Movie night

I have to confess, I am a movie junkie. Since Carol and I started dating almost 30 years ago, it would be hard to estimate how many movies we have attended. Friday night for the last three decades has, more times than not, involved going to the movie theater. We have seen our share of good movies, great movies, so-so movies and just plain awful ones. Have you ever walked out of a bad movie? We have a few times. One time we walked out of a pretty funny, but unbelievably crude movie. Another time we left because of the foul language. I can handle some amount of bad language but, the movie had better be really good. This one was just not good enough to tolerate the dialog.

After the kids came along, going to the movies involved an investment in a babysitter. A night out got a wee bit more expensive. Our pediatrician confessed to Carol that when he and his wife did their movie night they decided that, since they were paying for the babysitter anyway, they might as well make full use of the time. So they started going to two movies in the same night. Well, we thought that was a great idea so, for many years we followed their example. Some people, however, would look at us with a skeptical eye when we shared our Friday night ritual and asked if we just sneaked into the second movie without paying (we never did..we always walked back outside and bought tickets.) We learned never to buy tickets to both movies up front. Sometimes after sitting through one movie we would opt out of seeing a second one due to rear-end fatigue or any number of other reasons. Middle-age (and the $7.50-$11.00 ticket prices) ended our two-a-night marathon movie sessions.

Did you ever take your parents to the movies with you and discover that the movie was not one that you wanted to watch with your parents sitting next to you?  Uh, awkward. You have to be careful who you have accompany you to a movie. Carol and I have weirdly similar senses of humor. One time we were at a movie with another couple and realized all the while we were cackling like a couple of idiots, the other couple wasn't laughing...at all. So we felt a little constrained and determined that we needed to start behaving more like grown-ups. Boring.

I have realized over all these years that one of my biggest reasons for going to the movies is to eat the popcorn. There are some rules of the universe that involve movie going and what is appropriate to eat while in a movie theater. Popcorn, candy and soft drinks. That's it. If you want to eat a hot dog, go to a baseball game. Pizza? In the movie? That would be like eating an Oreo cookie...with a Guinness. And tortilla chips drizzled in molten cheese whiz? Are you serious? I'm not sure you should ever eat that anywhere.






I remember back in ancient days when an order of popcorn came in only one size. It was a white box with red lettering about 12 inches tall by 8 inches wide by 2 inches thick. That was it. No paper bags and no 7 quart cardboard tubs. As a kid I would almost bust a gut forcing myself to not start eating my popcorn until after the cartoons and previews were over. I wanted my popcorn to last at least past the opening credits. Alas, I often broke down and began devouring the fluffy, salty, buttery goodness before the movie even started.

Which brings me to my main point. I read today that popcorn is really good for you. Seems that researchers at the University of  Scranton (PA) have deduced that the husks of popcorn (which I assume is the part that you dig out of your teeth/gums for the next 24 hours) are loaded with polyphenols. And of course, you know what those are right? Neither did I. I think they are good for you since they are also found in fruits and vegetables. Popcorn is also loaded with the antioxidant ferulic acid and you know what that means. Cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular, and neuro-degenerative diseases (like Alzheimer's) may be less likely to occur thanks to these beneficial components of popcorn**.

** "This statement has not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease" (Have to keep the pesky food police lawyers off my back.)


I knew that popcorn was good for you! I mean, just the benefits of the fiber and roughage has to have some positive effect in keeping you a "regular" movie-goer. Sorry...bathroom humor.

So, go ahead and order that large tub of popcorn. That way when you finish it all by the time the movie starts, you can always go back and get that free refill. See you at the movies...and pass the popcorn.