Dave predicts that Joe will love a sweet popcorn and we both find the movie falls a bit... flat (buh-dum-ching).
Dave: If you're unfamiliar with the Eurovision song contest, think of the camp of a drag show combined with the stage gimmicks of a Cher live show, all set to an almost cringe-worthy pop soundtrack. Or, I mean, just envision a peppier, less self-conscious Cirque du Soleil. Or a Celine Dion concert, for that matter. Anyway, it's a lot. And so is this movie that riffs on the song contest. In spite of the fun soundtrack in which everyone is auto-tuned so much that they sound radioactive, the story, for me, falls incredibly flat. What little dramatic tension there is between Ferrell, his co-star Rachel McAdams, and the "evil" Russian and Greek competitors is resolved in a really unsatisfying way - it almost seems like an afterthought. The leads were great, but the plot fell flat: it was a hackneyed big dreamer from small town makes good, then finds happiness in the small town story. Still, it was a fun way to spend a Friday night (⭐️⭐️1/2)
As many of our long-time readers know, Joe has a problem with sweet popcorn. The problem is, of course, that he doesn't appropriately appreciate it. I really thought that this was going to be the turning point - the sweet popcorn that he really liked. And now that I'm writing it, he probably does, because I was not a fan. It seemed like such a good idea - make a quick microwave caramel coating loaded with cinnamon and nutmeg and ginger, then add some dried berries to the bowl of popcorn before you mix it in. What the recipe didn't anticipate is that the dried fruit soaks up the sugar mixture immediately, no matter how fast you start stirring, making balls of soggy, super-sweet dried fruit in a huge bowl of plain popcorn. Sure, the kernels that the coating did hit were delicious, but that's no excuse for the multiple handfuls of plain popcorn I had to suffer through to get to them. (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Joe: The trailers for this Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga were pretty phenomenal: Rachel McAdams reclaiming her comedic roots with a Björk-esque accent and ridiculous pratfalls courtesy of the usually banal Will Ferrell. Alas, the film was about as bloated as its title, with the sum of its parts never quite achieving greatness. The swollen running time and inane filler neither serve to uplift the protagonists nor instill any sympathy for them. The songs are pretty great, though, despite being parodies. Also, this reminds me: ABBA's eight albums are being released as a boxset on colored vinyl next month, so order now while supplies last. We can have a listening party together! (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Dave made five cups of this. I wish he had made fifty cups of it. This was, by far, the most delicious sweet popcorn we've yet tried, and I do believe it puts the Popcorn Board back in my good graces. The crunch of the brown sugar niblets are nicely balanced out by the tanginess of the Craisins™ and the airiness of the popcorn. Friends, head on over to the Popcorn Board and grab the recipe before the world ends. Don't you deserve a treat before things get worse than they already are? (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Popcorn recipe from: Popcorn.org
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