Junk Food Nation, tonight is the Oscars (same time as the NBA All-Star Game which promises to be zzzzz so I’ll be watching the Oscars). Every year the Oscars makes me think of the year 1994.  It was a great year for movies, and the 1995 Oscars documented that. Not only were five amazing movies nominated for Best Picture (Forrest Gump, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and The Shawshank Redemption), but this was also the year that The Client, Little Women, Nell, Bullets Over Broadway, Eat Drink Man Woman, The Lion King, Speed, Clear and Present Danger, Legends of the Fall, Hoop Dreams, Maverick, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein,  Interview with the Vampire, True Lies, and The Mask came out.  Are you hearing me??? This was a GREAT year for movies!  I could be happy watching just movies from 1994 for the rest of my life.  I’m not sure if there’s a better year out there.

Anyways, that year some complete bullshit happened.  I’m referring to Pulp Fiction (edit, sorry) Forrest Gump beating Shawshank Redemption out for Best Picture.  Look, I watched all five best pictures that year. Quiz Show was amazing. Pulp Fiction is a cult CLASSIC.  And Four Weddings and a Funeral is one of the funniest movies ever. But to me, the Best Picture category was really between Shawshank and Forrest Gump. And to be clear, I really enjoyed Forrest Gump – great movie. But Shawshank??? GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME.

Yeah, I might be a shill for TBS. I know Shawshank’s constantly on TV. But Andy Dufresne getting beer for his “co-workers” on the roof? The warden murdering having Hadley murder Tommy? Brooks hanging himself in the outside world?  When Red and Andy hug at the end???? These are all great scenes! Plus the music, the cinematography, the pacing…all brilliant. Forrest Gump had amazing digital effects, used all the favorite music from prior eras of US rock & roll, and really encapsulated the US around the time of the Vietnam War. But Shawshank Redemption had anti-heroes that you rooted for.  And who doesn’t love anti-heroes?

In fairness, while I call it a tragedy, I know Forrest Gump deserved to win every bit as much as Shawshank, I just wish Red and Andy were able to hoist that crown. Shawshank is a movie where if I turn on the TV in the middle of the movie, I’ll watch it to completion without fail.  Forrest Gump is not.

Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse is today’s junk food, and I found it at Target.

The Money Shot

Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse is the latest in fizzy drinks that come in Red Bull-like small tall cans. Ocean Spray did it first, and now Welch’s is on board. I love white grape juice, ever since I was in high school and mixing it with creatine (gross). But I hadn’t had white grape juice in forever – so when I saw this, it was an insta-try for me.

1 serving of fruit plus lotsa sugar

This Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse has one serving of fruit per can? But how much sugar is that… I mean, why is this any better than soda?

Pulse? Wha?

And what exactly is “White Grape Pulse”? I know these companies wanna come up with fun names for their drinks…but “Pulse”? Sounds ridiculous. Still Fruit Fizz isn’t much better. Guess they’re trying to appeal to a more “festive” audience.

Concord BLAST!

Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse has 30% less sugar than regular soda…which is good.

(Plus, Concord Grape BLAST? That IS a blast!)

Actually, not bad

Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse has no added sugar, and only 70 cal per can??? Hmm…that really ISN’T bad!  Stevia Leaf Extract is one of those sweet leaf organic sweeteners, and is the basis for the product Truvia and PureVia. Love it.

Festive can

Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse comes in a Red Bull-like can, which means this is perfect for a night out or to be ordered at clubs.  Vodka and Fruit Fizz, anyone? (Actually, that sounds delicious. Making mental note.)

Bubbly

Welch’s Fruit Fizz White Grape Pulse tastes as expected, like fizzy white grape juice.  WHICH IS TASTY. Has all the robust bite of grape juice, but you can tell it’s not full sugar – the sweet flavor kind of dies off which signals your brain to the presence of the stevia leaf. Still, this juice does NOT taste like its sweetened with Splenda or Nutrasweet (like the Ocean Spray Diet Pom juice I reviewed). Crisp and refreshing, this is the best of these new carbonated juice drinks so far. And by so far, I mean of the two I’ve tried.

Comments? Hit me in the comments below or hit me on Twitter @junkfoodguy or on my Facebook Page. And remember: “hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies.”

Enjoy the Oscars, peeps!

Sincerely, Junk Food Guy

PS: Also remember:

Heywood: The Count of Monte Crisco… 
Floyd: That’s “Cristo” you dumb shit. 
Heywood: …by Alexandree Dumb-ass. Dumb-ass. 
Andy Dufresne: Dumb-ass? “Dumas”. You know what it’s about? You’d like it, it’s about a prison break. 
Red: We oughta file that under “Educational” too, oughten we?