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October 1995, Week 3

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Subject:
From:
Donald Larsson <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 13 Oct 1995 14:29:09 -0600
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Ana Lopez inquires:
"A colleague and I are working on a (somewhat) bizarre project and are trying
to identify classic Hollywood or European films which feature food items,
memorable meals, and/or the consumption or preparation of specific food
items or dishes. We are looking for titles/specific scenes in which food
items, preparation or consumption are not simply something that happens in
the background of dramatic scenes but are actually given some weight in the
narrative and/or mise en scene. . . . "
 
 
I'm not sure how far afield you want to go in contemporary films, but
LE GRAND BOUFFE, BABETTE'S FEAST, EAT DRINK MAN WOMAN and LIKE WATER FOR
CHOCOLATE are all heavily food-based films. MONTY PYTHON'S THE MEANING
OF LIFE also has a signficant food scene, as does THE MAGIC CHRISTIAN.
 
For more "classic" films, there are of course various silent slapstick films
that feature pies or other foodfights. (More recently, ANIMAL HOUSE comes to
mind as a film that uses food in an obvious way.)
 
Somewhat more subtly, Hitchcock uses food in many of his films:
BLACKMAIL--bread cut with *KNIFE!*
THE 39 STEPS--dinner at the crofter's cabin
SECRET AGENT--a chase through a chocolate factory
SABOTAGE--death during dinner
SUSPICION--a glass of milk
LIFEBOAT--a drink of water
SPELLBOUND--anxiety at dinner, a liverwurst sandwich, a glass of milk
NOTORIOUS--burnt chicken, crackers in bed, bottles of champagne
THE PARADINE CASE--Charles Laughton at home
REAR WINDOW--a "perfect" dinner
THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY--a roadside stand
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH--Arab cuisine
VERTIGO--dinner at a restaurant
TO CATCH A THIEF--a master chef and a master thief
NORTH BY NORTHWEST--a drink for the road, dinner on a train, death at the
        cafeteria
PSYCHO--Marion Crane eats like a bird
THE BIRDS--chicken at the diner
TORN CURTAIN--death in a kitchen
FRENZY--gourmet dining at home!
 
(there is also an egg for an ashtray in TO CATCH A THIEF)
 
Some others--
strawberry shortcake in THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
candy and hootch in TOUCH OF EVIL
breakfast at the end of WOMAN OF THE YEAR
 
Dining out in SPLASH and PRETTY WOMAN
 
Life in a Chinese restaurant in COMBINATION PLATTER
 
Cooking Italian in THE GODFATHER (especially II) and GOODFELLAS
 
Mildred Pierce serves chicken at her restaurant
 
Chaplin!--THE GOLD RUSH and MODERN TIMES, especially
 
Preparing dishes in the kitchen in RULES OF THE GAME
 
Food in prison camp in GRAND ILLUSION
 
 
 
That's all for now. Hope it helps!
 
Don Larsson, Mankato State U (MN)
 
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