HMM '12 Day 17: Ravenous

It's finally October! That means two very important things: Pumpkin Pie Pop-Tarts are here, and Halloween is near! My favorite thing to do in October to prepare myself for Halloween is to, of course, watch movies that I feel best exemplify the season. Now, this doesn't just mean extreme gore fests (of course, I do love me some gore), but I like to include movies that have that Halloween feel. Anyway, let's get to Day 17 of Halloween Movie Madness 2012!

Ravenous

(20th Century Fox, 1999)

Tonight's film is Ravenous.  Every time I watch this movie, it makes me hungry.  I know that probably sounds crazy given the subject matter of this movie, but I can't help it.  The stew looks really good.  

If you have never seen this movie, it would be best described as a black comedy/horror movie about supernatural cannibalism.  It takes place in 1847, and centers around Guy Pearce, who's character was a soldier in the US who fought in the Mexican-American War.  He survived by pretending to die on the field of battle.  He was collected with the rest of the dead bodies, and taken behind enemy lines.  While in the cart of the dead, blood from his commander's corpse was running into his face and mouth.  Then something happened in him (plot point!), and he single-handedly captured the command post.  Afterword, he gets a promotion, but is shipped off to Fort Spencer in the Sierra Nevada wilderness due to his cowardice.  This is where everything starts to go crazy.

Depiction of the Weendigo

As usual, I don't like to post spoilers, so I won't go too much into the story, but suffice it to say that people get killed and eaten.  As I mentioned, there is a stew that, even though I know what the main ingredient is, makes me hungry whenever I watch the movie.  As such, here is a recipe for beef stew.

INGREDIENTS:

•  2 beef shanks, meaty, about 1 1/2 to 2 pounds
•  3 cups beef broth
•  1 can (approx. 10.5 ounces) condensed French onion soup
•  4 cups water
•  1/2 to 3/4 cup sliced celery
•  1/2 cup chopped onion
•  2 medium carrots, sliced, about 1 to 1 1/2 cups
•  2 to 3 medium red-skinned potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch pieces, about 2 to 2 1/2 cups
•  1 medium white turnip, cubed, about 1 cup
•  1/2 cup frozen corn kernels
•  1/2 cup frozen lima beans or baby limas, optional
•  1/2 teaspoon salt
•  1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt or Creole seasoning
•  1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
•  4 tablespoons flour mixed with an equal amount of cold water

PREPARATION:

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, combine beef shanks, broth, onion soup, water, celery, and onion. Bring to a simmer and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook over low heat for about 45 to 60 minutes. Add carrots, potatoes, and white turnip. Cook for 20 minutes longer. Remove beef and cut up. Discard fat and bones. Return the cut-up beef to stockpot, along with corn, Lima beans, and seasonings. Cover and cook for about 45 minutes, or until Lima beans are tender. Combine the flour and water; stir into the stew mixture. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 to 20 minutes, until thickened. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Serves 4 to 6.

This is another one of those highly underrated movies that hardly anyone I known has seen, and that is a damn shame.  Contained in this movie is also the strangest damn soundtrack I have ever heard.  I will leave you with two things from this movie: my favorite line, and the best bit of promotional material for a movie in which there are cannibals.

"He was licking me!"

Also, as a little bonus in celebration of the release of Dethalbum III, here is Crush the Industry.