the buzz log

Don't Do It: Movie Popcorn Is Calorie Bomb

We would want to be the last ones to ruin movie night, but this just in from Center for Science in the Public Interest: Chowing down on a medium popcorn and soda is the calorie equivalent to three McDonald's quarter-pounders and 12 — yes 12 — pats of butter. And it gets worse: About 90% of this 1,600 calorie bomb comes from fat.

We know, shocker: Movie popcorn is bad for you. But it's even worse than we thought. The killjoys who conducted this test point out that sitting through a two-hour movie isn't exactly "climbing Mt. Everest," but theaters are feeding us like we are. After all, where else do we get food in containers called tubs?

Mainly, the blame lies with the coconut oil used to pop the corn that really packs on the pounds. The two worst offenders are the biggest movie theater chains, Regal and AMC. The theater chain Cinemark switched to the healthier canola oil, so their salty snack comes in slightly better at under 1,000 calories for a medium popcorn. But still. Not exactly diet food. And all this is before you pour on the butter-flavored topping. Not to mention sodium levels that are off the charts. Those super-sized candy boxes are pretty bad too, adding up to around 500 calories for your favorite sugary snack. (And soda — simply extra empty calories in extra-large cups, the study says.)

The L.A. Times quoted a spokesperson for Regal defending the supersized practice by explaining that movie food is a "treat and not intended to be part of a regular diet." But heck, it's so unhealthy, should it even be part of an irregular diet? Clearly, the popcorn police think not.

Intrepid reporters at the New York Post headed to a local movie theater for follow-up. One movie-goer suggested cut-up fruit and veggies as a better way to go. Health food at the movies — why would anyone even bother?

This study is a follow-up to the original report that exposed the shocking truth about popcorn back in 1994. In response, some movie theaters offered — gasp — an airpopped alternative. Guess how well that went over. So successful, the study had to be done again 15 years later. The critics may whine, but the people have spoken: Feedbags with extra butter and salt, please.

'New Moon' star Robert Pattinson

Movie critics probably shouldn’t have bothered. All the reviewers in the world can't stop “The Twilight Saga: New Moon,” the second film in the hit franchise, from raking in mountains of cash. Still, a few critics tried.

Roger Ebert, perhaps the most famous movie critic of all time, granted “New Moon” 1 star out of 4, and noted that its teen stars lack energy. “Never have teenagers been in greater need of a jump-start,” said the Pulitzer Prize-winner. The deliciously catty Kyle Smith of the New York Post was predictably unimpressed. Moaned Smith, “This movie moves like the line at the post office."

Other publications were a bit kinder. Claudia Puig of USA Today granted “New Moon” 2.5 stars out of 4 and noted that the film is "an improvement" over the original. The Hollywood Reporter’s Michael Rechtshaffen offered similar sentiments and wrote that “New Moon” is also “exceptionally faithful to its 2008 beginnings.” That quote alone ought to send the franchise’s fans over the moon.

While “New Moon” is getting the vampire’s share of the buzz, there are two other major Hollywood releases hitting theaters this weekend. “The Blind Side,” based on a true story, stars Sandra Bullock as a sassy Midwestern mother who takes in a homeless African American teenager. Heartwarming moments ensue.

Reviews on “The Blind Side” range from positive to “meh.” Respected online critic James Berardinelli applauded the movie for not being cloying, something that can easily happen with inspirational tear-jerkers. Mr. Rechtshaffen of The Hollywood Reporter complimented the “energetic performances” from the cast. But there are dissenters. Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman commented on the film’s hypocrisy, calling it “a kind of liberal Hollywood version of conservative values.” Ouch.

The last of the three flicks to hit theaters is an animated movie called “Planet 51.” Featuring the vocal talents of Dwayne Johnson, Justin Long, and Gary Oldman, the film is a kind of child-safe, sci-fi adventure with a twist. Instead of aliens landing on Earth, an astronaut lands on an alien planet.

Reviews are, in a word, mixed. Ty Burr of The Boston Globe recommended the movie only to “young children and adults with high pain thresholds,” while Roger Moore of the Chicago Tribune called it “genial but generic.” Other reviewers were more complimentary. Adam Markovitz of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a “B” and said that it "delivers a few pleasant surprises.” Roger Ebert called it “perfectly pleasant as kiddie entertainment."