Theater time !!!

[Dale W]

Well the wife dragged my tired butt to the movies the other night. She really wanted to see the new star trek flick, i was kind of excited about this new theater that had just been built and sat there admiring the surrounds on the wall and massive screen, along with the step seating.

Well the trill didnt last very long, about 10 minutes into the show, i noticed that 90% of the sound was coming directly from the screen and very little from the surrounds not to mention the lack luster bass.Maybe i'm just use to my system at home.

So last night we sat downstairs and watched spiderman on dvd ( got for xmas) the wife looks at me half way through the show and says " you better turn it down or we'll wake up the kids". I agreed and asked her back if she thought the sound was any better than the theater. She just smiled back at me and said " yes dear you did good ".

Well i got my ego boost for the year and will not be returning to the theater any time soon.

[JasN00b]

well.

you did well.

[j-malotky]

Dale

I can relate.

Since I built my Heritage HT, going out to the "movies" is usually disapointing.

JM

[m00n]

Ah yes, a nice little ego stroke is always good.

[HornEd]

Movie theaters are for the "HAVE NOTS"... those who don't lurk or post on this Forum... and so they do not know the joy that a little monetary sacrifice can make on the alter of home Klipsched satisfaction. Let's face it, trying to duplicate the quality that most of us have built into our home system for every seat in the theater is not acoustically practical.

Theaters are for people who pay through the nose for Bose then take it on the chin to get in to the latest release. Hey, if it floats their boat... so be it. As for me, I will continue to enjoy a rising tide of Klipsch inspired HT and music system tweaking. Vive la upgrade path... for it is the incentive that keeps me productive. -HornED

[JasN00b]

well...

i lurk and post on these forums, and dont mind a trip to the movies, i think its fun to go with a bunch of amigos and get out of the house

granted i dont have a 10k HT system, but i enjoy what i've scrounged together, but i sure wouldnt buy bo$e!

eh to each his own

[Dale W]

Well !!! lol

christmas booze induced brain fog has made it's way to my typing fingers.

I do enjoy the big screen adventure and getting out of the house, was just a little dissapointed in the sound system.

I'll tell you a funny story about one theater experiance i had a few years back. The theater was very loud and past the point of sounding good, after the previews were done, some dude in the front row yelled out "Hey man turn it down"

The whole place roared with laughter, including me. Another couple that had joined us but were in the next theater , said they could hear our movie over the one they were watching.

[m00n]

Horn.... for the most part I agree with you on going to a theater. HOWEVER, there is and will continue to be one driving factor to why I would want to go to a public theater....

Ah yes, indeed. The fatty, delicious, popcorn. I have in the past gone to see movies for the sole purpose if getting a nice big tub of the munching goodness.

[HornEd]

Moon, unfortunately, I recently lost my gourmet popcorn source due to the demise of a midwest farmer friend... or else I would have sent you some... but you need a proper popper and gobs of less-than-healthy buttery additives! But, frankly, the theater popcorn is probably healthier for you than some of the stuff they stick in the microwave variety.

I ran across a brand new $30 stove-top popper with a crank that does a super job using as little as a teaspoon of oil for 3 cups of popcorn... at a thrift shop... with a $2 price tag. I snapped it up and it is now my favorite popping mode. I use a blend of clarified butter and extra virgin olive oil as my popping oil and try to get popcorn with a 15% moisture content for really big, fluffy results... that's tastier than most theater popcorn I've tried. At least, it sure pleases the kids on this block when I give them a Saturday matinee movie treat.

Here's a link to the popcorn popper I bought for $2: http://www.popcornranch.com/popper.htm The same popper is sold under several different names so you can pick it up for less than this with a little Google work. Enjoy! I do... -HornED

[m00n]

HordEd...

Hey thanks for the heads up on that popper. So it will produce popcorn that is as good (not considering the oil(s) and flavoring)?

Have you purchased the actual packets of corn and oils? if so, how does it compair in taste to the movie theater's popcorn?

m00n

[skonopa]

Yeah, for the most part, I rather watch movies at home, but there is still that occasional movie that I just really want to see and not wait for the DVD to come out (Lord of the Rings, anybody?). I'll admit that the theater in Harrisonburg where I saw LotR was actually pretty nice and did sound good. Also, the theater here in Fredericksburg (both of them) are pretty nice. However, there has been a few momoment when I was thinking, "Man I wonder how that will sound on my system !"

Also, you cannot discount the fun in going out with friends to see a movie than having dinner afterwords. One of our favorite rituals here is movies than Ryan's (an excellent steackhouse/buffet place here in town). It is a fun way to kill off a boring Sunday afternoon.

[HornEd]

Moon, the basic popper pops up about 6 quarts of the largest, fluffiest popcorn you've ever tasted. One of the secrets is to get your technique down to where you use less oil... but highly flavored oil. Having been trained as a gourmet chef, I tend to do my own experimenting so I haven't tried their bags. But, frankly, I have been able to make better popcorn in this little hand cranked pot than I could with a $2,500 "theater style" popper that I had in my 60-seat theater in my company showroom!

The key to great popcorn is a high temperature and keeping the kernals moving. The little pot has a couple of wires that rotate on the bottom of the pan to keep the kernals from scorching. The un-popped kernals being heavier go to the bottom and the popped kernals rise. Clarified butter has a much higher smoking point than regular butter... and that is one of the secrets of gourmet popcorn. You can buy clarified butter or make it yourself. When butter is melted is separates into three distinct layers. The sediment on the bottom and the foam on the top... what you want is the clear, yellow, pure fat stuff in the middle. You can use it to pop popcorn without scorching... which can ruin the whole batch.

You will be amazed how properly popped pocorn melts in your mouth...

The toughest part is getting great popcorn. Popcorn with less than 15% moisture does not pop well... in fact, the kernals on the un-popped kernals on the bottom of your microwaved or air popped attempts are almost certain to contain less than moisture! So, when you find a great popcorn source, buy it, keep it refrigerated... I even put a little container of water in the plastic container for popcorn as a way of preserving the humidity. As popcorn ages, moisture migrates out of the kernals... hence the older the popcorn the less success you can expect. That's why it is tough buying popcorn at the local supermarket... no telling how long it has been around.

My source for popcorn is dead not only because of the farmer's heart attack but because the new owners planted other crops. So, if anyone out there knows of a great fresh popcorn source... let us know! -HornEd

[j-malotky]

I have one of those poppers Ed is refering to, and they work great. Ed is right, don't need as much oil since you keep the corn moving with the crank.

Works best on a gas stove. Crank the flame as high as it will go, the kernals explode into HUGE pieces of popcorn.

The new style electric stove with the elements under glass work, but the power keeps cycling when it gets to temperature, so it takes longer and kernals are not as big.

On my gas stove, it works faster than a Microwave and you get more corn than the little bag.

JM

[skonopa]

HornED said:

My source for popcorn is dead not only because of the farmer's heart attack but because the new owners planted other crops. So, if anyone out there knows of a great fresh popcorn source... let us know! -HornEd

I guess the only suggestion I can think of is try visiting the local farmer's market and ask. Maybe somebody will have or know of a good source of fresh grown popping corn. I'll have to try that myself when the farmer's market is back in town come springtime.

[j-malotky]

Wow

Ed beat me to my last post about the heat.

Ive been using Orvile from my local supermarket in my popper. Now I know I am missing the true popcorn glory. Living in Wisconsin, I would bet I could find a good source for the kind of tasty Corn Ed is refering too.

I have a new purpose for life. I will find the Corn, it may take some time, but I will find it!!!

JM

[HornEd]

Go for it JM! You'll be glad you did. And we will be glad you did if you will share the source. Just about any corn product is better when the corn is fresh. For example, Mexican corn based foods are absolutely marvelous when the corn has been cooked less than six hours before it is eaten.

Fresh popcorn in your popper is more important than fresh roasted coffee beans in your grinder... take it from someone who roasts his own coffee when he has the time! Corn tastes better before its oxidized by grinding or cooking. Even when using dried corn to make polenta, being able to grind it fresh and serve your guests will do wonders for your compliment quotas.

Then again, I also grind my own flour to make bread... and use naturally occuring yeast that have a symbiotic relationship with friendly bacteria (like that in authentic San Francisco sourdough). I let my bread raise for sixteen hours before baking in a commercial quality convection oven on a pre-heated hearthstone.

JM... you live in great popcorn growing country. I used to get mine from Northern Illinois... the quad cities area. I also used to have a source in North Dakota... which is also a great place to get high quality wheat for home grinding. If you find a good local source, I would be happy to pay you to send a bag once in awhile. Who knows, this could be the start of the harvest dated Home Theater Popcorn Co., JM, prop. You can buy those poppers wholesale, I have the actual manufactures name somewhere, and create a promo special for authorized Klipsch dealers.... and hire a bevy of school kids to package your product at harvest time... maybe storing the surplus in a local cold storage locker.

Hope something "pops" up for you in the New Year! -HornED

PS: Clarified butter is one of the least perishible commodities and you should be able to get it very reasonably in Wisconsin... that's where a good bit of our national supply comes from. Try using some clarified butter in your popper... I add some olive oil to cut down the saturated fats... plus I like the taste... but pure clarified butter works best with the high heat!

[Dale W]

Good popcorn lives right across the street from me !!

I live in a sub-division (4 acres) and the guy arcoss the street (steve) use to run his own small carnival, 15 rides plus all the consesion trailors. last year he sold all his rides to a guy in the usa but still has all the consesion stuff. Candy floss , snow cone , taffy , popcorn popper etc.

I've been trying to convince him to sell me the popcorn machine for my theater room.

I'm not sure of the brand, but it's the one with 4 glass walls and the big metal spill over popper in the center. If you like i could ask him were they buy the popcorn from, It tastes great. Comes with the oil attached to the side of the corn in measured quantitys.

The poor machine is sitting outside in a unheated building collecting dust. What a shame !!

[j-malotky]

Ed

I found a store that has clerified butter, Im on my way out the door to get some for tonights movie.

Here is my plan for the fresh corn. Ed - If you could tell me the name of the best corn to plant, My inlaws have 40 acres of prime Wisconsin farmland that has been resting for the last 10 years. I am going to ask them if I can plant some popcorn there next spring. Figured I could start with 2 or 3 sets of 40-50 plants of different varieties and go from there.

JM

[m00n]

Ok... you guys are really making me want some popcorn.

Thanks for the tips on popping the corn with the hand held kettle. I need to copy this thread to a word doc for reference

[justin_tx_16]

JM, growing corn is not that easy.

Here in texas everything works against you, i know because I used to grow corn!

1. wind

2. dought

3. raccoons

4. birds

5. worst, ants. burrow into the stalk and eat from the inside out

6. gophers

7. squirrels

and then some

it generally worked out that 1:6 corn stalks actually produced a product after everything working against them. so think of this when you plan. keep them spaced and don't forget to tap the tops!

we had regular corn in the beginning, but then i planted a few popcorn plants... don't do that LoL! cross breading took effect and we had a corn hybrid LoL!

i have a few good popcorn brands, when i get home i will get the names for you.

clarified butter is wonderful. i have a culinary syringe that i use to suck it from the middle. works great! you can get them at Williams Sonoma.

HornED. Where were you trained? My mother and grandmother are both official chefs, my mom even has a book in the works! I plan to go to culinary school as a backup just incase. I love to cook as it is.

Every friday night i have a movie party at my house. lately i have been cooking for the 14 people that come over and then we watch a movie. it comes out to about $4 a person for food and the movie. that is about $12 cheaper than if we went out to a movie and dinner, and in this case, the movies sounds better, the picture looks better, and the food tastes better.

I also have the SAME popper. got mine at Central Market for $19.99 on sale, normally i think $25.