Pizza! The Movie,
A Review by Albert Grande, pizzatherapy.com
Pizza! The Movie was an ambitious project to begin with. On the surface making pizza seems simple enough. C'mon you make dough with water, yeast, salt and maybe add some olive oil. Stretch out the dough, throw on a little olive oil, some tomatoes, some cheese and pepperoni or whatever. It's easy. Right?
Not so to anyone who has made pizza from the heart, and certainly not for someone who makes a movie with heart about pizza. Pizza! The Movie will not be all things to all people. The film does not pretend to be. There will be pizza fans who are disappointed. After all fimmaker Michael Dorian had to narrow his focus.
Dorian has done an excellent job of hitting all of the high spots of pizza. He tackles New York Pizza. He discusses Chicago Deep Dish pizza. He uncovers the Chicago Deep Dish controversy. He travels the country from end to end searching out snippets and facts about the pizza culture.
He interviews Peter Reinhart of American Pie, he talks to Chris Bianco, of Pizzeria Bianco, I even noticed Gary Bimonte of Pepe's comparing good pizza to a home-run.
He touches on Pizza Delivery Drivers, featuring a clip from another movie about Pizza Delivery Drivers. He talks to pizza fans of all ethnic flavors and tastes. Dorian left no pizza box unopened or pizza pie untasted.
He uncovers several myths and tales about pizza. One of the brightest moments of the film is an uncensored interview with Ed LaDou. LaDou was the unsung creator of Wolfgang Puck's Pizza as well as the creator of the menu for California Pizza Kitchen. Ed LaDou is truly one the Legends of Pizza. Both Puck and the owners of CPK, understandably, declined to be interviewed for this film.
Dorian, however, needed a focus, to pull the movie together. The stage is set, the lights are dimmed. Enter Tony Gemignani, five time World Champion Pizza Thrower, owner of Pyzano's of California and head of the U.S. Pizza Team. Tony's struggles are chronicled as he faces a major dispute in a Pizza Tossing Championship. The drama unfolds as the two major pizza magazines of the pizza industry (PMQ and Pizza Today) are pitted against one another.
We follow Tony and his new team The World Pizza Champions to Italy to compete against other countries in Pizza Tossing, dough stretching and other pizza realted events. Tony shows his passion and emotions for all things pizza.
This is a must see film for anyone who ever enjoyed a pizza. This film captures the taste and essence of pizza right up to the end. The use of Joe Dolce's incredible anthem "Pizza, Pizza", for the closing credits, is a clever addition.
My only complaint: Dorian should rename the film Pizza! The Movie, Volume Number 1
I am sure there is enough material left on the cutting room floor for several other Pizza! The Movies, Volumes 2,3,4 and 5! I can't wait. Pizza on Earth...
3 comments:
Peter Reinhart writes:
Hi Albert,
I enjoyed your review of Pizza, the Movie and your comments on Gary Bimonte and Chris Bianco.
Those are the guys, the real pizza heros--I just write about them and try to emulate their passion and humility.
Keep an eye out for the next generation of great American pizzaioli--they're coming
round the bend and will soon change the pizza landscape across the nation.
My prediction for the nextsuperstar of pizza is Brian
Spangler, of ApizzaScholls in Portland,Oregon. The locals have discovered him and it's only a matter time before he joins Chris Bianco as a James Beard award
winner.
As you know, my focus is always first on the dough, the crust. No pizza can truly be memorable without a great crust no matter how creative
the toppings.
Brian was already a well known artisan bread baker before he
opened his pizzeria with his wife, Kim, and now he's putting all his baking skill into pizzas that express his unique vision of just how great a pizza can be on every level.
Anyway, just wanted to thank you for your support of my work but, more importantly, for all you've done for pizza lovers everywhere.
You have created a virtual village where we can all share our common
bond--the love of pizza. May all of our pizzas always be perfect!
Best Wishes,
Peter Reinhart
Charlotte, NC
Hello! I'm from Romania and surfing the blogs I found very interesting and useful blog about your pizza. Talk about the extraordinary products and see that they are very popular with visitors to this blog. And I am in a blog about home delivery pizza-Pizza-Livrare la domiciliu Bucuresti-If you want to do an exchange of links let me know and put a link each other in the category links.
I never tasted your pizza, it looks good. Im here cuz im looking for Jason Oga. and if youre reading this jason, ive been looking for you everywhere. haha. i left wailua and i moved to kauai but im still here.
contact me please:
Skatensurf2005@yahoo.com
take care
Paula
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