Totally get that about the butter making a mess. I ruined a good movie night once by dumping too much melted butter on the popcorn, it was like eating wet cardboard halfway through. Switched to tossing the popcorn in a bowl with a few dashes of Cholula and shaking it up, the flavor sticks way better than you'd think. That vinegar kick from some hot sauces cuts through the salt perfectly. Now the popcorn stays dry and crispy right down to the last few kernels at the bottom of the bowl.