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Film

The Taco Oscars: The 15 Best Appearances By a Taco or Tortilla In a Feature Film

10:57 AM PST on March 9, 2023

    Our favorite scenes from movie history center on food, from Charlie Chaplin, making his dinner rolls boogie and Violet Beauregarde getting her comeuppance to an imprisoned Paul Sorvino slicing garlic to every Capo's paper-thin ideal in Goodfellas and whatever the fuck that dude is thinking with a live octopus in Old Boy.

    But where, for the love of Godard, are the tacos?

    Today L.A. TACO is finally paying tribute to Hollywood's most unsung stars: The soft, tempting, professionally lit tortillas and tacos gracing the silver screen in some of cinema's most appetizing scenes.

    Welcome to the TAC-OSCARS!

    Let's meet the nominees.

    Most Futile Attempt To Recreate Senator's Alex Padilla's Tortilla-Roll By A Legend of Physical Comedy: Three Amigos, 1986

    Best Supporting Appearance By the Alleged Son of God On the Face of a Tortilla: Tortilla Heaven, 2007

    Most Mind-Fucking Tortilla in a Supporting Role: The Menu, 2022

    And Our Gobernador's Award Honoree Goes To The "Hard, Horny Taco" in Sausage Party, 2016

    Best Original Taco Truck In A Leading Role: Machete, 2010

    Most Villainous Taco In a Supporting Role: Tacodile Supreme in Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs 2, 2021

     

    Greatest Movie Starring Vicente Fernandez As a Taquero: Tacos Al Carbon, 1972

    Best Denouement Positing Tacos as The Remedy to Murderous Rampage: Birds of Prey and the Emancipation of Harley Quinn, 2020

    Best Cameo By Corn Tortillas Supporting A Pescado Zarendeado In A Mouthwatering Overhead Shot: Tortilla Soup, 2002

    Most Nefarious "Taco Tuesday" Promotion In Cinema History: Lego Movie, 2014

    Most Dystopic Scenario Centered Around the Expansion of Taco Bell: Demolition Man, 1993

    Best Fantasy Brawl Between an Anthropomorphized Taco and Grilled Cheese Sandwich: Hot Rod, 2007

    Best Endorsement For Letting Meth-Moving Psychopaths Do the Cooking: Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul (we know it's a T.V. show, but these Oscars aren't real)

    Most Redemptive Tacos Gifted From the Mitts of a Gamma-Radiated-Scientist-Turned-Mean-Green-Superhero-Monster-Thing: Avengers End Game, 2019

    Best Dumb Comedy Starring Tension Between a Neighborhood Taqueria and a White Nerd's Gourmet Food Truck: Taco Truck, 2018

    Did we miss any other iconic taco moments in film history? Let us know in the comments. 

    Hadley Tomicki

    One of L.A. TACO's co-founders, Hadley Tomicki is a critic and journalist whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, New York Magazine, and many other places.

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