Why is there cheesecake in this science documentary?

Look, if you have ten minutes to kill and you want to see how the past viewed the future, this is for you. If you’re looking for a coherent documentary with actual science, keep walking. You’ll probably hate it if you need a plot, but you’ll love it if you enjoy watching mid-century Americans get really excited about a basic electric kitchen gadget.

The whole thing feels like a fever dream sponsored by a department store. Gayne Whitman narrates with this booming, overly confident voice that makes me think he’s trying to sell me a bridge or a car I can’t afford. It’s got that specific, clipped rhythm of the era. You know the one.

Then there’s the segment on bubble bath. I’m not joking. They somehow managed to transition from microscopic diatoms—which are fascinating, by the way—to a lady sitting in a tub of bubbles while casually eating a slice of cheesecake. It’s so jarring. I had to pause it just to make sure I wasn’t imagining the crumbs on the plate.

Why is she eating in the tub? Who thought that was the right visual for 'modern science'?

The section on the Boulder Dam is actually pretty impressive, mostly because the sheer scale of the concrete makes everything else in the film look like a toy. It’s the only part where the movie stops being a weird variety show and starts looking like actual history. But then, *poof*, we’re back to contact lenses being shoved into eyes with the grace of a mechanic working on a carburetor.

It reminds me a bit of the frantic energy in Screen Snapshots, Series 1, No. 2, where everyone is just kind of shoved in front of a lens to see what sticks. This film doesn't have the narrative weight of something like The Jazz Singer, obviously, but it has a strange, chaotic charm that’s hard to ignore.

• The diatoms looked like tiny, alien snowflakes under the microscope.
• The narrator really, really loves the word 'miracle.'
• I think the cheesecake was just a prop, but she looked like she really wanted to eat it.
• The transitions are basically non-existent.

It’s not trying to be a deep dive. It’s just trying to keep you awake while it lists things that were shiny and new in 1936. 🍿

I left the screen feeling slightly confused but weirdly entertained. It’s the cinematic equivalent of finding an old newspaper in your attic and reading the ads instead of the headlines.