In memory of what was Charlton Heston’s final movie in his Dystopian Trilogy I’ve gone with Soylent Green as the theme. Planet of the Apes was way too far in the future and I’m confident The Omega Man happens closer to the time it was released. How? His character loved going to an abandoned theater that only had a documentary about Woodstock, plus other technologies lying around. Hoping to watch this as it’s on HBO Max. I did show the trailer to Jennifer and quickly noticed how the larger landscapes resembled Idiocracy; the dirt, the grime and general neglect. Given how stupid people can get, I’m grateful Mike Judge spared us the obvious possibility of people eating others with the same abandon they had with everything else.
Fifty years later, the revelation in the movie has become an easy punchline. Then there’s the people who produce the “liquid meal” going for the ironic angle. However, in their defense, the product is made from planet-based stuff, oils and minerals. Those who can’t handle dairy can drink it too. In the original story the movie used, soylent was originally the marketing name for food made of soybeans and lentils. Ugh. I think I’d take my chances on cannibalism over lentils every day. Plus it would be a flatulent world from such a diet, P-U! Before you ask, yes, I’ve consumed Soylent, the drink. It comes in a couple flavors. How was it? Rather thick and a tad gritty by the time you get to the bottom of the barrel. To finish out the last case I once had, I would mix a bottle into a big cup with a can of Monster Java. It didn’t work quite well to cover lunch until I was hungry for dinner despite it being around 400 calories a pop. Will I ever go for it again. Probably, just not anytime soon. It’s not terribly cheap at HEB and I don’t want to be stuck in a subscription, the best way to save. Have a great April!
It’s one of my favorite months in Austin. Much is happening. Much good stuff will be coming. Most importantly, April is the best Spring/Summer month weather-wise. A little cool in the morning but not oppressively hot when May rolls around.
As iconic as the final lines are in this movie, the one that I hoped would sweep the nation was when he gets to the rich girl’s apartment to see how the priveleged members of society are living. The girl offers him anything he wants for breakfast (there are sexual undertones) and Heston replies in a way that only Heston can:
Thorn (Heston): Strawberries.…an egg.
Shirl (girl): No. Strawberries. I’ve never seen strawberries.
Thorn: All right. An egg then. Who the hell needs strawberries?
It makes sense in the context of the film, but the performance is over the top and hilarious. Help make STRAWBERRIES! a new catch phrase in 2022!
Enjoy the rest of April!!