Just in time for 420, a new movie streaming on Disney+ and Hulu about two super-high college students who must navigate two flights of stairs to retrieve their pizza delivery, turning a simple task into a surreal adventure, puts some ’za on our to-do list.
Pizza Movie
The over-the-top looniness of Pizza Movie is to be expected, but laughs are earned, not forced like they are here for the most part.
You would think the film would mature from vengeful frat boy flatulence in the faces of loser college students Jack (Stranger Things’ Gaten Matarazzo) and Montgomery (Sean Giambrone), and while it doesn’t, the flick does improve.
After catching their breath, Jack and Montgomery find themselves with few options for late-night fun, so they opt to experiment with some unknown substance called M.I.N.T.S. found in their dorm room in a tin with a big, questionable smile.
Prepared to spend their night giggling and ridding themselves of lucidity on the couch, and ordering pizzas, the two of them are knocked on their asses by the first of the six stages of M.I.N.T.S. In a brief interlude of clarity, the guys jump online and discover they have ingested some chemistry major’s DIY experiment from years past and that there is no way to obliterate the insanity unless they eat that pizza, hot and steamy, arriving for them in a delivery robot just a mere two flights of stairs below.
Throughout the six phases of the hallucinogenic mystery mess and assorted run-ins with a team of vicious RAs, a mismatched crush, and their ex-friend Lizzy (Lulu Wilson), the guys’ quest to get to the pizza becomes as messy as the dish itself.
Written and directed by Nick Kocher and Brian McElhaney (Over Your Dead Body, Saturday Night Live 1975), the story is pure slapstick frat humor, and the characters are pretty cliched: the loser who gets bullied, the romantic goofball attracted to the wrong girl when the right one is in front of him all along, and the girl who wants to be one of the plastics but is not made of the right stuff. We’ve seen all these characters before, but the mind-bending trip, the screaming puppet hands, the body swapping, the head-exploding action, and chainsaw attacks are what you watch a movie like this for.
Matarazzo’s comedic timing make up for Jack’s obnoxiousness, and Giambrone’s obsession with his pet butterfly, Lysander (voiced by Daniel Radcliffe), adds a garnish to the randomness, taking this setup from formulaic to flavorful.
The character relationships are expected, but when you add the drugs, they become supreme. — Kena Sosa
Pizza Party
Now, who’s got the munchies? An inordinate amount of pizza availability on the Near Southside sounds like a pizzafest in the making, so let’s start there. Artisanal Neapolitan-style pizzerias on and around Magnolia Avenue, along with reliable local chains closer to the Medical District, are all on the table.
Cane Rosso (815 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-922-9222) specializes in wood-fired Neapolitan pies with a chewy, charred crust and is known for unique toppings like bacon marmalade. Every month, Cane Rosso features a new cocktail, pasta, and pizza. The April pizza is the Garden Party ($19), with mozzarella and garlic Alfredo sauce, topped with asparagus, heirloom tomatoes, lemon zest, Thai basil, and a touch of EVOO. Delivery is managed through DoorDash.
Inside the old Funky Picnic space, you will find FELINA (401 Bryan Av, Ste 117, Fort Worth 469-507-8626), the latest concept from the brothers behind Bocca Osteria-Romana. Open 3:30pm-9:30pm Tue-Sat, FELINA specializes in Roman-style pizza with a thin, crisp crust. Dine-in and takeout are available, with reservations recommended through Tock.
i Fratelli Pizza (1907 8th Av, Fort Worth, 817-927-7779) offers a “cracker-style” crust and is known for fast delivery. They are especially good at catering large parties, so go ahead and order for the whole dorm. Just don’t get lost trying to meet them at the door.
When Pie Tap Pizza (1301 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 682-707-8888) first opened, our food critic thought that the gluten-friendly crust was better than average and the service impeccable. “If you like a more-crunchy-than-chewy thin-crust pizza, your heaven awaits.” Read more in “’Za Time Is Right” (Jun 7, 2023) at FWWeekly.com.
There’s no direct delivery, but the Nappotex food truck stationed on the patio of The Holly (305 W Daggett Av, Ste 101, Fort Worth, 817-936-1679) offers dine-in, takeout, and curbside pickup. The artisan, Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pies include special fan favorites like the Burrata Prosciutto and Pepperoni Lover. As this is at a popular wine bar, expect some great wine and pizza pairings 4pm-10pm Tue-Thu, 1pm-11pm Fri-Sat, and 1pm-6pm Sun.
Finally, the much-anticipated pizza kitchen at Southside Cellar (125 S Main St, Fort Worth, 682-703-2184) is up and going. Smartly, it’s been fine-tuning its skills with a series of pop-up events for regulars for a while now. Billed as “hand-stretched, thoughtfully crafted, and built for beer,” the cellar’s pizza is made from fermented dough and quality ingredients and is definitely a “pie worth coming back for again and again.” They ain’t lyin’!
Courtesy Cane Rosso
