Wizards and a self-made zombie

It seems like I was just walking out of a theater... oh wait, I was... about 5 hours ago.  Yep, I'm proud to admit that I joined friends at a midnight showing of some big movie last night this morning.  No spoilers, but the movie was awesome! and true to the books, win win.  (Totally worth the exhaustion and teensy bit of nausea I'm experiencing right now due to 3 hours of sleep.)

I love seeing movies in theaters and say that I don't do it often enough.  Even though the movie was a late one, that didn't stop me from satisfying my sweet tooth.  (Then again, what really could stop me from doing that?)  I was curious about snacking history and movies, so I did a little research...

Some quick facts:

• 40% of movie-goers bring their own snacks and drinks
• 26% provide their own snacks, and either buy a drink at the theater or skip one
• 8% bring their own beverages but skip bringing snacks or buy them at the theater.

That means that 3 out of 4 people bring their own goodies to a movie.  Do you sneak your own stash in?  When I saw a movie last week, my theater buddy brought leftover Halloween candy.  Best ever!  Sure, treats aren't necessary, but it's fun to indulge.  And, if you can't see it, the calories don't count, right? :)

I'm a big fan of snacks that last and don't cause unwelcome consequences.  Popcorn is salty and makes me thirsty.  Satisfying drinks, even water, will threaten to send me to the bathroom, missing crucial moments of the action.  So, sweets are the winner for me.  Here are some of my favorites (and hopefully yours) with a little history:

• Milk Duds - The “Milk” comes from the high amount of milk used in the product when it was created in 1926, and “Dud” comes from the fact that the candies were meant to be perfectly round, similar to a malted milk ball.  Rather than spending copious amounts of money and effort trying to get the candies more spherical, Hershey’s opted to call it a “Dud” instead and simply market it that way.
• Sour Patch Kids -  I have friends who would climb Mt. Everest just to get their hands on these... When the candy was invented in the 1970s, they were known as Mars Men and were sold as loose penny candy in stores.  It wasn’t until Cabbage Patch Kid-mania hit in the 1980s that the pucker-inducing gummy was retooled to be shaped like dolls to capitalize on the craze.  The first Sour Patch Kid on the package was modeled after the inventor’s son.
• Raisinets - Probably my all-time favorite theater snack.  I reason that the healthy raisins and junk chocolate cancel out each other.  The Blumenthal Brother Chocolate Company of Philadelphia started producing Goobers – chocolate-covered peanuts – in 1925.  The success of a simple product dunked in milk chocolate inspired them to give raisins a shot, and thus Raisinets were born in 1927.  The Blumenthal Brother Chocolate Company has long since disbanded – Raisinets were acquired by Nestle in 1984 – but their sugary legacy lives on.  

What's your favorite movie time treat?  Are you a popcorn and drink kind of guy?  Or a nachos gal?  Gummy bears?  Classic M&Ms?  Or nothing at all?  I've gotta say that I don't really snack at home when watching movies.  There's just something special about being in the theater!

Have a great weekend, everyone!  It's going to be a busy one and I'm sensing this small burst of energy won't last much beyond lunchtime.  Maybe I'll need another dose of sugar.  Wish me luck :)