Year 5 Day 139 (May Food n Flix)

It's that time of the month again, Food n Flix. And this month, I'm hosting my second round. My selection was the 1987 film Witches of Eastwick.  Here is my announcement post 

The one movie a day challenge part-

Movie: Witches of Eastwick
starring: Cher, Jack Nicholson
genre: Drama, Thriller
year: 1987
format: DVD

plot: Three bored housewives make a wish to bring more excitement, adventure and romance into their lives. In doing so, they unknowingly end up inviting more than they bargained for to town.

Based on the novel by John Updike.

This is one of those films that could be considered a starting over story. It's a story about learning to move forward even when you think you've hit rock bottom, as with the character of Jane who's just freshly divorced. There is a bit of a romance going on here, not just in the typical sense of the women being seduced, but in the idea that they fall in love with themselves. Each finds her footing only after something tragic lays down tracks. 

The core of the story here is four women...yeah keep reading...four women who have come into their own. We have the three "witches" Alexandra, Sukie and Jane, who are already friends, bonded over their tragic losses(Alexandra is a widow, Sukie has been abandoned by her husband and Jane just got divorced) and their kids. And then you have Felicia, who even though is more of a nemesis than a friend, is still very much connected to them. Her husband even though he's still married to her, has long since detached himself emotionally from her. (this has been argued is what forms the completion of the pentacle of earth (Alexandra), air (Felicia), water (Sukie), fire (Jane) and spirit (Van Horne))

Enter the character of Daryl Van Horne. Here we have "your average horny little devil" which could refer to any fertility god (Cernunnos, Osiris, Adonis, Kronos, Baal, etc) But the alcohol in the wish scene, always made me lean towards Dionysus/Bacchus.(a foreign god that comes)  Remember, the other half of the spectrum is the character of Felicia, who represents the religious aspect of the story, and Dionysus also found all religions sacred. ( Felicia drops a vat of honey which is sacred to the Bacchus ego of Dionysus) The fact the character of Van Horne "liberates" the characters of both Alexandra and Jane, by giving them permission to finally do what they really want to do in life, also adds to the theory the character is really Dionysus/Bacchus in written form. (the character of Fidel as the servant/guard is another extension of this)

We see the town turn on not just the core characters, but each other as gossip, doubt and betrayal begin to run amuck. This leads to the deaths of both Felicia and her husband. (he murders her then commits suicide) {blood sacrifice anyone?}Which is a clear warning that when you uncork something, you better be totally ready to deal with the responsibility/consequences. (cause and effect) In this case, the three main characters are not, as they begin to hide under the covers hoping it will just take care of itself. When that doesn't happen, only at the threat of death do they take responsibility for their own actions.
I thought it was interesting that the movie gave Felicia the biggest powers of intuition, as it drives her crazy. The doctors blame her sudden visions on a blood issue, but if you read between the lines, she's the one who has the most "blind faith" in something. 

what did I learn? Be careful what you wish for, and just exactly how you word it.

The Food n Flix part- bread and butter, chips, crackers, martini, popcorn, olives, cherries, fish, bagels, ice-cream, oatmeal, eggs, pickles, tea, bananas, zucchini, mustard, toast, garlic, tomatoes, peanut butter and jelly, beer, onions, spices, pop, canned cheese, canned soup, canned corn, marshmallows, brownies, cake, honey, Chinese Aphrodisiac Cooking (mentioned), sugar, pheasant, duck, oranges, apples, grapes, octopus, pineapple, peaches, cheesecake, rum, vodka, brandy, cookies, absinthe, whip cream, pears, lemons, pies, coffee, salad, peppers, mushrooms, muffins, sausage, chillies, salami, pepperoni, lettuce, cabbage, croissants, bones (dog is eating,) passion fruit, red tamarillos,

My inspiration scene was the girls night at the beginning (which I also got inspiration for another post  here), where they are playing cards talking about Sukie's husband Monty.(which they point out is happening on a Thursday. I always thought it was on purpose because Thursday is sacred to the god Thor who is a fertility god) 
I ended up going with what I hope is totally out of the cauldron...er box idea. With a version of a "Monty Cristo" sandwich.  The Monte Cristo is normally a turkey and ham and cheese, which is fried in egg batter.   Mine is a vegetarian version, with Tofurky.

I decided to use a smoked tofurky in place of the ham, and an oven roasted tofurky in place of the actual turkey.
As well, the selection of cheese was a vegan lactose free/animal rennet free cheese.

This I dipped in a simple French Toast batter of egg, milk (I used almond milk) and salt.

Then pan fried it as I would a typical grilled cheese.  I did however, leave it for about 8 minutes each side. 

There is so much food in this otherwise, non-foodie movie, but look closer. More than half is there on purpose. Think about the inside joke about the Chinese Aphrodisiac Cooking... Absinthe (connected to love and sexuality), lemon (love, happiness, purification) , gin (love, sexuality -because of the juniper berries) honey (love, sexuality, weight loss, wisdom, spirituality, purification, health, happiness,), olives(sexuality, peace, health, spirituality), lettuce(celibacy, money, weight loss, peace), onions (protection, weight loss), mushrooms (psychic awareness), tomatoes(protection, fertility, love, money, health), apples (love, health, protection, peace,), bananas(love, money, spirituality), cherries (love spells,) , grapes( dreams, fertility, money), oranges(love and purification) , pears(money, longevity), passion fruit (peace, love), peaches(health, love, happiness, wisdom,) , pineapple(healing, money, protection, love), the salty foods (earth magick, protection, grounding rituals, money spells,) , brandy (sexual desires, money spells, and used in incenses), rum (voudon offerings,sexual desires, purification rituals) , ice cream (this is one of those all purpose foods for protection, love, money, psychic awareness, healing, purification happiness, wisdom- all depending on the flavour), squash - in this case the zucchini (connected to the nonphysical realms)


Don't forget to join us next month for I Am Love, being hosted by CulturEatz