Where Cinema and Cuisine Collide
MOVIEPUDDING writer Elissa Suh on her favorite food scene, an incredibly cinematic meal, and her evolving tastes.
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A couple years ago, a friend introduced me to MOVIEPUDDING, a newsletter that felt as though it had been created specifically for me. In it, Elissa Suh writes about two of her — and my own — foremost passions: movies and food. Suh is an equally voracious watcher and eater. And in her newsletter, she excels at digesting all she’s consuming and finding links between the two. She’s considered cinema’s “crazy bitches” alongside a modern trend towards “ugly cakes”; David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future with an assessment of various digestifs; and more recently, the release of Anora with the Russian dumplings at the innovative Eastern European pop-up, DACHA 46.
Suh started writing MOVIEPUDDING during the pandemic, as a bit of a lark. “I was just writing it for myself and my friends and family while we were all stuck at home and streaming movies and cooking,” she says. At the time, she’d felt like the two worlds were often siloed; there wasn’t a lot of overlap between the people with whom she liked dining and watching. “The newsletter was me putting out into the world that, ‘Hey, these are my interests. Maybe there'll be other people who are interested in both of these things.’"
And it worked. In the ensuing years, MOVIEPUDDING has attracted a formidable subscriber base. And lately, Suh says, she’s “been meeting more film people who are into eating out and exploring restaurants.” As we near the hungriest time of the year, I thought Suh would be the perfect person to talk to. She told me about the most cinematic meal she’s eaten, her favorite food scene in a movie, and how filmmakers can best go about getting their films on the radar of critics.
The next issue of the newsletter is going to be a community-sourced list of the best places to eat near different New York theaters. For you, what's the ideal sequence of movie and meal? And what are you looking for from each?
It's always nice to be able to talk about the movie during dinner. But I'm one of those people who's always looking forward to the next meal, so if I’m having dinner after, then I'm probably thinking about it the whole time — whether it's what I'm going to order or where to go. To avoid that, I’ll try to eat before. Maybe there's like thirty minutes or an hour in between where you can walk off the meal. Or if not, I'll just make sure I have an espresso to pick me up.
I think it also matters what your goals are when dining out. Do you want an experience or are you just trying not to starve? One of my favorite things to do is go to a movie and a meal alone, and that gives you more freedom to just wander. Most of the time, I'm going to rep screenings, and those are scheduled pretty far in advance in the city, so it gives me time to make a reservation at a restaurant that’s potentially nearby.
When catching a film at Lincoln Center, Suh likes to grab a bite at La Dinastia or Urban Hawker (for Hainanese chicken rice). And when she gets out to MOMI, she often frequents Sami’s Kebab House.
What comes up for you when thinking about the best movie-meal combinations you've had?
I went to Tatiana during New York Film Festival this year. That's an awesome restaurant, so your meal is bound to be amazing. My husband and I had an early dinner and then we saw The Brutalist, which I had already seen, but I wanted my husband, who is an architect, to see it. It was a long meal and a long movie. You could even call it an occasion meal and an occasion movie.
Is there a theater that you think has the best food?
I don't like eating during the movies because I need to concentrate — or take notes, especially if I know I’m writing about it. I'm not that big of a popcorn person. I've heard often that Film Forum has the best popcorn, but I can’t verify that.
I agree. I'm not a concession person. I'd prefer a really great meal afterwards. I wish more theaters let you bring food in, and then I would have a good sandwich.
Have you found that places search you or will turn you away?
One of the best movie theater food experiences I had was bringing a G. Esposito (RIP) meatball parm into Cobble Hill Cinema to see Ocean's 8. It was not a good movie, but the hero was fantastic.
I've heard that that theater is notorious for checking people's bags. A friend got turned away because she had groceries from Trader Joe's. But I will say once at Film Forum I was seeing Big Deal on Madonna Street and there was a woman sitting next to me who brought a pot of soup in the actual pot, so...
How do you think the way you process movies is different from the way you process a meal at a restaurant?
I find that in some ways I'm more critical of the restaurant meal. I'm like, I'm paying this money, I so so want it to be good. Obviously I want the movie to be good too, but when a movie is not good it's usually at least interesting or interesting for me to figure out why. Whereas when a meal is not good, it's usually for less interesting reasons — something being overcooked or the service was a bit harried. It's not often that a dish didn't work because of some heady reason, unless it’s somewhere more innovative or high end where a chef is working more like an artist and has something conceptual they’re trying to prove.
I also think that when a movie is more style over substance, I can forgive that or even get behind it on occasion. But with a restaurant, that’s less commonly the case. I want to eat food that actually tastes good. Vibes can only do so much. (There are obviously exceptions to this, like if you’re celebrating someone’s birthday and the food is less the point.)
It's very easy for me to see certain traps that given directors fall into, especially with regards to trends, but I'm wondering if you can see that with restaurants as well?
Compared to actual food reporters, I think I'm either too quick to write off something as a trend or too late in spotting it. I’m never on time. I think what bothers me most regarding trends is having to read all the stories about these supposed-trends. I’m pretty tired of seeing appetizers look the same — always a crudo, always a carb and dip. I’m noticing a lot of ice cream sundaes.
And this isn’t a trend per se, but I hate when the cocktail menu is focused on only one spirit.
What do you wish more restaurants were like? And what do you wish more movies were like?
I’m not into these small plates and wine bars with food. And I would like for there to be actual substantial dishes. I get that they're serving a purpose. If you're going to catch up with a friend and you don't want to have a full meal, or if you're going on a date, those kinds of places are great. But you end up spending a lot of money and I'm not satiated at the end of it. I would like more non-traditional pasta dishes. I always love when different cuisines are mashed up thoughtfully a la Momofuku.
In terms of movies, I feel like I have the same complaints as every critic. Let's make movies for adults, let's stop with the IP, let's make original movies. I'd love to see more lower-mid budget filmmaking. Or independent filmmaking like what you spotlight in your newsletter.
Have you found your tastes for food and movies evolving in recent years?
Lately, I've steered more clear of the mainstream Hollywood movies. Not just Marvel, but tentpole action movies. I've just lost interest. I have to remind myself every once in a while that I should check one out and see what's going on in Hollywood. But because there are so many things being shown in the city I guess I've gravitated more towards avantgarde. I'm not an expert, but I've become more interested in those types of shorts and what they show at Light Industry or these smaller venues. The Currents section of NYFF had a lot of good stuff this year. Films by Rhayne Vermette and Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich.
And with food, I feel like I am nicer to myself about allowing myself to eat what I like. A few years ago, I might've felt more of an obligation to eat things I am not necessarily fond of. I don't like shrimp, but I’d tell myself I still need to try it to be thorough and exhaustive. But now I'm just like, "You don't like that. That's your preference. Don't eat it." I've also met so many people who have strange dietary preferences that it's made me feel like I actually am not at all a picky eater.
Do you think your husband would be able to look at a menu and know what you would want to order?
Yes. And I would for him too. Generally I'm not interested in a salad or a vegetable unless the place is known for that dish. I want the weirdest thing on the menu. I want the thing I can't make at home. I want the thing that the chef put on the menu thinking, "No one's going to order this."
I think a lot of up-and-coming filmmakers are curious how to get their movie on the radar of different critics. So, how do movies get on your radar? And how can one of those people make you aware of their movie in a way that's healthy and nice?
That's a great question. I'm just thinking how hard it is to be a filmmaker. I learn about stuff by reading other critics, my peers, or people who work in movies. Word of mouth mostly is how I learn about the smaller things. Reaching out directly to a critic never hurts. I have watched some movies that way. Just be nice and respectful when you're asking. How do you find things?
I probably find things in a very similar way to you — PR emails, word of mouth, or things coming out of festivals. But what I would tell people is to try to organically create those relationships way before you're trying to get someone to write about your movie. I've definitely gotten a lot of emails that are like, "Here's my film. Will you write about it?" And it's hard enough getting editors to take pitches on big movies.
When we pitch things, we have to have a "why this movie, why now, why me." I think it's also helpful if the filmmaker takes a similar approach and is reaching out because they know my writing and can see what my interests are and why their film might connect. That's more work, but there’s a greater chance it’ll pay off in the end.
You write for a lot of different places. Do you have a sense of what editors want and how that's changed since you started doing this?
It was always hard to publish a review. Now it's even harder. I do a lot of interviews with filmmakers and actors. And I fear that we're coming into the Interview Magazine mode where they want facilitation of interviews between two famous people rather than the journalist actually interviewing the famous person. I don't love that.
Do you think this has this been a good movie year?
I think it has, but my perception may be skewed because a lot of the good movies I saw were at the festivals. Actually, I'll say that this has been an above average but not great movie year.
What are some of your favorite things you've seen?
Hard Truths, which will come out in January. I really liked Good One and The Feeling that the Time for Doing Something Has Passed. Matt and Mara.
Is there a movie recently you can't understand the hype for?
Babygirl. I was really not a fan. I don't think it was very edgy. Not that it has to be. But it seemed like it was billed that way. So aside from the false marketing, which isn't the film's fault, I found that none of what the characters did was believable. For me, it doesn't work unless you're middle aged and need bedroom tips.
What's the movie that made you the hungriest?
I saw Christmas Eve in Miller's Point, and that made me hungry, especially for stale, dry Italian cookies.
Do you have a favorite food scene in a movie?
So many! I’ll call out Elle Fanning making eggs benedict in Sofia Coppola’s Somewhere because it’s one of the first times I started taking note of these kinds of scenes.
What is the most cinematic meal you've had in your life?
What a great question Most meals at a restaurant when you’re a kid because it all feels so magical. Most recently, dinner at Rosella, a sustainable sushi restaurant in the East Village. The chef has a story he wants to tell with the food, which we opted to be coursed. Every part of the experience was in sync. We felt like we were in suspense while being held in great care, which is precisely the same feeling I want to get from a filmmaker while watching something.
Is there a director you'd most like to have a bite with?
Hong Sang-Soo. Because he features food and drink in his movies and his characters tend to drink excessively. He's also notorious for not doing many interviews, so it would be especially nice to hear his thoughts on, well, everything from how food plays a role in his life to whether he believes in God.
Listings
SAGindie and Helix Collective are now accepting short film and composer reel submissions for the Film Music Connect Shorts Competition. 3 short films and 3 composers will be selected as winners, and will collaborate to create original scores for the winning films. It is FREE to apply, and the final submission deadline is 1/6/25. Learn more and apply at sagindie.org/FilmMusicConnect.
Alek Abate recently launched a crowdfunding campaign for his short film Cement, to help raise funds for post-production! The campaign will be live until December 8th. Help fund the film here and follow the film on IG @cementshortfilm.
Will DiNola (he/him) is a film composer open to new projects. He is interested in people’s passions and pushing the art of film scoring to new horizons, blending genres, and telling unique stories. He also writes about his experience in a newsletter called “do.”"
Antigravity Academy is taking applications for its second Screenwriter’s Camp. Applications open Oct. 21 through Nov. 22. Camp runs May 23 - 28, 2025. More here.
Casting call for a new feature film shooting Spring 2025 in NYC. Non-Union and must be able to work as a NYC local. Synopsis and project details on this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1hqKKWIRmHndfIMAwZqGZLfvsG58blVqDdwTPNO-1UAg/edit?usp=sharing, submit to: freakscenellc@gmail.com.
The same project is seeking production designer. Synopsis: A game developer enters into a love triangle with an older investment banker and a former college classmate. Paid, must be able to work as a NYC local. Email resume and work samples to freakscenellc@gmail.com.
No Film School recently published a massive list of fall film grants, labs, and fellowships. Check it out here.
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