The Nerdery Movie Night #240: Civil War and Honey Pecan Popcorn

Pew pew pew! but why why why?

Honey Pecan Popcorn

Dave: Civil War was a wild dystopian fever dream. At times it felt like Saving Private Ryan for the "Resist" set. The plot was paper-thin, and I’m willing to believe that was a choice - making everyone’s backstory irrelevant levels the playing field a bit and keeps the viewer off-kilter. But the wanton destruction of institutions felt both gleeful and not useful for whatever story was supposed to be happening. It sagged into glorification of violence a bit too much for me, in the end. Was the film affecting? Sure. Is it going to be among the pantheon of era-defining war films? Probably not. (️️⭐️⭐️1/2)

Maybe everyone with a mommy blog has a perfectly calibrated stove, perhaps one of those fabulous gas-range, electric-oven models that costs almost as much as my newest car. But my stove, along with my sometimes inattentive popcorn-making doomed this recipe. What should have been a lightly sweet, nutty popcorn tasted a bit like some Cub Scouts left it on the campfire too long. Maybe I used a bit too much popcorn, maybe I cooked the honey glaze on the stovetop for just a touch too long, or maybe I didn’t set the oven timer (okay, I definitely didn’t set the oven timer). Whatever happened, this popcorn tasted mildly sooty, like Santa Claus a day or two after Christmas. Still, it used up our honey and our pecans - did I mention I added pecans? - so I’m counting it as a win. (️️⭐️⭐️)

Joe: Have you ever seen The Hurt Locker? Children of Men? This film has the same level of intensity as those two films. It is clench-your-buttcheeks tense from beginning to end. Unlike those aforementioned movies, though, Civil War never quite rises to its promising premise. While it hints at the perils this country faces from the authoritarian-enamored right, it never dives deeper than the surface. True, the film is more about the press' obligation to tell the truth in the face of adversity (which our own press is currently failing to do every damn day in my opinion - RIP, New York Times). The film's true powerhouse is Kirsten Dunst, whose acting here is riveting. Funny that the queen of late 90s/early 00s farces (Dick! Drop Dead Gorgeous! Bring It On!) has become a legitimately nuanced actress as she's aged. This film requires a lot from her, and she delivers. But man, the visuals in this film are upsetting. Really, really upsetting. (⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)

I love the earthiness that pecans bring to dishes, and they are the predominant flavor in this popcorn, which should be a good thing. But frankly, this popcorn didn't taste like much of anything. It was subtly sweet, a little bit toasty, but otherwise lacking flavor. Per usual, we ate the entire bowl, but I can't say there was anything even remotely memorable about the experience. (⭐️⭐️)

Popcorn from: some Mommy blog Dave stumbled upon

Civil War on IMDB