With our identical scores on both movie & popcorn, do Dave and I have Hive Mind or do we just need to spend more time with other people/
Dave: For a movie with such a famous opening sequence, When A Stranger Calls sure drags. It feels like the director had enough material for an amazing, super-creepy short film and some producer said “let’s make it a feature!” The entire middle of the film consists mostly of people wandering around some unnamed, hilly city occasionally talking to homeless people and/or cops. While Colleen Dewhurst does amazing things with her maybe-artsy-maybe-drunk role, she can’t singlehandedly save the plotless heart of the film. Carol Kane was brilliant and Charles Durning was meandering and plodding but solid. Sadly, Tony Beckley, the actor who played the stalker killer died mysteriously soon after the premiere. The movie feels meandering until the characters from the opening sequence return at the very end. Even that callback, though, isn’t enough to completely save this creepy but shambling film. (️️️⭐️⭐⭐️)
I’m not usually a fan of the “it’s just like a cocktail!” genre. Cocktail or alcohol scented candles inevitably smell like soap or sugar. Cocktail-flavored desserts often taste like the mix-ins and not the booze itself. This popcorn, while a bit sweet and sticky, was a nice homage to the old fashioned. Even if much of the bourbon flavor seems to have cooked off, the toasted pecans were a nice addition, as was the orange zest. Perhaps we’ll have more cocktail-themed popcorn nights! (️️️️⭐️⭐⭐️⭐️)
Joe: Scream is one of my favorite scary films, and, 27 (!!!!HOLY FUCK!!!!) years after its release, I finally see the film that inspired the terrifying first moments of that flick. I wish I could say that When A Stranger Calls is as original and compelling as Scream. I imagine in its days, the movie was absolutely shocking, but by modern standards, it's pretty tame and feels more like a police procedural than a nail-biting slasher. Carol Kane hands in a pretty solid performance, but most of the film is boilerplate. Still, there are some tense moments and I admire the film for what it is and for what it inspired. (⭐️⭐⭐️)
Looks like the Popcorn Board has rolled out some new recipes, so Dave and I can temporarily stop inventing our own (hey! Popcorn Board! Y'all should sponsor us so we can become #influencers - justkiddingjustkiddingjustkidding). It's retread at this point to remind readers how much more I prefer savory popcorns, so trust me when it was surprising when I - yes, I - decided to whip up this recipe. The echoes of bourbon remain in the caramel, and the fresh orange zest with a dash of bitters give the illusion of the muddled goodness at the bottom of any well-made old fashioned. Did it taste fully like my favorite adult beverage? No. Did I like it? Reader, I did. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Popcorn recipe from: Popcorn Board
When A Stranger Calls on IMDB.
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