NEWPORT BEACH FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! I have to be honest; I’m not an obsessive tiki bar fan or collector of tiki ceramic mugs. I do, however, think the style looks cool, and I know about collecting from the comic book and basketball card worlds. Cabali And The Tiki Mug Obsession is a documentary by director Josh Dragotta about the aforementioned tiki subculture and one man’s dream of building his perfect tiki bar.
Doug “Fini” Finical is one of those people who is obsessed with tiki mugs (and amassed quite the collection), and the film follows him as he assembles craftsmen and artists over the period of two years to help him build his ultimate speakeasy, dedicated to tiki mugs, a tiki bar named Cabali in Arizona. Fini has no problem mortgaging his house, borrowing from a banker or asking his partner Scott Mencke for more money to fulfill his ambitions of adding a volcanic rock wall, hand-carved house poles, and having no visible lighting fixtures. It’s fun to imagine, as the movie goes on, whether he creates his dream or not, when you realize how meticulous and ambitious his goals for the bar are.
Cabali And The Tiki Mug Obsession features many experts and fans within the tiki world, such as Shag, Sven Kirsten, Martin Cate, along with celebrities such as music legend Todd Rundgren and Kate Flannery from The Office. They go over the tiki books that influenced them, the world-famous bars/restaurants such as the Bali Hai in San Diego, and the hard-to-find mugs that became their collecting obsession (which they tell us go for hundreds to thousands of dollars now on eBay).
“…one man’s dream of building his perfect tiki bar.“
I have always found the passion that collectors have to be fascinating. The film talks about how in the early 1990s, tiki bars were almost extinct, and the ceramic mugs could only be found in swap meets and thrift stores, usually for cheap. Collectors from the early days of dial-up internet with a dedicated website, authors of tiki mug collecting books, and a small group from Venice Beach, California, were the ones who really brought it back in style.
As someone on the outside looking in, there’s no way I’d pay hundreds of dollars for a tiki mug, but they see the art in a different light. The film takes a look at the rich Polynesian history and how it’s morphed over the years to include pop culture, such as the Star Wars-themed tiki mugs and other popular themes.
It’s cool to watch Fini do his thing with the Cabali because it becomes quite clear that it is the reason why he’s on this planet. It doesn’t seem like it’s easy to be his partner, Scott, or his banker, who explains that he doesn’t want his family to take on the financial burden if he dies, but it’s commendable that he knows exactly what he wants, and he goes after it with all his heart.
Cabali And The Tiki Mug Obsession is a documentary for both the hardcore fans and those who are curious about the subculture. It’s entertaining and informative, which any good doc should strive for.
Cabali And The Tiki Mug Obsession screened at the 2025 Newport Beach Film Festival.
"…entertaining and informative, which any good doc should strive for."
