Popcorn at the movies is as traditional as cake on one's birthday

I love going to the movies.

There is something about sitting in the dark with strangers, all immersed in the same experience. The big screen and Surround Sound envelop us and even the snacks are part of the ambience.

For me, popcorn at a movie is a required component. My Hubbie is more of a chocolate and licorice kind of guy, munching only the occasional handful of popcorn.

Regardless of the snack one chooses, its enjoyment can provide the final step in immersing oneself in the movie. Munching M&Ms or gnawing on a bite of licorice can help manage the stress of a horror movie monster’s massacre and nibbling popcorn can aid in maintaining one’s heartbeat at a reasonable level during fast-paced action scenes.

The smell of the treats, the movie soundtrack music that leads us in, the darkness that envelops us and the unfolding of the story on the screen – it all helps to take us away from the regular world.

With the Oscars last weekend, I got to thinking about how much the movie-going experience has changed.

I have always been a fan of the cinema and the collective cinematic experience. I don’t mind being able to cuddle up on the couch at home and watch something, but the impact is not the same. For me, seeing a movie on the big screen is also about respect. I grew up seeing my parents work in the industry as part of a movie crew, creating the “smoke and mirrors” with all their hard work and collaboration.

I believe their creations deserve to be seen in their original format to get the full experience.

I suppose I’m just getting sentimental as I age. Much about movies and the movie-going experience has changed in my lifetime. “Extreme” theatres and reclining seats, movies about video game characters – all are things that didn’t exist almost 30 years ago when Hubbie and I started our movie date night.

I heard a statistic recently that the average person visits the cinema twice a year. Hubbie and I are doing our best to keep our local movie theatres in business. We go almost every Tuesday. It is our date night—a chance to hang out together, get a bit dressed up and have an interesting conversation afterwards as we share our reviews. It’s also a reason to eat a healthy salad for dinner… so I can have room for popcorn at the show.

I’m old school, so part of me thinks it’s outrageous to pay so much for popcorn and a fountain drink. But it’s the only time I buy these thing and I know it helps keep those young people working at the concession. That, and I just think a movie deserves popcorn. Am I right?

Part of me likes that the popcorn kernels still stick in my teeth the same way they always have. I smile when I hear what I consider as the outrageously loud sound of my Hubbie opening his bag of licorice. I still close my eyes when the trailers are shown so I don’t know too much and spoil the fun later. And I love that Hubbie and I have a kiss before every movie starts and we always save a few popcorn kernels for our Labrador, Freyja.

I know that it might seem odd for a foodie to be so nostalgic about movie snacks but for me, they are an intertwined part of an age-old experience, just like cake on one’s birthday and s’mores around the campfire. The food goes with the setting.

I hope to see you at the movies soon. (You’ll have to get your own popcorn, though.)

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.