The Nerdery Movie Night #250: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Loaded Baked Potato Popcorn

We hit our bicentennial QUARTERMILLENIAL OR SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL with a movie that brings us back to the good ole days and a popcorn that leaves us deeply divided

Dave: Was this an über campy version of the original that didn’t add much to the original storyline? Yes. But did I revel in the callbacks to the original Beetlejuice as well as the wacky storyline the writers came up with? You betcha. This was nostalgic candy for Gen X kids, but the additions to the script were a little fluffy and I doubt folks who hadn’t seen the original would be as taken by it as Joe and I were. Still, it was a fun watch on a Friday evening. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

This recipe was borne out of two needs: 1) The need to make a popcorn we hadn’t made before and 2) the need to use up a bunch of cheddar cheese we had sitting in our fridge. If I’m honest, it was also borne of the need for a really good baked potato, which I haven’t had in awhile. I’m not sure if it quite lived up to the crunchy skin, fluffy inside, and delicious toppings of a real baked potato, but with real cheese, bacon bits, and a whole bag of crushed-up potato chips, it at least came close to the caloric content. Still, I’d rather have a real baked potato any day.  (️️⭐️⭐️)

Joe: Well, that was a hell of a lot of fun. 35 years after the original, one might rightfully think that Beetlejuice Beetlejuice is going to be a lame retread. Instead, it packs a powerful nostalgic punch while also providing a lot of meat for a new generation. There are plenty of Easter eggs for fans of Beetlejuice - Delia's sculpture outside Astrid's school, for example - and the cast, particularly Willem Dafoe, seem to be having the times of their lives. Winona Ryder somehow captures the raspy Lydia of her 17 year-old self, possessing the same eerie cadence of that character while also believably aging her. Michael Keaton leans fully into Beetlejuice again, which certainly helps in the film's truly gonzo moments - and boy howdy, are there plenty in the final act). I sure hope there's a Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

If I hadn't known going into this that it was a loaded baked potato popcorn, I never would have guessed its inspiration. Sure there was bacon, cheese, and chives - all flavors associated with the comfort dish - but potato chips are not a suitable substitute for the actual tuber. Still, the salty and savory combination was pretty damn terrific. I blithely shoveled handfuls into my gob, barely registering Dave's displeasure of the concoction. More for me next time! (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)

Popcorn from: Food.com (which Dave referred to as a "low rent All Recipes" 😂)

Beetlejuice Beetlejuice on IMDb.