Sunday, January 24

Food in my favourite films

I thought I would ease myself in by making my first post about film, and food. Rather than write about particularly amazing moments of food on film, or compiling a list of films to make you drool while you watch them, I thought I would pull a bit of a switcheroo and present food (and drink) moments in my favourite five films (which are not in order of preference, not set in stone - just a for now kind of list):

1. Rosemary's Baby (Roman Polanski, 1968).

The chocolate mousse (or "mouse" as Minnie calls it) with the chalky undertaste:

"There Daddy. Do I get a gold star?"

Forget about the devil, there's the horror.

2. The Philadelphia Story (George Cukor, 1940).

One of the best drinking (and hangover) movies:

Champagne, its a great levellererer...

"Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

3. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954).

The perfect romantic dinner, brought to you by Lisa Carol Freemont & 21:



"Lisa. It's perfect, as always" (Try not to sound so disappointed!)

What could have been. The views across the courtyard:

Miss Torso 'juggling wolves'

Miss Lonelyhearts dines alone.

Mr Thorwald tends to his invalid wife.

4. Letter from an Unknown Woman (Max Ophuls, 1948)

The unknown woman goes to dinner with her unrequited love:

Another Lisa, another lobster dinner

"Now I see you as a little girl"

5. Written on the Wind (Douglas Sirk, 1956)

A film dominated by drinking. Amusing at the beginning:

Kyle (Robert Stack, on the left) and Mitch (Rock Hudson, right) have flown from Texas to NYC for "the best steak sandwich in the world" at 21 (of course), but where's the steak?

Takes on a tragic turn towards then end:

Kyle arrives late, and very drunk, to his own dinner party

"Bring me a cocktail I can drink"

"spose you're wondering why I invited you all here tonight"

His wife, Lucy (Lauren Bacall), in love with Mitch but carrying Kyle's longed for child, takes him away

leaving the cocktail to remain undrunk. Kyle is shot in a struggle with Mitch moments later.

4 comments:

  1. This may be unique in the history of film and food writing. Yum.

    Those old timers really drank a lot didn't they?

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  2. Thank you, and yes, they certainly did - martini after martini....makes me tired just thinking about it!

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  3. Do you remember the great chicken eating scene in "Going South" w. Jack Nicholson? My all time favorite eating scene.

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  4. I don't think I've seen it - one to look up then.

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