Tribbles that have long tongues and like ethanol + a sickly sweet but ultimately delicious popcorn turns out to be a fairly satisfying way to spend out Friday night.
Dave: A movie about being socially isolated seems an odd choice for the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, but here we are. It felt a bit like Cast Away, but if the island hadn't been inhabited by a volleyball, but rather by tribbles. The two main characters, Sunita Mani and John Reynolds, did an admirable job with an underdeveloped plot, but seemed most in their element when they were having awkward long-term-partner banter. The movie was full of great jokes, and the constant drumbeat of "we have no skills!" was a clever addition to the standard alien movie plot. Still, the invasion and subsequent alien takeover (at least of New York City), felt ultimately inconsequential - the entire movie could have been tighter and more focused on the main character without the destruction-of-the-world subplot. (⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️)
Don't tell Joe, but this was really a sweet popcorn wearing a curry suit. A wolf in curry clothing, if you will. Of course it was delicious - what wouldn't be with an ungodly amount of butter, sugar, honey, and curry powder? Still. this is a popcorn I'd make for company, although I'd find some way to get the curry/honey/sugar goop to stick to the cashews and coconut as much as it sticks to the popcorn. We had to constantly mix the popcorn in the bowl with our hand to get everything evenly distributed. The recipe is the relatively complicated kind I usually avoid - we had to make a soft curry-caramel (not as gross as it sounds!) and then bake the popcorn after we mixed the caramel in. Still, I'd happily make it again; this recipe was a definite winner. (⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️)
Joe: When I watched the preview for this film, I immediately thought, "Hey, that's the woman from the Progressive Auto Insurance commercials that I love so much!" and immediately started Googling her. Turns out her name is Sunita Mani, and she's pretty much my new obsession. Her comedic timing is pitch perfect, and she's the perfect complement to her male counterpart in Save Yourselves!. Sure, this film is more comedic than sci-fi/horror, but even at its peak goofiness, it's tuned into the existential dread we face when we're without our technology. The laughs are fairly solid throughout, even if the ending's sheer audacity threatens to capsize the narrative arc and the whole ethanol thing isn't even remotely explained. Still, I enjoyed watching this film immensely. Especially Sunita Mani. 'Sessed. Totally 'sessed. (⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
"Is this a sweet popcorn?!" I bellowed at Dave as the aromas wafted from the kitchen. He assured me it wasn't, even though it had a ghastly amount of sugar. "Do I smell curry?!" I excitedly barked moments later. Dave's face lit up, and it's all I needed to know that this was going to be a delicious popcorn. And it was. Mostly. It's super-sweet, but still feels fairly balanced. All the coconut sank to the bottom of the bowl, and I enjoyed gobbling up the handfuls of it with the salty cashews. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Popcorn recipe from: Popcorn Board
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