The Nerdery Movie Night #245: Woman of the Hour & Crispy Crunchy Apple Popcorn

Anna Kendrick's debut as a direct slightly divides us, but the popcorn is a definite no.

Crispy Crunchy Apple Popcorn

Dave: I’d wanted something campy and lighthearted, and I thought a movie based around a cheesy 1970s game show (and produced by Anna Kendrick) would fit the bill. Geez, was I wrong. I think this movie wanted to be a miniseries, with each episode being one of the women killed by the main character, strung together with the Dating Game storyline. Instead it all got smushed together into a movie and, despite the gripping premise (a serial killer on a nationally televised TV show!), it kind of flopped for me. Kendrick as the lead was quirky and funny and Daniel Zovatto is extraordinarily creepy as the contestant/killer. Even those performances and the unflinching portrayal of what dating women face don’t save it from feeling unconnected and unfulfilling. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This popcorn had a hint of apples and cinnamon and, while I realize crunchy was in the name, it was maybe a tad too crunchy for my taste. It also didn’t pack quite as much of a flavor punch as I’d hoped; the apples were anemic and the other spices managed to take a backseat to…well…the popcorn. All in all, it was a bit confusing, even if it was seasonally appropriate. (⭐️⭐️️️)

Joe: Despite not being explicitly violent, this film was still deeply disturbing and unnerving. My heart raced a number of times, and the non-linear storytelling keeps the viewer off-kilter for the running time. Dylan Zovatto plays an incredibly chilling psychopath, his face controlled and cold, lacking any emotion even as his victims begin to suspect his motives. It's a powerful performance, matched by Anna Kendrick's assured direction and equally fine acting that leans into her ability to imbue a feminist lens to the script. Tense and upsetting, Woman of the Year isn't going to sweep come awards time, but it is a terrific talent showcase. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Crispy and crunchy are not adjectives that should accompany popcorn. Both imply that the popcorn has not been properly popped, and I am afraid that was true for this endeavor. The challenge with stove-popping is that no batch is every guaranteed to yield consistent results. Such was unfortunately true with this recipe. A lot of the proportions in the recipe seemed off to me - like the sugar to cinnamon ratio -, so I adjusted quite a bit. It didn't help. Baking the popcorn evaporated all the butter, yielding an especially dry snack. If I were to make it again - and that's a big if - I would certainly reinvent the recipe. (⭐️⭐️)

Popcorn from: The Popcorn Board

Woman of the Hour on IMDb