Popcorn Movie, and Proud of It!
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
This man's love of taffy has finally overcome his will to live.
Following the horror boom of the 80s, the 90s ended up being somewhat lackluster in regards to the genre. There were a few good ones here and there, but for the most part, horror just kind of quietly went away to return later thanks to “torture porn”. Was this an improvement? No, but in the early 90s a film came out that screamed 80s, and managed to be just as much fun as the horror films of that decade. Popcorn is that movie.
It’s a silly movie filled with “B” stars like Dee Wallace and Ray Walston, and, the ultimate ”B” film princess, Jill Schoelen! The premise is that a film professor needs to drum up some money for his department. To do so he enlists his class in a film marathon project at a local theater. They plan to show several horror films from the past that had gimmicks. If you’re familiar with any of William Castle’s films like “The Tingler” or “House on Haunted Hill”, you know what I’m talking about. Seats rigged with electric shocks, a giant mosquito that invades the theater…Smell-O-Rama, that kind of thing. Until, during the marathon, the students begin to be murdered by the very gimmicks they’re inflicting on the audience. One is impaled with the mosquito. Another is electrocuted, etc.
Underlying all this is a strange film canister found in the theater prior to the movie marathon, which seems to show a human sacrifice. What has this to do with the rest of the movie? EVERYTHING! How this movie didn’t catch on and turn into a franchise is beyond me. The villain of the piece is genuinely surprising when you find out who it is. And, with his movie usher costume and mangled face, we should have been seeing Popcorn 2 and 3 throughout the years. It just didn’t catch, I guess.
This is another fun one that it would be a shame if you passed up. It’s not frightening, but it is entertaining. Look around for it, and find someone who hasn’t seen it to check it out with. You’ll be glad you did, and remember to stock as much…ahem…Popcorn as you can. It’s that kind of movie!
Posted on October 9th, 2009 at 11:46 am
I loved this movie when I was a kid! I also can’t believe it didn’t catch on.