Which Home Theater speakers for under $28,000.

I'm not only a custom home theater guy, with over 6 retail stores and 15 years around this business, but am a long time two channel audiphile as well.
My recommendation for effective Home theater sound is still to consider more refined sounding, yet DEDICATED HOME THEATER SPEAKER SYSTEMS...that were designed as such...not music speakers doing "double dubty". That's my first recomomendation.
Let me say that, as someone who's sold everthing from Dunlavy's to Wilson's/Thiel's, B&W's, JM Labs, Meridian's, Logan's/Maggies, all the way down to more commercial Def Tech, Klipsch, NHT, M&K, Tannoy, Polk, etc, that you can indeed spend a lot on speakers, and not get the returns for your money for an effective home theater experience, just as with 2 channel! And this is very easy to do wrong, let me tell ya.
I would still strongly suggest you consider my recommendations I previously posted elsewere, and look at the KLipsch THX stuff, and Infinity Prelude MTS system if you want more refined/flexible audiophile music. Yes, the Def tech with powered subs has good dynamics for HT, and I've sold all that.
I can get anything I want at mostly cost, or close, and I like these systems for what they do, for what they cost. They're good for even larger rooms, and sound great.
For a dedicated HT system, for a passive setup, I'd recommend the Klipsh THX wholehartedly over most out there right now. It's very affordable, and very good sounding...especially potent on HT, and more refined than commercial theater speakers by far.
Anyway, I just can't recommend anything else I've come across for that money range, even more expensive audiophile speakers I've heard.
Other choices are to go Powered speakers, like M&K THX powered 150P's, active ATC mini-monitors(acoustics need to be spot on however with this design), and similarly active models.
YOu want "focus", dynamics,dialoge inteligibility, coherence, good detail and dynamic range, and PRESSENCE from a good HT system!...not laid back audiophile speaker sound. This yields a decidedly uninvolving sound that's not thrilling or effective for movie mixes in my experience.
The other, at least as equally as important part, is getting it all set up right, tweeking it, dealing with critical acoustics, and making it all work together, no matter what you get.
Invest in good experience, and it will be superb. If not, you end up with lots of mediocrity, and ill-spent money.

You can see how people's opinions/tastes vary. I totally respect others opinions on gear selection, and everyone's taste. That's a good reason most everyone ownes different gear!...including the professional reviewers.
I've been around high end biz for almost 23 years, and it's all stuff, it's all for sale, and everyone likes something different, not to mention lifestyles.
That all said, I know the Vandersteen's sold like millions of their 2c's alone! I also know Meridian pre's are highly talked about and such. But then, I've worked in 6 high end stores over the years, and probably have known a 100 or more audiophiles personally that I've worked with/around...and none of them own Vandersteen or Meridian, nor would they ever, including me. I also understand B&W makes some nice stuff, yet I'm not intersted personally, and I've sold it in 2 different stores...just not for me, but maybe you?
I can get most any audio product for cost or bellow, and I still know what works right for movies. Music, you have choices, depending on room/setup/lifestyle/syset matching, etc. Multi-channel effective movie speaker systems need to work well in your room/setup, and be effective at delivering the dynamics, intelligibility, focus, soundstage, coherence, and detail that was intended in the mixing process. Many audiphile home offerings can't do justice to what mixing engineers of DD/DTS soundtracks intended. If you think not, just go to any good local cineplex, or even Vegas IMAX ride/experience, and see what they're using to deliver these muli-channel experiences to you, and you'll understand what works best for movies in the home...or at least what is to be accomplished. You cannot substite the speakers these venues choose for, say, some "Vandee's", B&W's, or even Logan's and such. They don't work. Anyway, even in a smaller home setting, the same attributes must be considered to get the job done. I just think the dainty audiophile offerings mostly mis the target...chose wisely.

I'd like to throw in some more stellar pieces to your budget, depending:

Consider used/retubed world class Sony G90 CRT pj at $10k range. Also, Wilson Cub's for passive speakers. I second the ATC actives (no brainer), as Infinity Prelude MTS system, or other high end actives (sans Meridian's...too dark sounding). Amp's, depends.
Get a good scaler at $1500-2k or equivelent scaling DVD player. Sub's, look at the the Paradigm Servo 15's(multiples prefered) and Earthquake 12 or 15" models. All fine value...

Yeah I think I've fallen a little victim of this myself over the years. And that's the same kinda "I'm god" and "my oppinions are right, and I know better than you" kinda mentality. From a relationship/sales standpoint, or trying to basically help someone, this is wrong...I understand that. Yet, as someone who's really into this stuff as a hobby, and passionate about audio/video, it's easy to do I think. I basically wouldn't buy from someone like Cinematic Systems. It's all basiclly HIS ISSUES he appears to be forcing on you....not the way to help people. Even though you could get 99/100 people to agree that what someone like this recommends is "the best", you still don't want to do business with him, or associate with him, or get excited about dealing with him, talking, whatever! I think you all understand.
We come across this kind of mentality all the time.
Basically(again, I tend this way a bit myself. So I'm guilty too).
Peoples, it's all good. Some of us are just really anxious to share what we think is special...we just deliver it with a bunch of sour apples you gotta devour to get through the rest. Sorry...