against a rock, she gets her first visit from Aunt Flo while bathing in a stream and has no freaking idea why she's bleeding, and gets knocked up from having sex with her cousin and has to give birth while on a deserted island. It's enough to make you need a drink, which is why it's this week's VHS and Chill cocktail pairing. 

Read more: VHS and Chill: A Dirty Dancing Cocktail for an Evening of Falling Asleep on the Couch

So fire up your DVR, take your top off but glue your hair over your breasts to cover them (which is what they did with 14-year-old Brooke so they wouldn't be charged with the distribution of child pornography after creating this doozy) and be transported with this tale of young love and teen pregnancy.  

See? I told you you'd need a stiff drink to get through this one. So for this week's VHS and Chill, I'd probably recommend that you skip all the other ingredients here except the vodka. Maybe add a squeeze of lime. If you're really feeling the need to be festive, go for it with the neon blue concoction, but still maybe double up on the vodka. Fair warning.

Coconutty Blue Lagoon Cocktail

Ingredients:

  • 2 ounces vodka
  • 2 ounces coconut water
  • 2 ounces lemonade
  • 1 ounce blue curaçao
  • Lemon and lime wedges (optional, to add tartness)
  • Ice

Directions: 

  1. In a glass with ice, combine vodka, coconut water, lemonade, and blue curaçao.
  2. If desired, squeeze in a lemon and lime wedge. Stir.