Dave sees through 'Kumbaya' levels of bullshit; I don't. We both think the Popcorn Board should win some kind of award. A Pulitzer, maybe.
Dave: This film presupposes an amount of nostalgia for Byrne and Talking Heads that I don’t share, even if I could sing along with many of the songs. Even still, it was moving, exciting, and intriguing to watch. But it felt like a jukebox musical with an infusion of conscience, not a Piece of Art, which it desperately wanted to be. Watching it made me feel conflicted - I enjoyed it because I like the spectacle of a good stage show, but watching old, white, crazy-haired David Byrne in front of a United Colors of Benetton cast singing about connection was occasionally a bit cringeworthy. In the end, the art won out: after surviving a Trump presidency and whatever the hell this is that’s followed, a slightly tinny call for togetherness is a welcome salve. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Joe complained vociferously about the fact that this popcorn called for baking which made everything char just a bit. While this might have been user error, I really enjoyed the smoky char of the final popcorn. It played well with the punch of the lemon pepper, and, as usual, made for a scarf-able popcorn. (️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Joe: I'm not deluded enough to deny that I can occasionally dip into the maudlin. I am easily moved, and I am particularly drawn to art that speaks to my soul. American Utopia did just that. As the kids these days say, it gave me the "feels". Frankly, we've lost the plot as humans. We're so consumed by making money and being caught up in the capitalist dystopia that we've forgotten about curiosity and connection. American Utopia touches on those ideas and elides them with contemporary crises like racial injustice and climate change, burrowing them deep in Talking Heads' oeuvre. If you don't already love that band's catalog, the experience may be lost on you. But for me? I was deeply invested... and reader, I wept. More than once. #maudlin (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Longtime readers will note that The Popcorn Board rarely fails. This recipe called for baking the popcorn, which I thought was weird. Though the kitchen initially smelled like buttery goodness while in the oven, it quickly started to smell pungent and acrid as the minutes ticked by. I pulled it out immediately, which likely saved the final product. To wit: I probably shouldn't have used canned grated parmesan, so that's on me. Anyway, if I hadn't baked it, this popcorn would have likely been unimpeachable. Despite these missteps, I still enjoyed it - probably because I sprinkled more lemon pepper and parmesan over the finished product to cover up the vaguely smoky flavor that had taken over. Would make again with careful editing. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐)
Popcorn recipe from: The Popcorn Board
David Byrne's American Utopia on IMDB.
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