Food!!!
I have to confess that I love to eat while watching movies and television at home. I don’t have this issue when in a theatre. I can take or leave the popcorn, though i do admit loving that fake butter crap and a ton of salt. Really, just pour that in a shot glasses and I’m ready to party. Okay, that’s actually gross.
Anyway, I do think this need to have food while watching at home has something to do with the way I was raised. I remember my sister-in-law saying to me, “Your brother likes to stretch out the food through the film.” She thought this was funny. I responded, “Yeah, of course.” As if this was perfectly normal and anyone who didn’t do this needed to get their head on straight. And then it dawned on me that maybe not everyone does that when she stared back with the same confused look.
Regardless of that, I’m not changing my ways. I particularly enjoy eating food that I know the characters will be eating and when I don’t, sometimes all I can think about is “I need that food.” For example, in the series The Flash, Barry Allen is always zipping around the world picking up food. I can’t keep up with that. Very depressing. So I watch wishfully hoping that dinner from Italy will just land in my kitchen and hors d'oeuvres from France will just appear on my plate. Usually, in those cases I settle for local Chinese food. Good but not the same.
For films I know and love that may not all be the highest among accolades or high art, but great to sit down to just take a break from the world and eat along with, I try to be prepared.
Here are some of my all-time favorites with what to eat with them:
Cool Hand Luke (Stuart Rosenberg, 1967): EGGS.
Meatballs (Ivan Reitman, 1971): MEATBALLS and SMORES. (This film is very underrated. “It just doesn’t matter.” speech is great.)
Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory (Mel Stuart, 1971): CANDY.
Amarcord (Frederico Felini, 1973): HOMEMADE ITALIAN FOOD.
Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974): BEANS and SCHNITZENGRUBEN.
Bad News Bears (Michael Ritchie, 1976): BALLPARK FOOD. (Old school ballpark, not trendy new ballpark.)
Fatso (Ann Bancroft, 1980): ITALIAN FOOD and CHINESE food. (By the way, I think this is another underrated and overlooked film. It defends people’s right to eat and weigh what they want long before that was “in fashion.” Yes, there is mockery but it’s also underlined with a sense of despair and need of understanding. And there is also amazing food throughout and great dialogue like “Are you a virgin?”, “Almost.”)
A Christmas Story (Bob Clark, 1983): CHINESE FOOD. (Darren McGavin and Melinda Dillon really make this film great.)
Brother From Another Planet (John Sayles, 1984). HARLEM SOUL FOOD. (I have to say this film does not get enough credit either. I highly recommend. It’s a small film in terms of budget, but a huge film in terms of statement.)
The Breakfast Club (John Hughes., 1985): SUSHI! Though you could opt to go with a solid Pixy Stix and Cap’n Crunch cereal sandwich...
Tampopo (Juzo Itami, 1985): RAMEN OR NOODLES and HIGH END, EXPENSIVE FOOD. This film is hysterical by the way. I only recently learned about it. And, the food throughout is amazing. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.
A Fish Called Wanda (Charles Crichton, 1988): SUSHI!!!!! (I love sushi in case you can’t tell.)
Beverly Hills Cop (1984): BANANAS and ROOM SERVICE FOOD.
Jurassic Park (Steven Spielberg, 1993): ICE CREAM.
Matilda (Danny DeVito, 1996): CHOCOLATE CAKE.
Men in Black (Barry Sonnenfeld, 1997): DINER FOOD.
The Big Lebowski (Coen brothers, 1998): FOOD YOU FIND IN A BOWLING ALLEY.
Galaxy Quest (Dean Parisot, 1999): STEAK.
All Harry Potter Films (various directors, 2,000s): WEIRD SUGARY SNACKS AND BEVERAGES.
Waitress (Adrienne Shelly, 2007): PIE.
Star Trek (Any series or movie): VEGAN food. (Vulcans are vegans.)
Any spaghetti western is a call for either SPAGHETTI or GOOD OLD WESTERN BEEF. (I love steak too!!!)
Figure skating events or films about figure skating, I try to eat the most greasy and sugary food. They can’t eat it, but I can and someone needs to balance things out…just saying, we all need to do our part.