Food in Film

Ah, quarantine. A time for thinking, sleeping, streaming, and eating. Usually, food and movies are at the top of my, and all of America’s, to-do list...but when the Covid hits, we take them to the next level. Our family finally ran out of luck this week, and half of us tested positive. We're all remaining healthy, but getting more and more stir crazy by the day. So in between naps, catching Pokémon, and more naps, it’s been food and movies for me. Oh--and WandaVision. Such a good show.

What happens when you mix Hollywood and food? It all depends on what you’re watching! Here are a few flicks and shows that have changed how we look at some of our favorite foods over the years, be it for better or for worse.

Fortune Cookie Surprise: ‘It’

From the moment the blood exploded all over Bev to Mike never wanting to eat chicken again, the scene in the Chinese restaurant just about killed fortune cookies for me. They’re still delicious little things that could make you a millionaire, but eyeballs, crab-looking monsters, and cockroaches always cross my mind when I crack them open.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PU1fcSZe68U

Of course, the 2019 remake ups the ante, and we get to see what a spider/scorpion/crab thing with a baby’s head can do to fuel our nightmares.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mL734fvYEsU

Nobody will blame you if you want to skip that part of your meal next time you hit the Jade Palace with your friends.

How Could a Billion Chinese People Be Wrong? 'Lost Boys’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A80j2BuMaU

When David lost his appetite forever for rice in 1987’s Lost Boys, we couldn’t blame him. This one hits a little close to home, though. A member of our family served in Vietnam, and he came upon warehouse full of rice one day. He went in, and should have stopped when he saw some of the bags moving. Nope. When cut open, out from one of the bags poured a million maggots. Guess who never ate rice again? That guy.

The Lost Boys and It were an amazing part of the ‘80s and ‘90s, despite their attempts to make us never want to eat Asian food again. Or drink wine, for that matter.

Just kidding...that would never happen.

Spaghetti For Breakfast: ‘Elf’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vrfsk3Q7vOc

Like when Kevin McCallister made that insane ice cream sundae in Home Alone (minus the pasta), this one probably didn't really change how we feel about spaghetti. But seeing Buddy crush those pop tarts up with the marshmallow, syrup, and candy concoction definitely changed how plain old spaghetti and meatballs looks, didn’t it? The dude definitely sticks to the same four major food groups as the kid in all of us.

Bring Me Some Pie: ‘Supernatural’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lJKzHKUlL4E

Supernatural might be over, but there is one dessert menu item that will forever taste a little bit better because of the show. No, not the turducken sandwich. I’m talkin’ about pie!

Dean’s love for pie is eclipsed only by his love for his beloved Impala Baby, raising hell, and killing some evil sons-a-bitches. Pretty much every season had multiple references to the dessert, and it didn’t matter what kind. Dean loved his pie, and we loved Dean for loving his pie. From his words from the season one episode, Scarecrow, "I hope your apple pie is friggin' worth it!" to the pie fest in the last amazing episode, Dean stopped living, stopped loving, even stopped remembering at one point; but he never stopped loving him some pie.

But Not That Kind Of Pie: ‘Game Of Thrones’

And just like that, Arya Stark did something that would almost make Dean Winchester hate pie. Almost.

Warning: there is some pretty disturbing, violent stuff in this video. It is from GoT, of course.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1HUAWaxMX8

Arya finally is able to get her revenge on the House Frey by killing Walder’s sons, feeding them to Walder, and then killing Walter while he’s digesting...well you get it. It’s pretty nasty, that moment when the officiant of the Red Wedding (see what I did there) figures out he’s chowing down on his own flesh and blood.

Nope, Not That Pie Either: ‘Stand By Me’

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_ZrNkDrOIQ

When David Hogan, aka a name that isn't very nice to say these days, caused his barf-o-rama, it made for one of the funniest scenes in ‘80s cinema. But blueberry pies didn’t deserve any of that. Gordie, an aspiring writer in the movie, lets loose on his friends one hell of a tale of revenge around a campfire one night. The movie itself didn’t have very many special effects, but what little budget there was had to be spent on this one scene.

Samantha, Sushi, & Sex And The City

Warning: this video may be too much for some people in multiple ways, including being NSFW.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=By0RS0e3FjA

Having a strong stomach and an undying love for all things sushi, this doesn’t bother me much. But during a pandemic? Definitely not a recommended activity. So unsanitary! There are so many things right and wrong with this episode, including poor Samantha wasting all that sushi when the night didn’t pan out the way she had planned.

Bon appétit!