The Nerdery Movie Night #203: Network and Northwoods Seasoning Popcorn

We're doomed, but at least we have Penzeys!

Northwoods Seasoning Popcorn

Dave: I was turned on to Network by the liberal talk show host Randi Rhodes on her days on Air America, when she used clips from the movie as sound beds. Even in the mid-2000s, she pointed the the movie as prophetic, but I never got around to watching it. Watching it today, after spending time with research about anti-vaccine sentiments today, was disheartening. The main character, a possibly insane, possibly prophetic newsman says of television: “We'll tell you anything you want to hear, we lie like hell.” The self-serving nature of profit-driven television and feels like it’s seeped its way into our daily lives at this point, but Network points to the fact that we can’t simply blame TikTok and social media; the impulse towards confirmation bias and anger has existed in humans for awhile. I’m not sure what else to say except that Faye Dunaway, Bill Holden, Peter Frisch, and Beatrice Straight were all brilliant and, with the exception of the misogyny thrown at Dunaway’s character - she’s scapegoated for the entire network’s downfall - the film is worth a watch (️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)

When Joe told me he was going to use Penzeys spices in his popcorn, I was excited. Penzeys spice blends, with the possible exception of their bizarre Trinidad-style lemon garlic, are always delicious. The Northwoods popcorn was no different. While I ate, I imagined myself a flannel-clad, manly lumberjack conquering the forest. Wait. Who am I kidding? I was housing the popcorn too fast for any coherent lumberjack visions. It was all I could do to shovel it into my mouth. Sure, maybe my love for the popcorn was only because we haven’t had a butter-drenched popcorn for awhile, but I also like to think Penzeys delicious spices had a hand in it. (️️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)

Joe: Prescience, thy name is Network. Frankly, watching this film 47 years after it was created is downright terrifying. Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes learned a lot from this film, and the political stratification of America is proof positive. If opening a news app on your smartphone makes your guts churn, Network ain't going to fix it, but it will point to the clear enemy: capitalism. I'm not even remotely progressive, but I feel like I rail against capitalism on a daily basis, and it's cast as the villain in every frame of Network. We are living in the nightmarish reality it predicted. That the film is brilliantly acted, directed, and shot only adds to its potency. I can't believe it didn't win Best Picture in 1977. It's genius. Terrifying and genius. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Yesterday, I realized it was my week to make a popcorn. Unfortunately, I hadn't investigated any potential popcorns to make and therefore had submitted zero ingredients to the weekly grocery list. Thankfully, we have about a dozen Penzeys Spices blends in our cupboard. I decided to select one, whisk it into melted butter, and drizzle it over the popcorn. Genius! Even though I thought I put too much of the Northwoods Seasoning in the butter, it turns out I actually didn't put in enough. Note to self: get heavy-handed. And try this again in a couple weeks with a different blend! (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Popcorn recipe from: Joe Prince 💅🏻

Network on IMDB.