Snack smuggler tests AMC theater's no-food policy

It is 11:15 a.m. at the AMC Empire 25 in Manhattan, and I am packing. Microwave popcorn, Cheez-Its, pineapple soda, Halloween leftovers, Chex Mix and bags of chips hide at the bottom of my backpack. Chocolate bars and more bags of chips are stuffed into my jacket pockets. Street value: about 9 dollars. If I had purchased a similar bundle of junk food at the theater concession, it would have run me about 36 big ones.

I am on a mission to preserve a way of life for the fiscally responsible movie goer: to save the smuggled snack.