31 Films for Halloween, 19: Popcorn (1991)

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It's the most famous poster for a movie you've never seen and nobody you KNOW has ever seen




Exactly as it says on the tin, Popcorn (1991) is a popcorn movie.  It was not well-received when released because, well, it's bat-shit crazy.

There's a film student who just may be the daughter of deceased, insane film-maker; 

Pictured: insane filmmaker.

there's her motley crew of classmates, trying to put on a horror film festival;
Any one of whom could have had their own film.


there's horror royalty Dee Wallace;

Because of course there is.

there's the lore of a Cursed Film;

Don't ask about the hat.


there's a master-of-disguise killer picking off theater-goers and film students;

They look better once they cool off.


there's giant props and William Castle-style gimmicks galore;

You just know one of those characters is named "Skeeter".


there's films WITHIN the film, each of them gold in themselves:

Since they are spot on parodies of particular horror styles.

there's a Jamaican house band; 

Because the movie was entirely filmed in Kingston,  Jamaica, at the old Ward Theater.

and if all that were not enough, there is the ULTIMATE add-on:

RAY WALSTON
at his MOST Walstonian, making an entrancingly enthusiastic speech, Walstoning all the way through a "fixing the place up" montage without getting his hands dirty and then DISAPPEARING, which is surely exactly what happened off-screen as well, for the 15 minutes of his time they paid him for.


Just know before you press PLAY that Popcorn is a completely ludicrous movie.  The slow beginning dream-sequence IS tough to get through, but just ignore it; it sets up a supernatural subplot that is never paid off, anyway.  The rest is just wall-to-wall crazy, especially the eventual reveal of the psychokiller, who refreshingly sounds UTTERLY BONKERS, like Nic Cage and Jim Carrey had a baby.

Do not look up anything about the film, not even its IMDb entry, because it's VERY easy to spoil the film's surprises and you really deserve to experience those first-hand.

Did somebody say... Hand?


You won't understand Popcorn and it certainly won't scare you but gosh DARNED if you won't be entertained!

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