Tonight was the best night. Seriously.
Dave: I’ve been thinking about connection a lot lately. I taught a class about the connected (and disconnected) digital worlds of K-pop fans and have recently read books about modern loneliness and online life like Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness and IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in our Digital Lives. Marcel the Shell, as ridiculous as the movie’s premise sounds, cut to the center of a lot of those conversations. What does it mean to be connected to other people? What does it mean to turn to the Internet searching for truth, meaning, and belonging? How does living in the digital age color every part of our daily lives, even personal parts like grief, sadness, and joy? Before I make it seem too heavy, the film does an excellent job of tempering even the darkest, most introspective scenes with humor, lightness, and Marcel’s continual wonderment at the expanse and beauty of the world. I can’t recommend this movie enough. (️️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐)
Twenty years or so ago, my friend Meredith gave me an utterly ridiculous cookbook, with recipes for cooking salmon in your dishwasher and cooking meat strapped to your car engine. The latter has preparation instructions and driving times for different kinds of meat. Anyway, one of the recipes that seemed utterly fancy to 20-something year old Dave and seems both revolting and deliciously campy to 40-something year old Dave is the recipe for martini sandwiches. Essentially, just a grilled cheese with added flavorings, including gin and vermouth, the recipe has rolled around in my head for years. And, friends, I finally got to make it, with a few tweaks to make a serviceable popcorn. Perhaps baking the popcorn to make the cheddar melty diluted the gin and vermouth flavors a bit, making it taste like a variation on beer cheese. Even so, it’s a tasty, easy, and not-too-greasy snack that I’d definitely eat again. And again. And again. (️️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐)
Joe: Marcel wields the kind of power that makes a body feel all the warmth and heartbreak of the human condition. Made famous by his brief YouTube "documentary" from a dozen (!!!HOLY SHIT!!!) years ago, Marcel the Shell is more than the sum of his cutesy, quasi-hipster beginnings. He is all heart, and this film is proof. It's very funny, very chaotic (this is Marcel, after all), and deeply, profoundly moving. I'll be surprised if this wins the Oscar for Best Animated Film, but reader, it should, if only because some genius casting director convinced Isabella goddamned Rossellini to play a shell. (Then again, I think Tina Fey gets genius credit for convincing Rossellini to play Jack's Arby's-loving ex-wife on 30 Rock. This pulls a close second in Brilliant Casting Decisions). Anyway, I loved every minute of this beautiful, heartfelt film. (⭐️⭐️⭐⭐⭐)
Dave has a cookbook full of terrifying recipes, which I imagine he'll explain in his review, and when he told me his popcorn was inspired by one of those recipes, I grew gravely concerned. As is typical with any dish Dave whips up in the kitchen, I shouldn't have been concerned. He's a magician. I don't know what's in this aside from grilled onions and cheddar cheese, but Lord Jesus, is it delicious. I could've housed an entire bowl all by my lonesome. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐)
Popcorn recipe from: Dave Lewis 💅
Marcel the Shell with Shoes On on IMDB.
Love reading these! Thank you also for book recommendations, Dave. I was just talking to someone tonight about human connection, particularly following the in pandemic.