Our series "Recommendations, Ratings, and Recipes" is in its fifth week and GayTravel is pairing movies along with a popcorn recipe for you and yours to enjoy from the comfort of your own home.
For those who missed the first 4 rounds of this series, you can always refer back here:
1. Three Gay Travel Movies to Watch This Weekend
2. Three More Gay Travel Movies to Watch This Weekend
3. Another Three Gay Travel Movies to Watch This Weekend
4. Three Gay Travel Magical Musical Movies to Watch This Weekend
Hats off to the GayTravel cinematically-inclined audience because your recommendations have been rated by our audience with an overall average 4+ stars out of 5 (5 being the best).
Last week, we went with a theme of “musical movies." Music, like travel, brings us together and teaches us we’re more the same than different. We saw this remarkable phenomenon on full display last week when Andrea Bocelli streamed live from the Duomo Cathedral in Milan, Italy. This tells us all we need to know… we’re sticking with music again this week!
So, without further ado...let's roll the film....
IT'S SHOWTIME!
Billy Elliot
⭐⭐⭐⭐4+ out of 5 stars as rated by Gay Travel's Audience
Released in 2000 by Universal Pictures. Directed by Stephen Daldry. Dance/Drama. Starring Jamie Bell, Gary Lewis, Jamie Draven, and Julie Waters.
The story of Billy Elliot, whether on stage or film is an all-time favorites. There are several iterations; so to clarify, the film we’re recommending is the original film. There are other outstanding versions such as Elton John’s Billy Elliot: The Musical which was first performed onstage in 2005 and was based on this original film. In 2014, Billy Elliot the Musical Live is a film version of Elton John’s musical. Of note, Stephen Daldry directed both the original film and the 2014 musical adaptation.
The plot follows the life of a young lad who lives in England with his maternal grandmother, his widowed father, and his brother. His grandmother once aspired to be a dancer but is afflicted with Alzheimer's. His father and brother both work as coal miners. Much to his father’s chagrin, Billy is more intrigued by ballet classes than he is in the boxing lessons his father hoped he would pursue. However, Billy’s talent as a dancer is undeniable, even by his father, and Billy's eventual path leads him to study the Royal Ballet where he answers his true calling. This movie will make you want to practice your grand jetés and pirouettes... so dust off your ballet slippers!
Watch Trailer:
Moulin Rouge
⭐⭐⭐⭐4+ out of 5 stars as rated by Gay Travel's Audience
Released in 2001 by 20th Century Fox and Directed by Baz Lurhmann. Musical/Romance. Starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor.
Moulin Rouge takes us to Gay Paris, France, in the 1890s where an idealistic bohemian poet who is drawn to the “Moulin Rouge” and its beautiful star, Satine. Moulin Rouge received rave reviews and marked the beginning of a reinvention movie musicals that were written to appeal to a younger generation. It was this revolutionary film that sparked the release of other block-buster hits such as Chicago which came out the following year. The Baz Lurhmann film was later adapted for Broadway and Moulin Rouge! The Musical opened on stage, also to rave reviews, in 2019.
If you believe “truth, freedom, and above all things, love,” then you'll be drawn to the Moulin Rouge!
Watch official trailer:
Mama Mia 2: Here We Go Again
⭐⭐⭐⭐4 out of 5 stars as rated by Gay Travel's Audience
Released in 2018 by Universal Pictures and Directed by Dexter Fletcher. Musical/Comedy.
Sail to Greece be swept away by the songs of Abba. Ten years after the original smash-hit movie Mama Mia!, the exemplary cast reprising their roles in Mama Mia 2: Here We Go Again include Meryl Streep, Julie Walters, Christine Baranski, Amanda Seyfried, Dominic Cooper, Pierce Brosnan, Stellan Skarsgård, and Colin Firth. The story moves back and forth in time so there is plenty of familiarity and fun in this light-hearted film. The story retraces the steps of Meryl Streep’s character, Donna, as serves as a prequel to the first Mama Mia while moving into a sequel as Donna’s life is beautifully intertwined with the life of her daughter, Sophie.
With such a high-caliber ensemble cast, it’s hard to imagine stealing the limelight. But Cher, who makes a grand entrance late in the film, effortlessly reminds us why she is a multi-award-winning talent who can do anything exceptionally well -- including nailing her role as the first in a generation that spans four.
Watch official trailer:
Mediterranean Popcorn Recipe
This week's perfect popcorn pairing is from the magnificent Mediterranean. OPA as they say in Greece!
Mediterranean Popcorn served up hot and yummy from the GayTravel Kitchen
Cook time: 10 minutes. Yield: 2 quarts, serves 2
Ingredients
1/3 cup Multi-color (calico or rainbow), non-GMO popcorn
3 tablespoons coconut oil or other high-heat such as avocado oil
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground pepper (to taste)
2 tablespoons of butter (or more to taste)
¾ tsp salt (or to taste)
Special Equipment
3-quart, thick-bottomed pot with cover
GayTravel Kitchen Tip: Ensure the inside of the pot is completely dry before heating the oil in it or else the oil will sputter.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1) Heat the oil: Heat the oil with the garlic powder, dried basil, dried oregano and black pepper in a 3-quart thick-bottomed saucepan on medium high heat. If you are using coconut oil, allow all of the solid oil to melt.
2) Place 3 or 4 popcorn kernels into the oil. Wait for the popcorn kernels to pop.
GayTravel Kitchen Tip: This step is important as it will help the kernels to heat up evenly, preventing burnt and un-popped kernels.
3) When the kernels pop, add the rest of the 1/3 cup of popcorn kernels in an even layer.
4) Cover the pot, remove from heat and count 30 seconds.
GayTravel Kitchen Tip: if you are multi-lingual or aspiring to be, please count in the language of your choice. How about Greek? Ένα, δύο, τρία…
5) Return pan to the heat. The popcorn should begin popping soon, and all at once. Once the popping starts in earnest, gently shake the pan (and your booty) by moving it back and forth over the burner.
GayTravel Kitchen Tip: For those who prefer a drier and crisper popcorn, keep the lid slightly ajar to allow steam to release.
6) Popping will start to slow down to several seconds between pops. This indicates that it’s time to remove the pan from the heat, remove the lid, and immediately pour the popcorn into your favorite serving bowl.
7) Use the same hot and empty pan to melt butter.
GayTravel Kitchen Tip: More intense flavor will be infused into your popcorn if you allow the butter to get a tinge brown.
8) Drizzle the seasoned melted butter and over the popcorn, then add salt to taste.
9) Toss well and serve hot!
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P.S.
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