What I Learned From: Lethal Weapon 3

Danny Glover helps Damon Hines shave in Lethal Weapon 3.

It's a tender moment between a father and son, made more delicate by the surrounding context of the scene, when Murtaugh teaches his son Nick how to shave properly in Lethal Weapon 3. Watching his boy shave up, Murtaugh gently corrects him:

"Go with the grain."

In other words, shave down, not up. May seem a simple thing, but it a helpful tip that may have snuck by some folks.

You're never too old for some shit, like learning how to shave.

What I Learned From: Hot Shots!

Hot Shots! credits. Sweet sweet credits.

The main body of the movie isn't the only place to learn useful stuff. The credits can be just as handy. Hot Shots! lines up a couple of pretty decent recipes for the people patient enough to sit through the credit scroll. And here they are:

TOPPING FOR BROWNIES
- 1/2 cup butter
- 3 squares bitter chocolate, melted
- 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
- 1 or 2 teaspoons cinnamon (optional)
- 2 egg yolks, beaten
Cream butter until light and lemon-coloured.
Gradually add sugar and egg yolks.
Beat well.
Add chocolate.

NOBBY BUNS
- 4 cups sifted flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 cup butter
- 3 eggs
Cream butter until well softened and add to sugar and eggs.
Mix quickly with flour.
Drop mixture from a teaspoon and small jagged heaps onto a cookie sheet and bake in 375 to 400 degrees oven.

Tasty, tasty credits. Enjoy!

(This tip was suggested by @beckygracelea)

What I Learned From: San Andreas

Alexandra Daddario knows how to deal with San Andreas

San Andreas is a big, silly disaster movie, and a half decent one at that. But it's not all just Dwayne Johnson battling the shifting tectonic plates for his family. There is actually the odd bit of good advice in there, too.

After the quake hits and everyone stares at their useless mobile phones, Blake drags Ben and Ollie into an electronics store. Why? Because when the cell towers are down, the best shot at communication comes from finding a push button or rotary phone and plugging straight into a landline, which have a much better chance at still being functional. Sure, it's not a guarantee, but it's the best shot you have.

Stay safe out there. When the big one hits, I'll be on the team with Dwayne Johnson and Alexandra Daddario.

Safe as houses.

What I Learned From: What If

Zoe Kazan and Daniel Radcliffe talk food in What If

How hungry are you? Seriously, you have to be wicked hungry to take on the Fool's Gold Sandwich, as related in What If. Wallace sends Chantry an email video that explains the process to create the monster sandwich, which takes a full loaf of buttered bread, peanut butter, jam and a lot of bacon.

Yeah, you're gonna have a whole lot of health problems that come from eating this one, but if you've got a bunch of people coming round for some reason and you want to give them all a very special sandwich, then look no further. Below is the movie clip that explains it all.

Enjoy, and I take no responsibility for any health problems that come from consuming this beast-wich.

(This tip was suggested by @moviefilmbuff)

What I Learned From: The Godfather

Richard Castellano shows Pacino what's what in The Godfather

What is it about mob movies and cooking tips? Gotta give it to the mobsters, they sure know how to eat well. Proving the point, The Godfather's Peter Clemenza shows Michael Corleone how make good sauce:

"Heh, come over here, kid, learn something. You never know, you might have to cook for 20 guys someday. You see, you start out with a little bit of oil. Then you fry some garlic. Then you throw in some tomatoes, tomato paste, you fry it; ya make sure it doesn't stick. You get it to a boil; you shove in all your sausage and your meatballs. Heh…? Add a little bit o' wine. An' a little bit o' sugar. That's my trick."

Goddamn, that sounds good. A bit general, sure, but that's a pretty easy and foolproof recipe for a good pasta and meatball sauce. Now stop drooling and go make it yourself.

And leave the gun.

(This tip was suggested by @filmbuffbaker)

What I Learned From: Finding Forrester

Sean Connery pontificating on socks in Finding Forrester

In Finding Forrester, the titular author has a particular habit with regard to his footwear. Specifically his socks. Why?:

"Because socks are badly designed, the seams are on the inside hurt the toes."

His solution is to wear them inside out. That way, the seams stay on the outside and your toes remain free from annoyance. And if it also happens to bring good luck, then that's just a happy coincidence.

Inside out socks: friends of your toes.

(This tip was suggested by @filmbuffbaker)

What I Learned From: American Psycho

Christian Bale looking silky smooth in American Psycho

During Patrick Bateman's beauty regime narration, there are plenty of good grooming tips, but let's be honest, they get a bit complex, with balms and oils and moisturisers... ugh. You want to keep it simple?:

"I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older."

There you go. A basic tip on keeping your skin looking younger for longer, and all it takes is using a no-alcohol aftershave. He may have a crazy person, but dammit if he didn't know his beauty regime.

Keep on looking smooth out there now.

What I Learned From: Goodfellas

Paul Sorvino slicing garlic in Goodfellas

In the narration of Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas, the narration includes a nice cooking tip:

"In prison, dinner was always a big thing. We had a pasta course and then we had a meat or fish. Paulie did the prep work. He was doing a year for contempt, and he had this wonderful system for doing the garlic. He used a razor, and he used to slice it so thin that he used to liquefy in the pan with just a little oil. It was a very good system."

It has to be very thin, almost to the point of transparency, but it does work. You slice up the garlic thin as you can, and they will liquefy just like the man said.

So, there you go, practical cooking tips from one of the best films of the 1990s. Enjoy.