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I haven't seen it yet, but Artforum has a short review of Frederick Wiseman's Meat (1976), which is showing as part of the Museum of Modern Art's current Wiseman retrospective.

Oh, and the best foodie film I've seen in at least five years: Denis Villeneuve's Next Floor. It just ran at the Block Museum in Evanston, and I don't know when/where else it might screen in Chicago, but it's very worth finding and watching...repeatedly.

This trailer doesn't do it justice.

I'd like to view Wiseman's Meat as well.

I recently bought a copy of my introduction to Greenaway; The Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover. Remember when that film was one of the first NC-17's?

Also, I caught Big Eden on Logo the other day. It's a decent fairytale(in both possible senses of the term), but, what I'd forgotten from my original viewing upon it's premier was the inclusion of food, and learning-to-cook, as thematic elements. It's a cute, if somewhat incoherent film.

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"Johnny thought when all purpose had been forgotten the world would end this way, with a dance. He slumped back in a corner, drew his knees up to his chin, and watched."-Derek Jarman

Flooded McDonald's (2009), the 21-minute, arguably apocalyptic film by the Danish art collective Superflex, is screening now through March 22, 2010 at the Chelsea branch of Peter Blum Gallery in NYC.



Peter Blum Chelsea
526 W. 29th St.
New York, NY 10001
212-244-6055

Hi,

My local library has a Tampopo DVD. Finally!

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Haven't watched that since the legendary 24-hour Chowathon of '04 -- came home, watched Tampopo and ate a half pound of jelly beans.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

Believe it or not, it was 8 years ago that twenty-four hours of chow took place, in early April 2002. We visited 24 places in 24 hours: Manny's, La Milanese, Filbert's, Ramova Grill, Ed's Potsticker House, Alice's BBQ, Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap, Freddy's, Maywood Racetrack, Johnnie's, Massa, Matchbox, Goose Island Shrimp House, Lakeview Lounge, San Soo Gab San, Markelos, Arturo's, Waveland Bowl, Edna's Soul Food, Kimchi Museum, Ba Le, Shan, Lo Banh Mi Hung Phat and The Berghoff.

Thanks for reminding me, Peter. The memory is a little blurry at times (I have no recollection of Alice's or Markelos, though I am fairly confident I was there). I do remember sitting with you, VI and patoriq in the Berghoff bar as the odyssey came to an end. I think we did shots, but I could be wrong.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

A nostalgic journey through list of best food movies, and one that I have not encountered:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-farr ... 43173.html

1. Babette's Feast
2. Mostly Martha
3. Like Water for Chocolate
4. Eat Drink Man Woman
5. A Matter of Taste
6. Big Night
7. Tampopo
8. Silence of the Lamb

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“Nothing is more agreeable to look at than a gourmande in full battle dress.”
Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

Hi,

I never heard of A Matter of Taste. Is that the title you didn't know of, too?

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

Yep. Found it on Netflix, and added to my queue. Reminds me somewhat of "Gods and Monsters", but with a focus on food rather than film making.

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“Nothing is more agreeable to look at than a gourmande in full battle dress.”
Jean-Antheleme Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826)

Caught a screening at the Siskel Center during a Korean Film Fest. It's Iron Chef on steroids. Typical Korean formula of comedy, drama and romance all rolled into one. I definitely enjoyed watching, but found the many MANY subplots distracting.

I heard there was a sequel called Kimchi War. Looking forward to it.

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Apple Pie, Patis, & Pâté
@judecee on Twitter

Caught the showing of Le Grand Chef with Trixie Pea and petite_gourmande last Friday. The food photography was terrific, and some of the subplots were fun; it was movie-time well-spent. Spoiler alert: near the end, the cow cries.

Question: Why the French title?

I was sitting next to a Korean woman and she was laughing at several sequences that did not seem obviously laughable to me, leading me to conclude: 1) I was obtuse, 2) she was insane, 3) she understood the Korean cultural significance of certain phrases and actions that were lost on me. I believe 3 is the correct choice, and my lack of comprehension of certain possibly satiric words and deeds did not detract from the enjoyment of the movie.

This movie really put me in the mood for Korean food, so afterwards we went to Korean Seoulfood Café (560 W. Van Buren) which did satisfy.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

IMDB lists it as the title when it was shown in France.

I'm guessing the filmmakers thought that "Man of Taste" or "Great Chef" does not as compelling as the French version of the title to Americans.

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Apple Pie, Patis, & Pâté
@judecee on Twitter

I just saw Luca Guadagnino's I Am Love. From the single review I had read before going (from the Reader), I thought it would be worth seeing for the Milan cityscape, and also because I'm kind of a sucker for Tilda Swinton in any movie with a vaguely Shakespearean plot. It turns out food is central to this film, including a forboding cake box, a rapturous scene with Swinton and a plate of shrimp and ratatouille, homoerotic eggplant with elderflower syrup, a possibly incestuous box of Ladurée macarons and a pivotal and ultimately devastating serving of ukah. Anthony Lane in the New Yorker, whom I read after seeing the movie, gets it mostly right.

Bill Plympton's animated short The Cow Who Wanted to Be a Hamburger (2010) screened tonight at the Gene Siskel as part of the Chicago Underground Film Festival. Here's a clip:

Hi,

I recently saw Blind Side the other night. While not a foodie movie per se, it had some moments:

1) Family engrossed with a football game while Mom makes Thanksgiving dinner. Once dinner is ready, they swiftly load plates with as much food as possible before heading back to watch the game. The homeless kid carefully serves himself food, then eats by himself at the dining table. Mom takes control by switching off the television, ordering everyone to the dining room for dinner.

2) Women eating and commenting about their overpriced $18 salads.

3) When a football recruiter is attempting to sway this kid to join his team at Ole Miss. He promises the best catfish in the world from restaurant in a former gas station. I know precisely the place having eaten there a few times.

4) The family business was ownership of fast food restaurants.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

I meant to attend the screening of Raw Mash at Intuit this evening, but I forgot:

I saw a great show on 11 the other day...how to make white lightening. I thought it looked easy, with good money making potential!

Cool Hand Luke. No man can eat 50 eggs.

And not throw up!

I haven't seen this movie in years, though I saw it a lot in high school.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

HI,

I randomly grabbed the movie 'A Good Year' from the library. It had Russell Crowe, so I hoped it wouldn't be too bad.

Russell Crowe is a London trader who inherits his Uncles home and vineyard in Provence, France. There are all the English-French culture clashes, which reminded me of the book A Year in Provence. Sure enough at the ending credits, they said the story was from Peter Mahle who wrote A Year in Provence.

One of the tensions in the film is related to the vineyard. The wine made on the estate stinks badly. Yet at some point, the vineyard's label had some status because of its rarity. People didn't drink the wine, though they kept it in their collections. If they drank it, the mystique would disapear. (Or I might have this all wrong ... watch the movie)

There is an American couple doing the ugly American stereotype:

Wife: "I want the Salade Nicoise," which is very badly pronounced.
Husband: "You're on a diet."
Wife: "No oil in the salad. Oh, I want bacon sprinkled on top."

Of course, from time to time the camera pans over these lovely lunches served on the terrace.

One meal at the groundskeeper's home, his wife serves something with wild mushrooms. The wild mushrooms were artfully displayed like a forest scene.

There were just enough quirky culinary related details to amuse me.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

I hear Dae Jang Geum is a really great series (includes Korean cooking). [url]/http://www.amazon.com/Dae-Jang-Geum-vol-1/dp/B0009WSO66[url]
Anyone seen it?

I've really enjoyed, more than once, the 4-CD (for four seasons) version of A Year in Provence. The husband was played by John Thaw, of Inspector Morse fame.

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"I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

Of course hungryrabbi was the first to post about Svankmajer here! I'm really embarrassed that it took me until yesterday to see Food and Conspiators of Pleasure. Never before had I seen as complex, engrossing and literally awesome depictions of food in film. I especially loved the breakfast part of Food.

Eat, Pray, Love. Not a movie I would recommend but the food scenes are great and make me want to go back to Italy.

Backdraft has the best foodie music.

Tracks 2 & 9:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/backdr ... d317112074

Get it?

Hi,

Not precisely a foodie film, more a mystic film involving spices: The Mistress of Spices. It caught my eye when the DVD box advised, From the creators of Bend It Like Beckham.


I kept walking in and out of the room with this movie. It is very pretty visually. When she has dialogues with the spices, well, that does not do much for me.

Regards,

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Cathy2

"You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways, Road Food 2012: Podcast

MikeG has written about La Chiquita and many others have referenced Portillos, and both of these places are scoped out and, the former, robbed by the real life character at the center of Street Thief, a fascinating documentary about a guy who robs places. This guy, Kaspar Karr (if that’s his real name), is also a foodie: several times we go to his home to see him making dinner, grilling steaks for the video crew, and then we follow him as he knocks over the Cinemark (Northbrook, I think).

Now, I’m not usually enthusiastic about movies that glamorize criminals (or, for that matter, cops or attorneys), but his is a fascinating documentary. The care that Kaspar puts into a hit, the ethical and legal issues raised by filming his criminal activity, the Chicago restaurants, stores and food zones (South Water St. Market) kept me glued.

Once again, I thank the excellent justjoan for turning me on to Netflix online.

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“We all have to stand before the kitchen gods.” Chef Jacob Sahaya Kumar Aruni

A short documentary about DiFara's Dom DeMarco: