As the host of “Last Meals” on the YouTube Channel Mythical Kitchen, Josh Scherer begins every episode by reminding viewers that everyone has two things in common: “We all gotta eat, and we’re all gonna die.” On each episode, Scherer invites a celebrity guest to share their last meal — literally. The guest provides a list of dishes ahead of time. The Mythical Kitchen team plans, prepares and serves the selections while Scherer conducts an interview. It’s an innovative format that hits far more often than it misses. Topics of conversation run the gamut from the mundane to the sublime, touching on subjects such as the pitfalls of fame, mental health struggles, and philosophies on death and dying. Guests have included Tom Hanks, Alan Tudyk, Kathryn Hahn, Kevin Bacon, and Neil deGrasse Tyson.
Inevitably, the conversation turns to how specific foods connect to the guest’s family, life experience and personal identity. Frequent requests include sushi, burgers, pasta, and — of course — pizza. For his appearance on “Last Meals,” Elijah Wood had an entire course of different pizzas: a Neapolitan pizza, a Detroit pizza, and a sauerkraut and mushroom pizza with Manchego cheese and wildflower honey.
Pizza: It’s America’s comfort food. It’s a catalyst for culinary nostalgia, triggering core memories. We all have a favorite pizza joint from childhood. We all have a story about a first date at the local pizza parlor that launched a romance — or led to relationship disaster.
I’ll admit that my first thought when I heard about “Pizza Movie” wasn’t positive. From a marketing standpoint, it’s a preposterous name. It feels like a placeholder a writer might use while searching for a more inspiring title. The film — best described as a stoner comedy — was written and directed by Brian McElhaney and Nick Kocher. It was released on Hulu on April 3.
The promotional material for the film reveals that it is the story of Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), a shy college student, and Jack (Gaten Matarazzo), his reckless roommate. The two have been effectively ostracized from campus life following an incident that sidelined the school’s football team. They are targeted for relentless bullying by Logan (Marcus Scribner) and his sycophantic clique of intimidating cool kids. After a routine encounter with their oppressors, Montgomery and Jack accidentally come into possession of a tin of “mints,” which are actually mind-bending experimental drugs concocted by Frankie (Sarah Sherman), a previous resident of the dorm. Jack insists they sample the hallucinogenic candies — an act that sends them on a chaotic series of absurd episodes, wild delusions, and unexpected revelations.
They learn that the only way to counteract the worst effects of the drug is to consume pizza. Their quest is simple: They must reach the lobby, located two floors below their dorm room, and take possession of a pizza from Snackatron 3000, an insecure delivery robot. Accomplishing this simple task is tantamount to casually strolling into Mordor. In addition to coping with all the adverse repercussions of the drug, they also run afoul of the school’s Resident Advisor group, led by the fascistic Blake (Jack Martin). Blake and his militant RA squad are planning to exile undesirable students to Gralk Hall, an austere satellite dorm four hours from campus that is likened to a dispiriting gulag. So, a self-absorbed authoritarian, subservient enforcers, and an untouchable coterie of entitled bullies — if you can think of any analogous situations in recent history, let me know.
All of this is presented in a satirical and hilarious manner. The college’s dystopian microcosm is comedic in tone, with Blake emerging as a farcically exaggerated tyrant. He must share some cinematic DNA with Mark Metcalf’s “Animal House” character Doug Neidermeyer. Speaking of genetic connections, “Pizza Movie” owes some debt to “The Ren & Stimpy Show.” You can’t tell me that the song “Everything’s Happy,” written by Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson, wasn’t somehow inspired by “Happy Happy Joy Joy,” featured in the series and on the album “You Eediot!” (1993).
“Pizza Movie” is nothing if not intentionally silly and aggressively weird. Everything is viewed through the drug-distorted lens of its central characters as they stumble through a mock epic of sorts. The film is a quirky and imaginative homage to stoner comedies and bawdy adult humor, utilizing explicit language and shocking scenarios to generate laughter.
The initial setup suggests a buddy comedy format, but a third lead soon joins the quest. Lizzy (Lulu Wilson), assuming the mints were mints, also ingested the drug earlier the same evening. Though she once engaged in social activities with the two outcasts, her obsessive need for acceptance and validation caused her to become one of Logan’s followers. To survive the night, she must work with Jack and Montgomery. The success of their quest hinges upon whether these three goofy outsiders can form a functioning partnership.
“Pizza Movie” is an irreverent, punch-drunk comedy built upon the drug-induced delirium of its protagonists. Determined not to take itself seriously, it fully delivers on its ingenious and unconventional themes even while acknowledging its own artificiality. It’s fun, absurd, and cheeky in a way that practically guarantees the rise of a future cult following.
Incidentally, for his appearance on “Last Meals,” Matarazzo — a “Stranger Things” alum — requested meatball pizza from John’s of Bleecker Street in New York, along with cheese tortellini. Presumably, no mind-altering after dinner mints were served.
Lee Clark Zumpe is entertainment editor at Tampa Bay Newspapers, a Tomatometer-Approved Critic, and an author of short fiction. He can be reached by email at lzumpe@TBNweekly.com.