Food on Film: The Most Delicious Scenes…

logan fowler looks at his favorite movie scenes featuring edible elements…

With the Holiday season surrounding us, most people have a few things to check off on their list; getting presents, putting up the decorations, and of course, baking/cooking for the massive meals about to be devoured by the family. This idea is the foundation for my list, as I thought about what movie moments featuring (or revolving around)meals are ones that I always think about (cause I like to eat), whether they tickled my funny bone, made my tear up, made me smile, or just made me hungry. I originally was going to make it a top 10 list, but then I thought, why not go for a second helping and make it 15?

So are you ready to chow down? Bust out the serving spoons. Let’s go!

15. Man on the Run-Pineapple Express
Seth Rogen busting in on his girlfriend and her parents while waiting for him to join them for dinner is only the beginning of the madness. Rogen’s character is dodging dudes involved in murder and tries to warn his girlfriend and her family that they must flee. This all happens before Ed Begley Jr. uses a shotgun for protection and James Franco gets stabbed with a fork. Later on Craig Robinson checks out the empty dinner table, placing his hand deep in the food dishes and letting us know that the food is still ready for eating.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t464oBafUj0

14. Pizza Hat-Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
One featuring the majority of the whole sewer clan about to eat, Michelangelo tosses the pizza in the air, while Leonardo whips out his blades, and begins to slice and dice away, with a piece of the pie landing neatly upon the turtles’ plates, only leaving Splinter, his furry head getting splattered with a triangular piece of the circular creation.

13. Guess What’s Cooking?-Hot Shots!
Featuring Charlie Sheen before his mug was on all the tabloid magazines, Hot Shots! spoofed a lot of films, amongst them 9 and 1/2 Weeks, which featured Kim Basinger enjoy some food in a sensual sort of way. Charlie Sheen feeds his love interest Valeria Golino simple stuff (fruit and the like) before taking it to the next level, having her eat pizza, then the two venture off to the bedroom where Sheen cooks a breakfast that would make IHOP blush-on Golino’s stomach. Bacon never looked so good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fqc4sKIxrs

12. I’m on a Roll-Tommy Boy
Before Chris Farley’s career went downhill and the funnyman headed off into that great big stage in the sky, he made quite the loveable buffoon in his first major feature film role. Sitting across from David Spade in a roadside restaurant, Farley questions the mark on his face which Spade definitely caused, even though the constant counterpart to Farley’s shtick keeps denying it. Cue the waitress that Farley freaks out, as the big guy compares his scale skill to a roll that he pretends is a tiny pet. This brilliant scene is followed by Spade comparing shrimp to feces.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhz7XsJY39g

11. Steak and Meg’s-Twister
Seriously, forget the cow in the storm; this scene is the one I always look forward to, as whatever Meg’s cooking up in the kitchen is something I want to eat right away. This delicious looking meal became the precursor to the food network, as to describe that no matter how full I was, that breakfast/lunch/dinner looked pretty awesome, and something that my stomach wanted right then and there. I didn’t think I would find this scene on Youtube, but lo and behold, I guess I’m not the only person who wants Meg’s fancy fixin’s.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSSLv0bZ2es]

10. Always Room for Jel…Nevermind-National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation
Chevy Chase’s Clark Griswold just tried to be the best host for the Christmas gathering, but this is when the straw is beginning to break on the camel’s back. Cat food in jell-o, a dog choking on a bone underneath the table, and one dry, dry bird begins to send Mr. Griswold off the deep end. Dude even goes to clean up the trash spill that the dog caused and a relative troubles him for a stogie. No wonder the man goes berserk.

9. Oh Oh It’s magic-Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
While the Potter films only increased in quality, they had to start somewhere; as Hogwarts is the midst orientation/initiation, Dumbledore waves over the great hall with his wand, and poof-the tables are lined with food and drink for the student body. Watching Ron nibble on two chicken (may be something more fantastical, but who knows) wings would make any Potter fan’s stomach grumble. The books and film have always made me wonder-what in the hell does Pumpkin Juice taste like? I guess I may have to travel to the Harry Potter island at Universal Studios Florida to find out.

8. Got Milk?-Meet the Parents

Earning its placement for DeNiro’s deadpan lines, Meet the Parents’ dinner scene is the nightmare of any young male suitor looking to impress his future in laws. As Ben Stiller’s Greg Focker tells the story of him milking a cat, further adding you can milk anything with nipples, DeNiro looks stiller dead in the face, asking “I have nipples, Greg. Can you milk me?” Later on, Still busts open champagne, knocking down a vase full of ashes belonging to the mother of DeNiro’s character.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82fJHZsLRco

7. Breakfast of Champions-Pee Wee’s Big Adventure
Pee Wee Herman has it all-a cool house, a sleek bike, and a breakfast machine. Doing all the work that any lazy cook would love, Mr. Herman just lights a candle to burn a taut string, and presto; the gears begin to turn, and the Rube Goldberg-esque creation whips up the most important meal of the day. Kinda sad that Pee Wee takes a couple of bites before he sets off for the day. At least Speck spent more time on his meal-also delivered by machine.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVdqwD_bcPs]

6. Super-Sized-The Incredibles
As Bob Parr, the patriarch of his family, reads the newspaper, his eyes don’t focus on the madness to occurring at the dinner table; brother taunting sister, mom trying to cut food for her child, and baby making gibberish. Seem normal? Well throw in that the son is running at the speed of light around the table, the daughter is creating force fields, and the mom is stretching her arms to make them stop fighting. When Bob finally intervenes, he lifts the whole family up, table as well, just before the doorbell rings. Another regular night in the Parr household. Yes, I said regular.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOvzCI9n5J8

5. Duck Season-A Christmas Story
With the Turkey dinner gone, the Parker family is now left with no choice to go out to eat. Their end result is dinner at a Chinese restaurant, with waiters singing-and BUTCHERING-the classic carol “Deck the Halls.” As their entree is served, the mother screams in shock as the duck’s head is severed off. But don’t worry, the billed creature is already dead.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTq20prt0K8]

4. Food Fantasy-Hook
With Peter Pan all grown up, the lost boys must get him back to normal. Finally getting to eat after a long day of fighting, Robin William’s Peter Pan is frustrated that he must pretend to eat. After getting into a shouting match with lost boy Rufio, Pan throws imaginary food which lands on Rufio’s face as a colorful pudding, leading the camera to pan out from the food spread, showcasing a meal fit for a king.
I would pretend to eat all the time if this really happened.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PaOjCq44po

3. Toasting to a Tool-The Muppet Christmas Carol
A Christmas Carol stands as my favorite Xmas tale; the story of Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption revolves around Christmas, but at the same time, its moral could be applied to any person any day of the week. Now you add muppets, and you score high in the mind of Logan J. Fowler. Anyway, this scene sees Bob Cratchit (Kermit) and son Tiny Tim (Robin) returning home from church to celebrate a family feast. Though little in scope, Bob appreciates the meal there is, and decides to offer a toast to his employer Scrooge (Michael Caine), for providing the meal. While wife Miss Piggy scoffs it off, she too toasts to the man, and Robin breaks out into a beautiful song, tititled “Bless us One and All.” There have been many Christmas Carol retellings through film, but this by far is my favorite adaptation of the classic story.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnqYH7hn7po

2. Havin’ a Meatball-Lady and the Tramp
A classic scene, this adorable little piece of movie history sees two dogs, being romanced by live Italian music (Bella Notte), eating some spaghetti and meatballs. The two dogs begin to chow down, looking in opposite directions, not knowing they are eating the same string of spaghetti. As the string grows shorter, the two dogs eat towards the middle of the strand, ending up kissing. Now tell me you don’t want to take your significant other out for an Italian meal and try this yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WxDdz-Anls

1. You’ve been Naughty-Santa’s Slay.
In the opening scene of this horror/comedy, check out the cast members sitting around the table-James Caan, Fran Drescher, Chris Kattan, and Rebecca Gayheart. Must’ve been that the budget on this film was blown here, because as I’ve read, the rest of this film was not up to snuff.

Anyway, who comes down the chimney but St. Nick, this role being performed by former pro wrestler Bill Goldberg (yes, a man of Jewish religion playing Santa Claus). Seems Santa is pretty pissed, and this old elf destroys all the people trying to enjoy their meal in this opening scene faster than you can say “Who’s Next?”

Yes, this is number one. I’m sorry, but you just can’t deny the awesomeness (hilarity) of a big and bad Santa taking out The Nanny and Corky Romano.

And now for an honorable mention of sorts, to send you off, here is a clip from Spider-Man 3. It’s one of the few best bits from the movie that happens to feature food. Until next time, Happy Holidays everyone. May your bellies always be full.