Little White Lies was established in 2005 as a passionate project to combine striking graphic illustration with various movie conversations. Issue 85 is the July/August issue of 2020, having been produced and distributed in a lockdown state. Besides its collection of fascinatingly specific movie articles, this issue is especially relevant due to it’s special issue status of being a Food & Film feature. This issues explores the forbidden world of celebrity cookbooks, recounts specifically meaningful meals, remakes movie posters with food, and explores Brad Pitt’s prolific on-screen eating scenes. The graphics are artful and they frame each article and segment into a cohesive whole. The interior color palettes transition frequently, captivating the excitement of the reader as they begin to realize they have no idea what to expect from the next page.
This artfully crafted magazine is composed of so many brief segments and shorts that it is easy to lose oneself in the shifting pages. It provides an expansive and accessible view those interested in any aspect of the world of films. This issue’s unique examination of the role of food and eating in film is a fascinatingly tangential approach to the tradition structures of film exploration. Food is an essential and meaningful aspect of our lives and so it is too in movies. Much work goes into preparing and styling food to look good on screen so it logically follows that it must have an important reason for being there. Family dinners, quick snacks, and dinner parties all have the opportunity to showcase and unpack relationships on screen. The way conversation flows (or doesn’t) over food reflects the interior lives of characters that may otherwise struggle to be revealed. Food also carries so much connotation and nuance that is easy to hint at viewers through on-screen food choices.
This special feature of Little White Lies provides an industry leading example of how to combine the adjustments of quarantine with the joys of connection– and how to make a beautiful art piece while doing it. It reminds all of us that although it may not produce a physically measurable contribution, art is essential. It is essential to document our own history, to examine our culture, to be introspective human beings. Food is one gateway towards this path of observation.
If you’re interested in securing your copy before it sells out, the magazine (and a select few back issues) can be found here: https://lwlies.imbmsubscriptions.com/back-issues/
Image sourced from Little White Lies, Artist: Stephanie Sergeant
The Carr Show 