Popcorn with a nonsense name meets a documentary with a nonsense narrative arc.
Dave: Some topics are just too big to be captured well in an hour and a half. The personalities, the stylistic changes, the back-and-forth influence of secular music, the racism and hardships, and the triumphs of the gospel quartet era just proved too much for this little film. The interview segments and archival video footage were bright spots, but the central narrative was divided among so many groups in so many places that it lost a bit of its power. The filmmakers would have done well to focus a bit, even if all the stories here need to be told. Still, this was worth a watch, though I’d be much happier seeing this as a limited series. (⭐️⭐️⭐)
Joe was never able to tell me what this popcorn was called. Every time I asked, he’d say something with too many modifiers, like “Backyard Barbecue Baseball Popcorn” or “July Fourth Picnic Jazzercise Popcorn.” Whatever it was, it was odd. Spices, salt, pretzels, and peanuts, felt naked without the rich buttery flavor of Chex Mix, which is obviously what this mix is riffing on. I’d eat it again, but I think I’d rather just have a bowl of Chex Mix. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐)
Joe: This was a documentary desperate for a narrative thread to unite its seemingly disparate threads. Even the presence of an omnipresent narrator would have given the film some semblance of continuity. Instead, there are countless people trying to thread the needle of a story - from the performers and a Black gospel scholar to a bunch of white guys (one of whom is British?!?!). With the exception of the former, no one seems remotely qualified to comment on the music. Like, white guy from Pittsburgh: what authority do you have on the topic other than listening to gospel radio while driving around at 4 AM in the 1950s? With all the competing stories and the comically bad reenactments, this film felt 4 hours long. According to IMDB, it's 87 minutes. (⭐️⭐️1/2)
This popcorn took well over an hour to make, and it tasted like homemade Chex Mix. I like Chex Mix, but I don't want to spend an entire evening making it. Plus, for whatever reason, it seemed that the amount of finished product shrank significantly with each minute it spent in the oven. I swear it went from a hearty bowlful to two cups in the span of an hour. Look at the diminishing portion in the photo! Anyway, this was fine, which is damning praise for a recipe from the mighty Popcorn Board. (⭐️⭐️⭐)
Popcorn recipe from: Popcorn Board
How They Got Over on IMDB.
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