The Blob is an eerie prophecy for 2020. The popcorn is an eerie prophecy for clogged arteries because ghee. So much ghee.
Dave: When I picked The Blob (1958), I expected a campy romp, not a primer on fake news, COVID-19, and climate change. Really, when Steve McQueen said "How do you get people to protect themselves from something they don't believe in?" I shivered a bit. He might well have been talking about the mask-scoffing hordes at Trump rallies, or folks who pooh-pooh the idea of Russian interference in our elections. But the coup de gras came at the end, when the blob creature was banished to the Arctic, with Steve McQueen ominously noting that the world would be safe as long as the arctic stays cold. So, who's got giant flesh-eating blob on their 2020 Bingo Card? There's still a few more months! Anyway, otherwise this film was absolutely ridiculous: the average age of the actors playing teenagers was approximately 45, the blob was a giant pile of grape jelly, the female lead, Aneta Corsaut, always had perfect hair and drop dead lighting, and the cops were bumbling dorks who fell straight out of a bad noir film. All that is to say: it was pretty great. (⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️1/2)
Joe couldn't remember what this popcorn was called. But if it was called "Curry popcorn that's a tad too sweet" it would have lived up to its name. I really enjoyed the sticky crunch the sugar gave it, but I'm not sure I'm up for curry candy. Curry chicken, curry shark, curry mango, curry eggplant, but curry candy might be a bridge too far even for me. Still, we finished the whole bowl, and I couldn't stop shoveling handfuls into my mouth, though I wouldn't make this exact recipe again on purpose. (⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️)
Joe: For a "horror" film that's more than sixty years old, I have to say that this was fairly effective, especially in the build-up. There's almost zero explanation for the blob (except that it comes from outer space), and the resolution is beyond inane: I mean, how could it invade an air conditioned movie theater if "cold" is its enemy? Anyway, this was nothing less than idiotic and enjoyable for its full running time, even if all the teenagers were played by 40 year olds. Or maybe teenagers from the late 1950s just looked super-rough. Still, this was stupid and entertaining and required precisely zero brain matter to watch. [Also, sidebar: can we talk about the cute pants that all the "teenage toughs" wore? There were these little buttons and/or clasps on the backs of the pants, right below the belt loops. I instantly wanted a pair. Was this a thing in the 50s?] (⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
We had to buy ghee in order to make this popcorn. I was curious, so I tasted the ghee on its own, and I have to say: huh? How is this different than just melted butter? Anyway. Something seemed a little off with this recipe: the sugar and spices never entirely dissolved, which concerned me. Sure enough, when I merged it with the popcorn, it immediately congealed. Despite this, though, it was a tasty, curry-ey block o' goodness. The savory and the sweet indeed blend beautifully together, but I can't say it really necessitated buying an expensive-ish jar of ghee. Maybe my palate just isn't as refined as I think it is. (⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Popcorn recipe from: Popcorn Board
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