Popcorn, which turns 30 this year, has long been underappreciated for several reasons. That could be due to the fact that the film was out of print for a while (thankfully it is available now). Perhaps it has anything to do with the film’s poor box office results. Whatever the case may be, its accolades have mostly gone unheard. Popcorn is a fascinating blend of a 1950s monster movie with the spirit of a 1980s slasher, despite the fact that it was made in the 1990s. Allow us to get you to check it out if you’ve somehow managed to avoid it up to this point.
Maggie and her friends plan a triple feature night for their school’s film department in Popcorn. The kids put up a killer lineup of cheesy B-grade monster movies, complete with Smell-O-Vision. All bets are off when a deranged psychopath with plans to murder Maggie and her companions begins prowling the festival!
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Popcorn has a fantastic cast, including a few recognised faces. It’s wonderful to see Dee Wallace return to her horror origins, and with a snappy “no nonsense” hairdo to boot. Maggie’s mother is played by Wallace in the film. But she’s more than just the stereotypical mother or father figure. She has her own storey arc and makes the most of it. Wallace has a long history of portraying mother love onscreen, and this film is no exception. Her care for Maggie is real, and she comes across as honest and sympathetic.
Popcorn appears to have slipped under the radar, with many genre film enthusiasts overlooking or dismissing it. However, I believe that the treatment is entirely unnecessary. The film combines aspects from the slasher heyday with themes from the gimmick-ridden monster movies of the 1950s William Castle films. As a result, you’ll have a cheesy good time.
Popcorn nails the slasher boom genre while also incorporating traditions from B-grade films from the past, and the result is pretty fantastic. Get your copy before it goes out of print for the second time.