
I love movies almost as I much as I love food.
Almost.
Like a good meal, a good movie can take you to another place. For me and my husband, Dan, the cinematic experience wouldn’t be the same without a jumbo bucket of popcorn, sans the butter.
In honor of the recent Academy Awards, I thought I would award the Best Popcorn Kernel to the….(roll out the red napkins….) Dipson Theatres!
From the moment you walk in the theater lobby, the aroma of freshly popped goodness and warm butter wafting through the air draws me in and all my willpower melts away.

You won’t find wieners on a roller or nachos swimming in mystery cheese at the Dipson. They do have gourmet cookies and candy, but the main focus is definitely that irresistible popcorn.
What makes it so special? I asked Michael Clement the president of the locally-owned chain of theaters.
“We only use the highest quality seed and oil to make our popcorn. Our oil is a vegetable oil, which is a combination of cotton seed and soybean, it is 100% cholesterol free, no artificial coloring or flavoring, and is only 16% saturated fat much which is much lower than other popular corn oils which could be as high as 85% saturated fat,” Clement explained. “The only item we add to our popcorn is salt for flavor.”
On a recent Saturday afternoon, I stopped by the Amherst Theater to get my fix. The staff there mentioned that some customers come in for just the popcorn, with no intention of going to one of the movies.
Clement agrees: “We have so many people that stop into our theatres on a regular basis just to purchase some popcorn, to take home with them.”
And who better to weigh in than WBEN’s Cinema Bob Stilson, an authority not just on the silver screen, but popcorn too:
“The Dipson popcorn is always fresh with a light, buttery flavor. But it’s not that overpowering “chemical butter attack” flavor that gets slathered on your popcorn at the big national chains. And don’t get me started on toxic Drive-In popcorn – it’s like an unholy union of Styrofoam and Salt Lick and I-Can’t-Believe-They-Call-This-Butter,” Cinema Bob said.
“Dipson popcorn is wonderful, fresh, tasty, actual food. I’ve never tasted better popcorn at any other cinema in the country. For me, it’s like Entertainment Insurance. If I go to a Dipson, there’s a chance that I may not like the movie … but I know I’ll love the popcorn. “
I agree with Bob on his critique. Put this popcorn on your bucket list!


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