In which we debate the merits of an atmospheric horror film that prominently features an evil goat and we try our second pepperoni pizza popcorn.
We’re baaaaack! Because of visitors and evening engagements, it’s been a month since your Nerdery™️ nerds have served up some popcorn and film critiques. And because it’s October, we’re watching horror movies. Well, more horror movies than we usually watch.
Also, the cocktails that appear in the photo are called Kyotos. And they’re delish.
Dave: I know the remote, vaguely gothic, atmospheric horror that happens in The Witch has been done and redone countless times. A rural family, isolated from the rest of their provincial world, faces seemingly otherworldly forces. But the affectedly “olde tyme” dialogue and soundtrack in this film, which could have been distracting and annoying, worked well for me. I also appreciated the unrelentingly bland palate of greys, dull greens, and browns that made the occasional pop of color so striking in this world. The movie was spooky and deliciously disturbing until the last 10 minutes, when a campy, tacked-on ending nearly ruined everything. It’s as if some producer said: “No, your audience won’t get it unless you totally bash them over the head with a super-clear resolution. Maybe you can end with an orgiastic naked dance scene around a fire! With a goat! Who you make ABSOLUTELY SURE that they know is the Devil!” I’d have been much more fulfilled if it had ended sooner, and left us wavering between social and physical isolation and supernatural forces. (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Pepperoni pizza popcorn was one of our first recipes. I remember it being good, but not delicious. This recipe blew the first one out of the water, though it didn’t seem terribly more difficult or complex than the earlier one. The one drawback: cold pepperoni pizza popcorn is nowhere near as delicious as cold pepperoni pizza. Still, 10/10 would eat again. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Joe: As I’ve aged, I find psychological horror far more terrifying than anything with blood and guts. It’s a far more effective scare, and The Witch proves that. It’s deeply unsettling, and (spoiler alert) does not end on a hopeful note. The biblical dread is ratcheted up with every new scene, and even for a devout atheist like me, is damn unnerving. Even more upsetting is the violence involving children and family members. This one burrows deep. I’ll be chewing on its subtexts for quite some time. It ain’t perfect, but it’s good. (⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Intrepid followers may note that this is not the first time we’ve made pepperoni pizza popcorn. In fact, it was the first popcorn we made for this little project. However, this is a new recipe, and since I made the first iteration, I was keen on making the second. This involved mixing a lot of spices and herbs with a butter sauce, so I was positive it would yield a delicious flavor. It didn’t. Despite the sauce, it was shockingly bland and in desperate need of more salt. I think, though, with some tweaking, I could make a killer pepperoni pizza popcorn. This recipe just ain’t it. Still, we ate the whole bowl. (⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Popcorn recipe from: Gourmet Popcorn: 100 Recipes for Any Occasion by Georganne Bell. (Front Table Books, 2018)
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