Eating a LOT of popcorn in October.

Yes, I am eagerly anticipating the new TRON: Ares movie, the third chapter in the TRON movie franchise. Trust me. I saw the original TRON way back when it first hit cinemas (in my case, it was at the Sangertown Square shopping center in New Hartford, just a few miles away from college). Loved every minute of it. Then I eventually saw the TRON: Legacy sequel in 2010, and I blogged endlessly about it.

So, yeah. I’m totally psyched that there’s a new chapter in this cinematic universe.

Oh my God Space Paranoids are attacking in OUR WORLD and they have a bevy of self-guided missiles! And Jeff Bridges is back as Kevin Flynn! And the soundtrack and the visuals …

Well, if I thought this film wouldn’t be spectacular enough …

We now have to discuss the emerging trend in big-budget summer blockbuster films.

Yep. Commemorative popcorn buckets.

Now you’re thinking, “Oh yeah, it’s a popcorn bucket with a few images from the movie around it.”

Yeah, that was fine a few years ago. Now, the trend is to incorporate sculpted imagery and iconography from the film into a carefully crafted (and pricey) popcorn bucket.

This is the popcorn bucket that’s available at Cinemark movie theaters when TRON: Ares debuts.

Two wells for popcorn, one in each light cycle tire. And from what I’ve heard … this unit LIGHTS UP.

No word on whether I can get Flynn and TRON and RAM to combat Sark’s soldiers on the grid with this bad boy … but you never know.

Which now means I want to watch the original light cycle battle from the first TRON movie, created with then-high-tech special effects and a stunning Wendy Carlos soundtrack. Scuse me for a moment.

Yeah, baby. The light cycle popcorn bucket is way cool. But if I go to a Regal theater … I could get this popcorn bucket as well.

No word on whether it has the original 1982 arcade games inside, but I know it’ll have a lot of popcorn inside when I get through with it.

Of course … now I have to consider whether I should even PUT popcorn in these containers. The collector in me thinks I should buy two of each of these; one for use and one for storage. That might mean seeing TRON: Ares four times, one for each popcorn bucket purchase.

You know what? That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to endure.

TRON: Ares officially premieres on October 10. And if you see someone waiting in line on October 8 for the first good seats …

That would likely be me. 😀