Arts & Culture

Photo Courtesy Our City Tonight

Photo Courtesy Well Go USA Entertainment

Photo Courtesy Saban Films

OUR CITY Tonight - SPOTLIGHT ON: TWO FILMS AND A COCKTAIL

By Richmond Sentinel

Published 2:33 PDT, Thu May 21, 2026

Our City Tonight

THE SIP – Green Tea Martini

For this cocktail contribution, we turn to Coulter Noronha, Bar Manager for the very popular, Cuchillo Restaurant, home to delicious Latin cuisine and creatively cocktails. With the assistance of Our City Tonight regular guests, CHOYA brand, Coulter has chosen the Green Tea Martini. “There’s nothing too crazy here,” Coulter tells us, “just really cool Umeshu with high-quality Japanese green tea which makes for a cool gin martini.” As Coulter points out, the green tea dryness works really well, and there’s just enough of a twist on this classic cocktail that's not too far from home. “That's the thing,” he says, “you want to make sure you create, but you don't want to get too far away from the origins of what the drink is. If you're putting more than like three ingredients in a martini, can you call it a martini anymore?” We could not agree more as we sip this great take on a classic cocktail. Back to the cocktail’s contributor, CHOYA. They’re a Japanese producer and global pioneer of Umeshu (ume fruit liqueur) that began as a family-run vineyard in 1914 before shifting its focus to traditional Japanese ume-based products in 1959. Today, the company is recognized for its premium “CHOYA” line, combining decades of ume cultivation, research, and Japanese craftsmanship to produce high-quality liqueurs rooted in Japanese culture and tradition.

THE VIEW #1 – Grizzly Night

Grizzly Night is one of the surprise films for us this Spring. Based on the tragic, real life events which took place in Glacier National Park on August 12, 1967 (and the nonfiction book Night of the Grizzlies by journalist Jack Olsen that followed), the film follows a group of tourists, campers, and park rangers taking in a two day hike through the park, with a stay in one of the small and isolated overnight lodges. Overcrowded, some of the younger guests decide to camp outside. That night two separate grizzly bear attacks occurred not far apart, killing two young women—Julie Helgeson and Michele Koons. From that point in the film, obvious panic and chaos settle in as the fairly new ranger bravely tries to keep things calm while they wait for help. One of the strong elements of this film is that it doesn’t present itself as a typical horror film of its kind, with the bears as monsters, some- thing that reached it’s peak in this genre of 70s and 80s. The viewer also sees how things have changed over the years in terms of conservation and safety (there’s a moment early in the film that is clearly before “do not feed the bears”). The tragedy of that night shocked the country, but permanently changed wild-life and bear-management policies in American national parks. The Grizzly Night cast includes Brec Bassinger (47 Meters Down), Charles Esten (Nashville) and Oded Fehr (The Mummy franchise).

THE VIEW #2 – Seven Snipers

Seven Snipers really is what the title says. The film centres around a retired army officer named Kris Hendricks (Radha Mitchell, Man on Fire, The Shack) living on a remote farm in Australia. Her world appears to involve only herself, her secrets and a rebellious teenage daughter. But her past suddenly catches up with her when a ruthless and menacing warlord comes calling with a large debt to collect. He’s played by the always fascinating, Tim Roth (Peaky Blinders, Pulp Fiction). Hendriks – clearly knowing what she’s about to go up against – has no choice but to call in her former crew of, we learn, elite snipers. For the next 90 minutes its all about survival for Hendriks, the team and her daughter. This tense, taut thriller will keep you at the edge of your seat, while also proving low budgets are not an obstacle if the story is solid! Look for Ioan Gruffudd (Fantastic Four) as part of a strong supporting cast. Seven Snipers is available for home viewing as of June 5th.