Posted by Adam Kuban, May 22, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Photographs taken by Gordon Mark.
Oh, I think they'd melt in this guy's hands.
Earlier today, I was all about the Indiana Jones coconut-blasted limited-edition Adventure Snickers bar. In the comments of that post, Squiggle hipped us to the Indy-themed mint-crisp limited-edition M&Ms. That first prompted cries of "What does mint have to do with Indiana Jones?" Beats me; is there mint in the rain forest?
Then it prompted us to race out and get some. We grabbed a bag of the mint-crisp M&Ms and one of the Indy-themed peanut M&Ms. All I have to say is, I wouldn't fight the Nazi dude from Raiders for either of these so-called treasures. The crisp-mint M&Ms look sorta cool—with the different shapes printed on them—but they taste like run-of-the-mill Andes mints. And there's no discernable difference between the Indy peanut M&Ms and regular peanut M&Ms.
Yeah. The Nazi dude could keep them; he needs all the mystical anti-melting help he can get. More photos of the failed M&Ms, after the jump.
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Posted by Robyn Lee, May 19, 2008 at 4:00 PM
©iStockphoto.com/hidesy
Are you sick of rising movie ticket prices? Do you hate getting ripped off for a bag of popcorn at the movie theater? Well, it's only going to get worse.
Due to the increasing costs of popcorn, the price of movie tickets is expected to skyrocket by as much as 30 percent this year. Why is the price of popcorn going up? Reasons include the increasing demand for ethanol, the low yields of this year's popcorn crop, the rising cost in coconut oil for popping corn, and the increasing cost of producing paper popcorn tubs. Since "roughly 25 percent of the price of admission is subsidized by popcorn, soda, and candy sales," either snacks will get more expensive or movie ticket prices will increase. How much longer will it be before tickets cost closer to $20 than $10?
Posted by Ed Levine, April 28, 2008 at 8:45 AM
Or, 'Extra, Extra, Read All About It'
Clockwise from left: Amy Adams, Julie Powell, Meryl Streep, Julia Child, Nora Ephron.
As many serious eaters know, the director-screenwriter Nora Ephron is currently filming a combined adaptation of food-blog-turned book Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell and the Julia Child memoir My Life in France. Amy Adams is playing Powell, and Meryl Streep is playing Child.
About a month ago I got an email from Nora's assistant, J. J., saying Nora wanted me to be an extra in the movie. How could I say no? In one of the emails, J.J. said something along the lines of "There's no speaking lines for you yet." To me, that meant it was only a matter of time until the brilliant Nora Ephron figured out what words she'd be putting in my mouth. I consulted some actor and director friends, seeking advice about being in the moment and making love to the camera.
Whatever Shall I Wear?
The first potential problem rose with wardrobe. I was told to call a number to get my wardrobe instructions. The voice on the recorded message said I should be prepared to dress appropriately for shopping at Dean & Deluca in both winter and summer. Shopping at Dean & Deluca, I thought to myself, that's something I know how to do. That is most certainly not a stretch for me.
But there was more on the message that would prove challenging to an admittedly schlubby dresser like me. It said that I should dress like a chic, well-off, downtown kind of a person circa 2002, when the scene I was shooting was set. Chic, no. Trendy, no. Downtown, not really—strike three. I may be so out of my movie debut.
The morning of the shoot (which was supposed to start at 8 p.m. and end at 5 in the morning) I went through my closet like a teenage girl. There were color limitations articulated in the message: No reds, no blues, and no whites. I chose a cream-colored button-down shirt, black chinos, and espresso-brown lace-up shoes. I also brought along a black cashmere scarf, a black hat, a black ultrasuede sport jacket, my reversible Sherlock Holmes–like overcoat, and a green turtleneck for the winter scene. When I told this to Serious Eats' Alaina Browne, she chuckled and said, "Well, the great thing about all your clothes is they have a timeless quality."
Timelessness is next to schlubbiness, if you ask me.
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Posted by Raphael, April 17, 2008 at 12:15 PM
I so want the ability to summon bacon.
Starring Lucas Grabeel (from Disney's High School Musical), The Adventures of Food Boy is a soon-to-be-released teen comedy about a teenager who discovers he has the ability to make food appear in his hands. His grandmother's advice: "Not all superheroes fight crime." Instead of saving the world, he performs a magic act to try to impress the girls. That's so fetch.
Set to be released in 2008, the film is having its premiere in May at the Newport Beach Film Festival. Check the trailer out after the jump.
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Posted by Raphael, April 7, 2008 at 12:15 PM
In memory of the late actor Charlton Heston, watch one of his most memorable roles in the dystopic science fiction movie, Soylent Green, a depiction of a future where fresh food is scarce, causing most people to rely on the substances Soylent Red, Soylent Yellow, and Soylent Green for food. But what is Soylent Green made of? Why does Soylent Green mean life? Why does Soylent Green mean death? Charlton Heston finds out.
If you don't know what Soylent Green is made of, you may have possibly been living under a rock for most of your life. Now's the time to find out, after the jump.
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Posted by Erin Zimmer, February 25, 2008 at 10:30 AM
If I can't have Best Picture, can I at least have
some cheese?
Ratatouille may have been robbed a Best Picture nomination, but cleaned up pretty well with five nods in total, and one actual award for Best Animation. Sure, it should have also won for Best Sound Editing and Sound Mixing with all those chopping and sauce-bubbling foley art sound effects. Not to mention all that background music heightening each gustatory reaction. For crying out loud, even Associated Press critic Jake Coyle proved the film was mathematically superior to Pulp Fiction.
We still love you, Remy. And in the vein of food-themed cinematic puns, here’s some ideas for the actual Best Picture nominees. Please throw yours onto the table..
No Country Time Lemonade for Old Men
(more after the jump)
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Ratatouille—everyone's favorite computer animated movie about a French rat with a penchant for cooking—has been nominated for five Oscar awards: Best Animated Feature Film, Best Music (Score), Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing, and Best Writing (Original Screenplay). Winners will be announced in February 24th.
Terrible rip-off of Pixar's Ratatouille: Ratatoing. [via kottke]
Posted by Raphael, January 4, 2008 at 11:15 AM
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is the film adaptation by Julian Schnabel of the namesake memoir by Jean-Dominique Bauby, former editor of the French Elle. (The film has been winning awards left and right, but please note that the overly sentimental trailer somewhat misrepresents the film.)
After suffering a massive stroke in 1995 leaving Bauby completely paralyzed with a condition called "locked-in syndrome," he writes the entire book by blinking his left eyelid.
To escape what he calls his "diving bell," he writes: "... [M]y mind takes flight like a butterfly. There is so much to do. You can wander off in space or in time, set out for Tierra del Fuego or for King Midas's court." Bauby, the gourmand, in his paralysis, daydreams of decadent, indulgent meals:
By means of tube threaded into my stomach, two or three bags of a brownish fluid provide my daily caloric needs. For pleasure, I have to turn to the vivid memory of tastes and smells, an inexhaustible reservoir of sensations. Once, I was a master at recycling leftovers. Now I cultivate the art of simmering memories. You can sit down to a meal at any hour, with no fuss or ceremony. If it's a restaurant, no need to call ahead. If I do the cooking, it is always a success. The boeuf bourguignon is tender, the boeuf en gelee is translucent, the apricot pie possesses just the requisite tartness. Depending on my mood, I treat myself to a dozen snails, a plate of Alsatian sausage with sauerkraut, and a bottle of late-vintage golden Gewürztraminer; or else I savor a simple soft-boiled egg with fingers of toast and lightly salted butter. What a banquet!...
And Amy Adams will play Julie Powell, the food blogger–turned-author whose book, Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen, inspired the flick. And, so you know this tale of food-obsession is in good hands, Nora Ephron will direct. So says Variety.com. [via The Knife]
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 6, 2007 at 4:30 PM
Speaking of food films, a couple cute food-related documentaries came across my desk recently, and I figured I'd pass word of them on to you.
- Donut Day, produced by Amy Levine and Dhera Strauss, follows the staff of Sweetwater's Donut Mill over a 24-hour period. You're treated to a behind-the-scenes look at a beloved local doughnut shop as it bakes five- to six-thousand doughnuts a day for its customers, many of whom keep their own coffee mugs there, a testamanent to the shop's quirkiness and hominess. I especially liked seeing the doughnut-filler machine in action and learning the term "cosmetic icing"—a glazing applied to blemished yet still edible specimens. 52 minutes. Available on DVD for $15 (includes shipping), at donutdaydoc.com
- Dishes, written, directed, and produced by Levine, is an earlier documentary that takes the viewer into the world of Fiesta Ware collectors. If you have one in your life—and who doesn't?—this doc will make you smile (knowingly), as it drags you along to a Fiesta Ware collectors' conference, a warehouse sale, and into the homes of individual Fiesta fiends. 46 minutes. Available on DVD for $20 (includes shipping), at fiestadocumentary.com
Related: Speaking of Sweetwater's, our favorite doughnut blogger, Bret Stetka (The Blognut), featured the place in his roundup of America's best doughnuts on MSN.
Posted by Adam Kuban, September 6, 2007 at 4:15 PM
The New York City Food Film Festival continues tonight and over the weekend with its third and final installment for the year. Three nights of barbecue films, people. That's something we at Serious Eats can get behind.
Lights, camera, action at Water Taxi Beach in Long Island City. Films are free and 'cue can be purchased at the event. More info here.
Posted by Joe Campanale, August 17, 2007 at 4:00 PM
The Judgment of Paris is the Greek myth detailing Paris's selection of the most beautiful Greek goddess. His choice of Aphrodite eventually led to the Trojan War. It is also the name of a historic wine tasting that took place in Paris in 1976 and has been restaged many times since. The 1976 event pitted the top French white and red wines against the best of the fledgling California industry. The judges: the most respected French palates of the time. The outcome: an equally epic war between the victorious American and the defeated French.
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Posted by Deb Perelman, August 7, 2007 at 2:15 PM
Before we begin the feature presentation here, we'd like to introduce the author of this post. Deb Perelman, whose work you may already know from Smitten Kitchen, will be joining us weekly to write about current trends in the food world. Say hi in the comments. And now, on with the show. —The Serious Eats Team
Ratatouille, Babette's Feast, Chocolat and now No Reservations. Sense a theme? French cooking, French feasts, French chocolate, French restaurants—if an alien landed in the Twin Cinemas in your town, it would think we ate nothing but crepes, bonbons, and rustic Provençal fare.
A raging Francophile myself, I'd be the last to complain, and yet in my own kitchen pot-au-feus and consommés are constantly pushed aside in favor of Indian dals, Vietnamese pork and noodle salads, Russian dumplings, and Moroccan couscous.
And it's got me wondering: Why don't the most romantic gastroflicks have chopstick-crossed lovers or eyes meeting across overstuffed banh mi thit?
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Posted by Harold Check, July 25, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Take your pick: Catherine Zeta-Jones or Tony Bourdain.
On Friday, July 27, Zeta-Jones and Aaron Eckhart debut No Reservations on the big screen. Following on the heels of Ratatouille, we've got a second food-related film hitting theaters this summer. No Reservations is a remake of Mostly Martha, a German film released in 2001 that centered on an uptight chef who is forced to work on her personal life when her young niece comes to live with her. The remake, judging by the preview, looks to be a faithful adaptation of the earlier film. That bodes well, considering the original was a very charming affair. As for the chemistry between Zeta-Jones, Eckhart, and Little Miss Sunshine's Abigail Breslin—take a gander at the trailer and judge for yourself.
For a much more proven recipe, witness Bourdain globetrotting to exotic locales, eating native fare, making friends, and narrating each grand tour with his signature, self-deprecating bravado. The third season of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations premieres on the Travel Channel on Monday, July 30 at 10 p.m. The first episode of this campaign has the chef traveling to Shanghai for a return visit to China.
For a taste of the show, you'll find a few clips on the Travel Channel website, or you can search YouTube for a sampling.
Posted by Robyn Lee, July 13, 2007 at 9:30 AM
In Moviefone's virtual tours of Ratatouille's sets narrated by Remy, you can poke around Gusteau's kitchen, Linguine's apartment and soup station, and Skinner's office without the visual distraction from chefs or rodents. Zoom in to see all the details you would never notice just watching the movie.
Posted by Ed Levine, July 9, 2007 at 8:59 AM
How big is Ratatouille? So big that in the New York Times, Frank Bruni weighs in on the front page of the Week in Review on how Ratatouille signals the arrival of culinary discernment as a positive attribute and legitimate cultural aspiration. According to Bruni, "It establishes the toque as the new tiara and affirms the triumph of food snobs and fetishists, its special effects (the colorful fireworks that go off when a character bites into something wonderful) validating the idea of eating as enlightenment, of vegetable stew as revelation."
I don't think Bruni has it quite right. Food snobs and fetishists are not lionized in Ratatouille, inclusive and passionate discernment is, which is what I hope we practice at Serious Eats.
Posted by Joe Campanale, July 6, 2007 at 10:00 AM
Disney’s consumer products division has to easily double the size of its creative department. In accordance with the studio's aim to squeeze every possible dollar out of a film, it will release wines based on the movie Ratatouille: "For the first time, Disney will offer red and white wines to complement the film's backdrop, a five-star Parisian restaurant, as well as cheese platters, both from Costco Wholesale Corp."
Wine blogger Dr. Vino speculates that the whites will be Chardonnays from the Burgundy region of France. Something tells me that Thomas Keller’s palate (in use as consultant for the film) will not go into these mass-market wines.
I may breach my no-Disney movie policy for this one, but I still don’t recommend buying any wine with cute, fuzzy animals on the label.
Posted by Ed Levine, June 29, 2007 at 3:00 PM
There have actually been a lot of terrific food-centric movies, (think "Tampopo", "Eat Drink, Man, Woman," "Big Night,"and the original "Mostly Martha"). but judging from the reviews that came out today, "Ratatouille" may just claim the title of the greatest food movie ever. Here's the New York Times' A. O. Scott, who is a passionate and fair-minded but tough critic. on the film:
Written and directed by Brad Bird and displaying the usual meticulousness associated with the Pixar brand, “Ratatouille” is a nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film. It provides the kind of deep, transporting pleasure, at once simple and sophisticated, that movies at their best have always promised.
That's a good a pull-quote as any marketing executive will ever find. And I have to say it's working on me. I can't wait to see the film.
Posted by Adam Kuban, June 19, 2007 at 6:45 PM
I'm resisting the urge to dub them "foovies."
Variety's food blog The Knife is compiling a list of movies that revolve around food. A rather fitting topic, given the paper's subject matter.
Flicks include Mystic Pizza, Sideways, Eat Drink Man Woman, Tampopo, Like Water for Chocolate, and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, among many others. You can add your 2¢ on the site—doing so gives you a chance to win a gift certificate to Geisha House.
Related: Serious Eats covered similar ground in January: Question of the Day: What's your dinner scene in a movie?
