Brandon Questions whether Quinn Microwave Popcorn is any Good

Vinyl hijackers known as the Popcorn Snobs are catching up on their theme, ‘The Taking of April A-Z,’ as they run this blog for the next 10 (or so) days.

Hey Everyone, it’s Brandon and I’m back to find out if any of you lovelies have ever eaten Quinn popcorn. Me and the gang remember Nicole checking out the company’s microwaveable selection a few years ago when she was doing that American Red Cross thing but this snack brand never made its way onto her grocery list.

The Quinn brand prides itself on being a healthier alternative to the microwave popcorn options we’re used to seeing on the store shelves. It’s said to be organic, made with real butter, no GMOs and blah, blah, blah. That’s all well and good but at $5 per box of two…yes, TWO measly bags of this snack, it better be some delicious freakin’ popcorn if I’m going to make it a part of my next Netflix movie night!

Then there’s the issue of choosing which of their popcorn flavors may be worth the splurge:

• Butter & Sea Salt
• Vermont Maple & Sea Salt
• Parmesan & Rosemary
• White Cheddar

Have YOU ever eaten Quinn popcorn? Which flavors would YOU recommend for a taste test?

Kesha’s Crisis: The Movie Theater Popcorn and Candy Combo

‘The Taking of April A-Z’ is in full swing, as a group of vinyl hijackers (known as the Popcorn Snobs) have taken over this blog for the next 24 days. Strap yourself in and sit tight. It’s going to be a wild ride!

Hi everyone my name is Kesha West and I’m an alcoholic. Just kidding. Well, about the alcoholism, that is. I do have an addiction….to junk food. So it’s no surprise that going to the movies is a huge treat for me. The popcorn. The hot dogs. The nachos. The ice cream and all those other sweets. I can never get enough of them!

It’s become so bad that you could probably build a small chain of cinemas with the amount of money I’ve spent at the concessions counter. I knew something had to be done about my eating and spending habits when my boyfriend gave me an ultimatum – either skip the snacks altogether or we would have to share one order of popcorn. Sure, these options sound easy enough but they’re impossible for a junk food junkie like me to follow when you consider the following factors:

1. There’s no way in hell I’m giving up snacks! I mean, the whole point of going to the movie theater is munching on all of the yummy fare available on the menu. Watching the movie is just icing on the cake! (see what I did there? ;))

2. He likes his popcorn served without butter. That’s a deal breaker for me and my taste buds! Not only do I like my popcorn topped with butter, I need a sweet and salty mix of popcorn and candy. Specifically peanut M&Ms, which makes me classy, fun and in tune with the universe (at least, by Huffington Post’s standards). The combination of buttery popcorn, chocolate, candy coatings and peanuts hits the spot. Every. Single. Time.

So, I found a solution that would suit the needs of our budget without having to sacrifice my cravings for sweet and salty goodness. I buy candy in advance at retail price which is between $0.79-$0.99 compared to $4, give or take, at the theater. I later sneak the candy into the cinema, buy some popcorn, and then mix it together while the previews are playing. The boyfriend and I save money on snacks, the movie theater still makes a profit from the popcorn sales and I still get to have my combo and eat it too. Everybody wins.

Are there any other solutions that YOU would recommend to address this popcorn and candy crisis?

What is YOU favorite junk food item?

Kesha West is a popcorn snob trying to figure out why experimental films are so underrated. She enjoys DIY projects, trick-or-treating, and hanging out with friends.

Monday Movie Meme: Bar Hopping!

In giving credit to the sponsors who made it possible for this year's qFLIX film festival to bring an excellent program of international stories to Philadelphia's LGBT community, including Tavern on Camac, U bar and The Tavern restaurant, this week's Monday Movie Meme is about leading ladies and leading men congregating at watering holes: Bar Hopping!

Share on your blog or in the comments section, movies featuring scenes that take place in a bar. Here are my selections for this week's Bar Hopping theme, consisting mostly of bar scenes that come to mind when I think of some of the films that premiered at the festival.

Love Jones

An aspiring photographer named Nina orders a glass of white wine at the bar inside of a Chicago jazz lounge, in this romantic drama starring Nia Long, Larenz Tate and Isaiah Washington.

Those People

A painter encounters his first love while hanging with friends at a New York dive bar in this romantic drama about the ability to connect with people, and its contrasting side of the human condition -- never finding that perfect someone to experience true love.

LUV Don't Live Here No More

Longtime friends discuss a public lover's spat, over drinks at a Philly bar in this dramatic narrative about a man who is reluctant to part with the way his life and relationships were before he became severely ill.

Beautiful Something

A published writer interrupts his casual lover's plans to hook up with someone else at a bar in this romantic drama about eternal questions concerning sex, art, love and identity.

All Yours

Co-workers share drinks at a bar during a night out on the town in this romantic comedy drama about the love triangle between an Argentine hustler, a portly Belgian baker and a single mom.

Fourth Man Out

A drunken woman vomits on a car mechanic who’s celebrating his birthday at a bar, in this dramatic comedy about a fun loving group of blue-collar workers in a small town who try to play matchmaker when their buddy comes out of the closet.

What movies have YOU watched that feature bar scenes?

Where was the last bar YOU visited?