Nov. 19, 2009 -- Would you scarf down a pound of baby back ribs and a scoop of Haagen-Dazs ice cream or maybe two Big Macs while watching the latest release at the movies?

That's what a new report says you’re getting in terms of fat and calories with a large tub of movie theater popcorn, and that's before they pour on the buttery topping.

Just when you thought it was safe to escape the cold and cuddle up with your favorite snacks at the local cineplex, the people at the Center for Science in the Public Interest are popping the lid on movie theater popcorn's calorie, fat, and salt content.

The report updates the organization's infamous 1994 movie theater popcorn exposé with new nutritional information on movie snacks offered by America's three largest movie chains: Regal, AMC, and Cinemark.

Researchers found movie theater popcorn offerings range from 400 to 1,200 calories, with one to three days' worth of saturated fat and up to 1,500 milligrams of sodium. Make it a combo and add 300 to 1,110 empty calories worth of candy and another 150 to 500 calories from a sugary soft drink to wash it all down.

"To save you money (how thoughtful), theaters offer combos. For example, for a mere $12 Regal hands you a medium popcorn and a medium soft drink, and AMC dishes up a large popcorn and a large soda," write CSPI researchers in their report published in the Nutrition Action Healthletter. "Where else can you be so distracted (by the movie) that you don't realize you've just swallowed 1,400 to 1,600 calories?"