#87: UGLY DELICIOUS

Ugly Delicious.

Elgin and Paul check out #UglyDelicious:

Ugly Delicious, a new documentary series from Netflix, produced by and starring Momofuku chef David Chang and New York Times food critic Peter Meehan. Rather than covering a single place, as do so many other food and travel shows, this one focuses on a particular type of food (such as pizza, fried chicken, or fried rice) and delves deeper into how it’s thought about, prepared, and consumed across the globe.

Featuring several culinary luminaries (such as Mark Iacono of Lucali, Roy Choi of Kogi, and René Redzepi of Noma) and on-screen celebrities (such as Aziz Ansari, Steven Yeun, and Ali Wong), the show explores and deconstructs our notions of authenticity, high and low cuisine, and cultural culinary fusion and appropriation. In many ways quite personal, Chang and Meehan’s new series doesn’t shy away from tough issues surrounding food and racism even as they celebrate how cross-border migrations can transform culture and cuisine. We share our deeply personal connections to this dear screen stuff, and Paul points out some of the blind spots the creators may have.
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#86: ANNIHILATION

Annihilation, with briefer takes on The Darkest Hour, Brad’s Status, and The Only Living Boy in New York.

Paul and Elgin review #Annihilation:

Annihilation (21:01), written and directed by Alex Garland and starring Natalie Portman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Tessa Thompson, Gina Rodriguez, Tuva Novotny, and Oscar Isaac. Veering away from Jeff VanderMeer’s novel of the same name, Garland’s follow-up to Ex Machina tells the story of Lena, a biologist and former soldier, who sets  off with four other women into a mysterious scientific anomaly called the Shimmer, or Area X, from which her ill husband has returned after going missing for a year. We discuss the distinctive sci-fi world building and imagery (perhaps some of the boldest since 2001: A Space Odyssey), the performances by Portman et al., Lena’s backstory and those of other characters, how the film does or does not organically come together, the critical reception, and the movie marketing here and overseas. WARNING: We do spoil parts of the movie’s plot and warn you before we do, but don’t feel this film can really be spoiled (it’s more about setting a mood and playing a thematic key repeatedly, with some twists, than about executing a plot).
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#85: THE ALIENIST

The Alienist.

Elgin and Paul check out The #Alienist:

TNT’s The Alienist, a crime drama based on the 1994 novel by Caleb Carr, stars Daniel Brühl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning. This ten-episode thriller (which has nothing to do with space aliens and much to do with the early days of criminal psychology and forensics) follows three protagonists who are chasing a serial killer in late nineteenth-century New York City. Does TNT’s attempt at prestige drama offer a fresh take on the serial killer mystery? And how are the show’s pacing, acting, costumes, cinematography, and set design? Are they strong enough to compel us to keep tuning in (despite the material’s familiarity)?
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