We love Queen Latifah - and we love a popcorn so much that we accidentally make it again. Seriously. It was a total accident that we didn't realize until months after making it.
Dave: Even Queen Latifah’s amazing performance as Bessie Smith and Monique’s surprisingly good portrayal of Ma Rainey couldn’t save this made for TV movie from being, well, a made for TV movie. The dialogue was often pretty uninspired and In the tell-not-show mode. It also felt as if several competing scripts got thrown together - there were so many storylines and loose ends that they distracted from each other and made the final scene feel far less like an end and more like a pause. I know Bessie’s life story is rich and nuanced, but it took her 40 years to tell it. Some sacrifices have to be made to squeeze it into two hours. (⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
We’ve done ranch popcorn before, but the addition of bacon really put this one over the top. Even though both bacon and ranch dressing mix are mostly salt, this didn’t feel overly salty. Initially, Joe had made a small bowl and, thinking it would be enough, I told him not to make a second smaller batch. Colossally stupid move. We could’ve finished off a double batch of this stuff. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Joe: God knows I love blues and jazz. And also Queen Latifah. So this film should have been a slam dunk. Except it isn’t. Both Latifah and Mo’nique bring their A-games, but they’re saddled to a script that only brushes upon portions of Bessie Smith’s life. Like too many biopics, it relies heavily on the melodrama instead of the nuances that make the subject compelling. By the time the final act of the film rolls around, it’s difficult to recall why we should even give a fig about Bessie Smith (don’t @ me, people - clearly we should give a fig about Bessie Smith). Disappointing. But also Queen Latifah and Mo’nique. So... (⭐️⭐️1/2)
The buck stops here, folks. I want to make this popcorn every week. Screw the other popcorns we’ve yet to make. This one is perfect. Salted butter mixed with ranch dressing mix added to bacon and popcorn? Holy crap. What a combo. I wanted to make another batch immediately after we plowed through the bowl - which we finished, like, 15 minutes into the film. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Popcorn recipe from: Party Popcorn by Ashton Epps Swank. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2014).
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