Friends, I think we might be well on our way to writing our own popcorn recipe book. Also, we might get the appeal of Kenny G.
Dave: Who knew Kenny G could be such a captivating figure? Do I still think his music is a little schlocky? Sure. But his continued career is akin to artists like the Rolling Stones, Madonna, and Paul McCartney - maybe less impressive or exciting nowadays, but still making music. And watching him in this film it’s hard not to like him: a relatively self-aware guy who is probably a bit of a workaholic, but seems genuinely excited when people are excited about his music. I probably won’t listen to more Kenny G after watching this, but I won’t grumble internally as much when it comes on in public spaces. (️️️⭐️⭐⭐️1/2)
While it was cooking, this popcorn transported me to end-of-season soccer banquets at New York Pizza in little tiny Vinton, VA. That is to say it smelled like pepperoni and childhood. And, readers, it delivered fairly well. The popcorn stayed crunchy, the cheese was melty, and the sun dried tomato bits were flavorful without disintegrating into goop at the bottom of the bowl. I’d have liked more toppings on my popcorn pizza, but otherwise it was a winner! (️️️️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️)
Joe: About halfway through this documentary, I couldn't decide if I liked Kenny G's music (for the first time in my life) or if I just liked Kenny G as a person. He comes across really well in this documentary, and I don't think it's due to artful editing or savvy trickery. I think he's genuinely a nice guy who really believes in his music and feels connected to the people who love it as much as he does. This is an even-handed unveiling of the man, with plenty of measured snark that balances out the earnestness. There are moments of of insight, moments of mawkish sentimentality, and moments so pure, so unfiltered, that it's hard to forget the man has a net worth of $100 million. (⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️)
The first popcorn we ever made for this blog was the Food Network's recipe for pepperoni pizza popcorn. It was... fine. (Aside: it's wild to see how pithy our reviews were 6 years ago!) 57 entries later, we tried a different iteration. It was slightly better. Re-reading that second review just now, I seem to have thought I could do better. And I'm not trying to toot my horn, but my attempt was vastly superior. Sure, it was slightly greasy, but had a far more "pizza" taste than any of the other. Maybe - just maybe - when Penguin/Random House greenlights our popcorn recipe book, this one will be front and center. And you'll see, world. You'll see. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Popcorn recipe from: Joe Prince 💅
Listening to Kenny G on IMDB.
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