[Sca-cooks] Short Little Piece on Food in Movies

[Phil Troy / G. Tacitus Adamantius]

On Jul 30, 2009, at 6:14 PM, Daniel & Elizabeth Phelps wrote:

> Was written:
>
>> We had a whole evening of food movies planned for the "Estrella  
>> Orphan's
>> Party" (those of us left at home when the others went to war)
>> Our list included:
>> Vatel
>> Babettes Feast
>> Chocolat
>> Eat Drink Man Woman
>> Ratatouille
>>
> Well to add a bit of craziness how about "Eating Raoul" and "Who is  
> Killing Great Chef's of Europe".

I think for sheer craziness, Stephen Chao's "The God Of Cookery" is  
definitely up there, spoofing both Iron Chef competitions and martial  
arts movies [both kung and "wire" fu varieties]. And that's before the  
heavens open up. I think Chao had just got done playing The Monkey  
King when this was made, and I guess he really enjoyed it...

There's also the Korean entry "Le Grand Chef", based on a popular  
comic book! The movie itself is no more bizarre than a lot of others,  
but the whole based-on-a-comic-book thing adds an odd dimension, not  
to mention the near-mythic elements of the story, as two chefs vie for  
the title of heir to the last great royal chef of Korea (and his  
ancient ceremonial stone fish knife). This one is not a comedy,  
though. Like much Korean cinema, it's pretty schmaltzy.

And then there's Tsui Hark's "The Chinese Feast", which is practically  
a remake of Cat Ballou with chefs, including the classic cliche of the  
old, gin-soaked, washed-up chef who has lost his sense of taste and  
smell, being brutally rehabilitated (think Lee Marvin in chef's  
whites), complete with various torturous techniques involving chili  
peppers, ice water, etc., for the big showdown...

Adamantius






"Most men worry about their own bellies, and other people's souls,  
when we all ought to worry about our own souls, and other people's  
bellies."
			-- Rabbi Israel Salanter