STEPHEN STRASBURG TO APPEAR AT MICROSOFT STORE OPENING AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL

Microsoft has just announced that Washington Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg will be a VIP guest at the November 22 Grand Opening of the Microsoft Store at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda. The first 200 customers in line at 10:30 AM that morning will receive a ticket for a chance to play Xbox One with the Nats ace, who will appear from 4:00-6:00 PM.

Grand opening attendees will also get special deals, including a Toshiba Encore 8-inch 32GB tablet for just $99, or an Xbox 360 for only $99.

Microsoft will present technology grants to community organizations during the 10:30 AM ribbon-cutting ceremony. In addition to products, the store will also feature an Answer Desk where customers can receive expert advice on their Microsoft gadgets and software.

HALLOWEEN LUNCHABLES REVIEW (VIDEO)

The Halloween Countdown is underway on the Robert Dyer Channel, and the latest video is a review of the Halloween Lunchables of 2014. This year, dessert seems to be the theme, with an Oreo-based Dirt Cake, and S'mores Dippers. I tried out both, and here is my review. Both have great Halloween themed packaging, but let's find out if the actual product is as good.

WATTS BRANCH PARKWAY REOPENS IN ROCKVILLE

Watts Branch Parkway reopened yesterday, after the Rockville Public Works Department completed repairs of a broken water main. A portion of the road had been closed since October 15.

A 40-year-old pipe was the culprit, according to the department. During the work, Verizon and Washington Gas also made minor repairs to its systems affected by the water main break.

NIGHTSWATCH: ROCKVILLE CRIME UPDATE

Here is a roundup of crimes reported across Rockville on October 20, according to crime data:

Assault with deadly weapon. 9900 block Medical Center Drive at 11:26 PM.

Assault. 300 block Howard Avenue.

Theft. 800 block Ivy League Lane.

Burglary. 5500 block Halpine Place.

Theft. 9900 block Key West Avenue.

ARCLIGHT CINEMA NEARS OPENING AT WESTFIELD MONTGOMERY MALL (PHOTOS)

I returned to the new ArcLight Cinemas yesterday for a sneak preview of Westfield Montgomery's 16-screen cineplex, and have brought back plenty of photos (stay tuned for video). Obviously, the lobby wall of screens is what grabs your attention the most upon entering, and that real estate is currently promoting the highly-anticipated Interstellar, which starts showing on November 4 at ArcLight. I also sampled some of the food you can enjoy from the lobby's cafe, and their signature caramel corn. The latter is made on-site every day, and is more like taffy than the cheaper, "spray-on" caramel corn you might buy at the grocery store. Having said that, I'm a purist who enjoys the flavor and aroma of movie theater popcorn, preferably with extra butter. That aroma was in the air when I came in the door of the lobby, making this movie buff feel instantly at home.

Extra butter for me

Chris Nolan's Interstellar dominates
the lobby at the moment

This is just plain impressive

Showtimes

Light fixtures and a screen
"curtain" accent the upscale
feel of the lobby

Nice

Time waits for no man - and
neither will the movie, if
you're late

There is a small area of the lobby dedicated to movie-themed gifts, including merchandise from Star Wars, Star Trek, A Christmas Story and The Wizard of Oz. You'll also find exhibit space throughout the cineplex, and yesterday, that was dedicated to stills from Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and costumes from Robin Hood and Black Swan.

Costume from Black Swan

Robin Hood - as portrayed by
comic book legend Stan Lee for
ArcLight Cinemas

About that food - my favorite so far is the Popcorn Chicken. Not to be confused with a frozen chicken product, this was fried fresh, was extremely tender and juicy, and comes with dipping sauces. I also tried a flatbread pizza which was pretty good, and a fountain-prepared Coca-Cola. There are charcuterie and cheese boards, and quite a few baked pastries for dessert.

Ready for dessert?

Croissant?

Your diet just went out
the window

Chocoholics unite

Thick brownie

"Cookies are a sometimes thing"
- Cookie Monster (yeah, right!)

Not the typical theater food

Cheese board

"I'm crackers about cheese"
- Wallace, The Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Popcorn chicken. Verdict?
Awesome

Just about all of your favorite
movie theater candies - plus
local Glarus chocolate bars!

The lobby's cafe

Enjoy food and cocktails
here, or take them into
the theater

Concessions

Classic or caramel corn?

Try an adult beverage

On to the theater! In this case, it was Auditorium 6. There was a demonstration of the theater's Dolby Atmos sound system, which was very impressive. During an on-screen rainstorm, the 360º speaker setup made it sound like rain was literally falling from the ceiling and landing on the theater floor.

During an advance preview of Nightcrawler later in the afternoon, that movie's unique color scheme for its stunning cinematographic views of Los Angeles was richly displayed. As several representatives of ArcLight mentioned, the chain's California locations are where directors go when they want to see their films as they were meant to be seen. That includes the black box theater concept, no crackling popcorn bags (it comes in tubs, instead) and nacho-crunching, and no texting during the movies. Ushers take more of a host role here, and forget about standing in line - there are no lines, and all seating is reserved. As I mentioned in the past, there are also no ads. You might get a bonus feature after the movie, or a very short one as one of the few previews before it - you may recall some of those ArcLight-exclusive features I have posted here on the blog in the past.

Large numbers help you quickly
locate your reserved seat

Comfortable

A test drive of the plush cloth seats found them to be very comfortable (although the running time of Interstellar should give them the ultimate test!).

Remember the movie poster
cases from the hard hat tour?

Little movie called Hunger Games

Interstellar still

Big Hero 6

Returning to the lobby
from the auditoriums

#RodStewartProblems

Go ahead and check out the movies on sale now, and be one of the first in Montgomery County to experience ArcLight Cinemas' first location outside of California. Why wait until the grand opening on November 4, when you can buy tickets now for John Wick tomorrow night (October 23 at 10:00 PM), and enjoy a livestreamed Q and A with Keanu Reeves from Los Angeles after the film? Looking forward to more of those types of events here in the future.

ArcLight has set the bar high for the next generation of movie theaters in Montgomery County, and it will be interesting to see how iPic Theaters will stack up at Pike and Rose up the road.

But first let me
take a selfie

GHOSTBUSTERS DONUTS AT ROCKVILLE KRISPY KREME REVIEW (VIDEO)

Krispy Kreme in the Fallsgrove shopping center may have the greatest Halloween-related treats of 2014. During October, the shop is selling official Ghostbusters donuts, which feature either the famous movie logo atop slime-green colored frosting, or the equally-famous Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man - complete with hat! In keeping with the Stay-Puft theme, both donuts are filled with a ton of Stay-Puft marshmallow creme filling. How do they taste? Watch my epic review now to find out!

COUNCILMEMBER'S AMENDMENT WOULD ALLOW LIVESTOCK IN ROCKVILLE BACKYARDS

No sooner has the dust settled from the Montgomery County Council's controversial foray into backyard barnyards than the issue is now coming home to roost in Rockville. City Councilmember Julie Palakovich Carr has proposed animal regulations changes that would permit chickens in Rockville backyards, schools and daycare facilities, under various terms and circumstances. No roosters would be permitted. Goats would also be allowed on public property to clear invasive plant species.

Concerns about noise and disease that would affect humans were part of the discussion among County Council members. However, many seemed to avoid the topic of Histoplasmosis in humans, a disease caused by spores of the fungus Histoplasma capsulatum, which can be found in chicken waste. The potential health issue has been raised by critics of backyard chicken coops elsewhere in the country. At the same time, some in Rockville have argued for years that residents should be allowed to raise backyard chickens. Where do you come down on the topic?

You'll have a chance to make your feelings known: Councilmember Palakovich Carr is hosting a meeting on the proposed changes tomorrow, October 21, at City Hall, from 7:30-9:30 PM in the Black Eyed Susan Conference Room.