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Today we tackle the recently released independent film MARSHMALLOW. The feature directorial debut of Daniel DelPurgatorio, written by Andy Greskoviak (who penned the 2021 Bruce Campbell-led horror-comedy BLACK FRIDAY, but don’t hold that against him - this one is much better!)
Shot in Kentucky in an actual summer camp, the film is a bit of a genre mash-up of kid adventure a la THE GOONIES, a straight-up summer camp slasher a la FRIDAY THE 13TH, and a sci-fi parable a la an episode of BLACK MIRROR.
The film dropped in theaters in a limited capacity on April 11th, before hitting streaming. It currently has a 91% Rotten Tomatoes critic score based on 11 reviews, and an 86% Audience score, based on 100+ scores.
So...I saw this film available to rent on VOD, saw the scores and read a smattering of the reviews, though I never go too deep as I don't want to know too much. And then pulled the trigger to give this indie film a try, set it for a podcast episode, and see what happened.
I've been thinking recently that, look, we're independent. We can cover whatever we like. And a year ago we covered a lovely indie UK horror film THE MOOR (which, by the way JUST dropped on digital for North America! So go listen to our episode on that and seek it out!) So why are we sticking to such wide-release, mainstream fare? I mean, yeah, we need the attention and the listens, but if WE don't cover the smaller works that have too little marketing behind them, who the hell will?
Wine and...Movies: The Moor (2024)
Woo! We’re like, real media or something because we got an ADVANCED SCREENER of an upcoming horror film release!
So here we are, talking about a horror film I certainly hadn't heard of before I stumbled across it at radom. Listen to the episode to get the full scoop.
But FIRST! It’s time for…
WINE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK
This week we're asking our listeners:
What the hell is a GSM Blend, so what are the 3 grapes included, and most importanly...why? Where does this blend come from?
Is it:
A) Graciano, Sangiovese, and Mataro - the core blend of Chianti
B) Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvedre - the core blend of the Rhone
C) Gruner Veltliner, Sylvanner, and Müller-Thurgau - a blend of the great whites of Austria
D) Gamay, Semillion, and Merlot - an affordable Vin de France country blend.
The Wines
2021 Planet Mouraz “Nina” Palhete (pronounced pal-yeh-teh)
A Palhete is a light bodied, typically lower alcohol red wine that achieves its lightness and lower abv by blending in a decent bit of white wine. Sure enough, this “Nina” (named after the kitty cat!) is a 50% red, 50% white blend, 20+ indigenous grapes, none of which you have ever heard of, but wowsers is this wine ever drinkable yet still complex!
Now technically the EU forbids the blending of red and white WINE together, but they allow red and white GRAPES to go into the same wine. So “Nina” is a “field blend” which is where they pick all the grapes in a single vineyard and make a single wine out of everything that grows there, fermenting all the grapes together.
So why does this pair with MARSHMALLOW? The film deals with humans using technology to refuse the course of nature, to control the natural way of things. Planet Mouraz is a minimal intervention / “Natural” winery, which is precisely the opposite! They make fine wine while “intervening” as little as possible, using as little technology as possible - hand-harventing, native yeasts, minimal sulphites, and the winery is currently working toward its biodynamic certification.
It also doesn’t hurt that this wine has a kitty cat mascot and is easy enough drinkin’ that even the child stars of the film might even enjoy it. I of course did not just write that and will deny it in full even if this post is still floating around on the internet.
YOU CAN CURRENTLY PURCHASE NINA AT:
Soon Hari Peach Soju
Ok wine-wise Dallas initially considered going with something lively and acidic with playful fruit and that was the Domaine Vincent Carême 2022 Le Clos Chenin Blanc. Just at the top end of Dry.
Notes of green apple layered with Fuji pear, honeysuckle, white blossom and lemon citrus, a little apricot. Lively acidity. But that was a FAILED PAIRING. It just wasn’t the right match to the oddity of MARSHMALLOW’s genre mash-up storytelling.
So his ultimate pairing came from thinking outside the wine box (the boxed wine?) and he ultimately settled on some peach Korean soju:
One of the classic bulk Korean soju’s out there, SoonHari is a traditional neutral soju infused with both natural and artifical flavoring to create a smooth and slightly sweet drink. 13% alcohol, it’s another easy drinking pairing with an ingredient list that reads like a mass-marketed kid’s product, so hey, perfection! (Though seriously, SoonHari truly is easy drinking, get on this if you’ve never had.)
Answer to this week’s Wine Trivia Question
A) Chianti Blend
B) Rhone Blend
C) Great Whites of Austria Blend
D) Vin du France Blend
ANSWER: B) RHONE BLEND!
Grenache, Syrah, Mourvedre are the 3 primary grapes of the Rhone, alongside Cinsault who gets no love and no credit even though it’s blended almost as often in GSM blends as the other three, poor baby.
When California started making Rhone style blends, we couldn’t use the term “Cote du Rhone” so instead we acronymed the grapes to “GSM Blend” and the rest is history.
As for the other choices to the question, those are all incorrect and made up, for the most part. I just needed grapes that began with G, S, and M. Better luck next time if you chose those! :P
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