a pop-ularity contest

Two Octagon staffers investigate whether big popcorn varieties deserve to be popped or dropped

Popcorn has been a snack enjoyed for millennia, dating back to the Aztecs and Mayans who popped kernels as early as 2000 BCE. It remains a beloved snack worldwide, eaten often in movie theaters and cozy living rooms. Since summer is the perfect time for movie blockbusters, here is a review of the movie treat and its variations. From caramel, white cheddar and kettle corn, the world of popcorn has something for everyone.

STORY BY ISHAAN SEKHON AND WILLIAM HOLZ; GRAPHICS BY SAMHITA KUMAR; IMAGES COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

Movie Theater Popcorn

Movie popcorn is a timeless favorite that never fails to impress. As soon as you receive your bucket, the aroma of buttery saltiness permeates the air. Each fluffy kernel bursts with flavor, leaving your mouth with a perfect blend of salty and buttery pleasure. The crunch is satisfyingly loud, and each bite delights the senses. Movie popcorn is the ultimate cinema snack that is impossible to resist. It is the perfect popcorn flavor.

Caramel Popcorn

We only had two questions when we bit through caramel-covered kernels for the first time: Why would anyone make this and why am I eating it? The common saying “more is less and less is more” defines the problems with caramel popcorn. The addition of caramel, which makes the kernels look like they’ve been coated in layers of dirt and glue, destroys the warm, buttery flavor of traditional popcorn and replaces it with an unusually crunchy and stale flavor. To be transparent, when we were eating caramel popcorn, we questioned whether we had bought a version of popcorn or overly-glittered rocks. Honestly, we would have taken the rocks.

Kettle Popcorn

Like caramel corn, kettle corn is a sweet flavored popcorn. Instead of using caramel to glaze the kernels, kettle corn is created by placing kernels in a metal bowl, coating them with oil and sugar and finally cooking the combination over high heat on the stovetop. As it enters your mouth, the initial rush of sweetness is rapidly replaced by salt. The crunchiness of the kernels is at first delightful, but the coating becomes cloying and fake. Furthermore, the snack’s sticky, chewy texture might leave your teeth sugar-coated and gritty, making it harder to truly appreciate the experience. While kettle corn is a popular snack at fairs and festivals, its rich flavors and textures can be overwhelming, and after a few nibbles, the novelty of the snack wears off.

White Cheddar Popcorn

Despite its rise in popularity over the years, white cheddar popcorn is very overrated. There has been far too much praise for this bootleg Pirate’s Booty, a puffed corn snack food, and it needs to stop. Although white cheddar could seem like an interesting alternative to traditional buttered popcorn, the truth is that the cheesy flavor is overbearing and leaves a sour aftertaste in your mouth. The creamy texture, however, is a very appealing and satisfying trait of white cheddar popcorn. Nevertheless, you should either stick with the traditional buttered flavor or experiment with some of the other, more daring flavors that are offered.

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BY SAHEB GULATI & WILLIAM HOLZ

The first question we had walking out of a showing of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” was a short one: “Why?”

We then checked if our drinks had been spiked with some sort of hallucinogen — but alas, no. The dose of delirium we had received over the past 2 hours and 30 minutes was courtesy of Marvel Studios.

The final edition of the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy was overwhelmingly weird. And yet, the film’s bizarre, zany charm and its avoidance of overplotted multiverse tropes made for a fitting finish with unique strength.

Exactly six years after the release of Guardian of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the trilogy closer gave us the chance to bid farewell to our beloved Guardians:

Peter Quill, the dopey captain of indomitable spirit (Chris Pratt); Rocket Raccoon, the gruff and sullen humorist (Bradley Cooper); Nebula, the resolute cyborg dynamo of the team (Karen Gillan); Drax, the kindhearted bonehead bone-crusher (Dave Bautista); Mantis, the innocent, antennaed empath (Pom Klementieff); Gamora, now-amnesiac and grumpily distant (Zoe Saldana); and Groot, a lovable, gentle giant voiced by Vin Diesel.

Now stationed in the hollowed-out skull of an ancient celestial being, the Guardians are suddenly attacked by the superpowered humanoid Adam Warlock (Will Poulter), leaving Rocket grievously injured and sending our ragtag crew on a quest to save him.

The quest digs deep into Rocket’s mysterious past, revealing his painful genetic engineering by the High Evolutionary (Chukwudi Iwuji), the same person who sent Adam Warlock on the previous mission.

There’s a sadistic twist to this eugenist villain, motivated by Nazi-esque visions of a utopia and an unsettling delight in the torment of his creations.

RATING:

While seeing the suffering of mutated young Rocket and his endearing humanimal friends loses impact due to overuse, the film still undeniably excels in the deep development of its characters.

Unlike past Guardians movies, Rocket takes the limelight, allowing audiences to delve into his psyche and past. However, the supporting third, fourth and fifth string characters still get screen time and their well-deserved moments. Even a seemingly insignificant security guard manages to inject humor into the narrative, hilariously sharing anecdotes about the incompetence of his nepotistic assistants.

In a refreshingly imperfect character-arc, we see Gamora and her evolving relationship with Peter (StarLord). Unlike Marvel’s familiar return-to-the-status-quo resurrections, Gamora remains emotionally distant enough to pursue her own path at the film’s end.

The Marvel formula still applies to plot armor, however, as characters miraculously endure or randomly succumb to attacks based on whatever serves the plot, regardless of reason. Despite this, the standard Marvel formula did not apply to the visuals. Marvel has seemingly redoubled its efforts on CGI in recent years, making this experience feel slightly off-kilter.

At one point, Guardians traverse a ship formed from disgustingly accurate innards and organic matter, accompanied by unwelcome, revolting squelching sounds to boot. However, disgusting, off-putting effects are signature to the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. For example, in the beginning of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the team faces a giant slimy Sarlacc-octopus hybrid called an Abilisk. The team is only able to slay the alien when Gamora cuts its neck open, revealing its neon-green insides.

Later on in the third movie, the group engages in battle on an artificial planet, the location of the High Evolutionary’s newest “perfect” society — but all viewers are treated to is Counter-Earth, a disturbing mirror of ’90s suburbia with humanoid-looking animals as its residents. If Counter-Earth is a mirror, it’s definitely a funhouse one: bats, birds, pandas, rabbits and other animals all walk on two legs and dress in ‘90s attire, making each scene extremely off-putting.

One would think a millenia-long quest for civilizational perfection would lead to something better than just a mirrored version of Earth. The High Evolutionary’s disappointing display of creativity here tells us this is apparently not the case.

But Gunn’s last film with Marvel before departing for DC Studios is not without his signature trademark: self-aware one-liners and well-timed remarks that break the intensity of an otherwise unexpectedly gruesome film (animal lovers would be wise to avoid).

These tension-killers often center around Drax, as perfectly displayed in this scene:

Drax: And we’ll kill anyone who gets in our way!

Peter Quill: No! Not kill anyone.

Drax: Kill a few people.

Peter Quill: Kill no people.

Drax: Kill one guy. One stupid guy, who no one loves.

Peter Quill: Now you’re just making it sad.

Another signature focal point is the “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol.3” soundtrack, which hits all the right notes. Beastie Boys, Spacehog and Radiohead compose a few of the infectious oldies tracks that have become a hallmark of the trilogy.

Instead of staying within the bounds of its two predecessors, the movie experiments with firsts. Some, like the first f-bomb in Marvel Cinematic Universe history, were pioneering. Others, such as the interspecies animal romance, were plain off-putting.

However, “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” in all of its weird and wacky glory, stays true to its roots. The wild animated effects, the humor and the throwback soundtracks make it a satisfying continuation of the previous movies and a perfect end to the renowned series that we all love.