The Dinner

Do you remember the movie, The Freshman?

Yeah, not so memorable, but it did lead to a dinner that was held for several years by this actor who is rarely ever in the blinds.

His most famous appearance in the blinds was in the first few months of the blog’s existence.

At the time the movie was made, he was one of the biggest actors in the world.

Not necessarily the biggest star, but one of the biggest actors.

He is foreign born and is an Oscar winner/nominee. Shortly after the movie came out, he got together with several friends who owned land and hunted in the middle of nowhere.

He also then used his contacts to have meat brought in from Asia which would never be allowed to be hunted in Europe or here.

He got a little of this and a little of that from several corners of the globe.

He invited a dozen of his friends who brought the best liquor they could find and they had a dinner.

He has done the same thing with roughly the same dozen people for almost thirty years.

He stopped during the pandemic, but two months ago on the autumnal equinox, the group was back together and eating all kinds of different things.

It really kind of goes against everything he has talked about in his career, but at the same time, it seems like something that fits in with the real him, rather than the perceived him.

Ralph Fiennes
The movie: Schindler’s List

‘The Menu’: A stylish takedown of elitism and fetishized food culture

Ralph Fiennes delivers a fiendish turn as an egotistical chef out for blood in Mark Mylod’s satirical horror film

Say this much for “The Menu”: Its seared, carefully julienned heart is in the right place.

In Mark Mylod’s stylish satirical takedown of elitism, capitalistic excess and fetishized food culture, Ralph Fiennes delivers a fiendish turn as an egotistical chef whose restaurant occupies a remote island. As the film opens, a group of lucky diners board a boat to ferry them to what promises to be a culinary experience for the ages.

After the ferryman deposits the A-listers on an attractively rustic shore (played by Jekyll Island in the film), the diners are taken on a tour by Elsa (Hong Chau), who explains that everything they will be eating tonight comes from surrounding nature, the kind of smug farm-to-table speech that has been parodied hilariously in “Portlandia.” Once the diners are seated in the restaurant itself, Chef Slowik (Fiennes) proves to be a simultaneously fascinating and fascistic ringmaster, introducing each course with a dizzyingly unreliable narrative, his agenda coming into focus as he sets his piercing eyes on his customers.

The high jinks and lowdown deeds that ensue in “The Menu” are sure to remind viewers of “The Triangle of Sadness,” Ruben Ostlund’s similarly bilious takedown of the rich and fatuous. Written by Seth Reiss and Will Tracy, this jaundiced parlor game is enhanced by a handsome production design and a cast that digs into its theatrical premise (and flashes of humor) with gustatory relish. Filmed in rich tones by Peter Deming, who photographs the food in glistening close-ups, “The Menu” is often a pleasure to watch, especially while Chef’s true intentions waft into focus like so much asparagus foam. – Source