PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Alan Ormsby’s Popcorn takes you back to the golden age of horror. The film never made it, and in my opinion, that’s a tragic loss in horror. Popcorn is a movie that I watch at least once a month. Popcorn takes the crown of all those 80s horror films. Being released in 1991, the film found a happy medium between a classic tale with an added dose of 80s psychosis. Horror took a slow turn in the 2000’s but what kept it alive was access to all those old black and white films with Bela Lugosi chomping at the bit for you. Which brings us to Ormsby’s shining star; however, in my opinion, he was always one of the greats, with his staple film being Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things (1972) (read our retro review here).
Let’s get into the review.
Synopsis
A “Leatherface” type murderer who wears other people’s faces, kills at an all-night horrorthon at an old theatre put on by a bunch of film students. Maggie, the lead character, believes it’s really Lanyard Gates, a crazed film maker who killed his family live on stage, fifteen years ago. And now he’s back to kill his daughter, Sara, who is believed to be really Maggie.
The Rundown
The film draws inspiration from the movie theater concept, as seen in films like Demons (1985). What makes Popcorn so different is the plot. The film itself made history with a simple idea. We have seen several horror movies based on a monster wreaking havoc in films and plays. The storyline dates back to the Phantom of the Opera and beyond. In the 80s, horror was the wild west of a barren land that tipped its hat to pretty much any idea any bozo could think up. It’s movies like Popcorn that kept me interested. Even as a young kid. My horror marathons were in front of our TV watching shows like Monstervision or USA’s Up All Night with the volume so low you were in the clear most Saturday nights. I was also obsessed with the thriller video, which, yet again, is the last light of a dimly lit street.
The campiness of the cast kept the film teetering between horror and comedy. However, Alan Ormsby is not mentioned in the credits, which doesn’t really sit well with me. As I mentioned, Ormsby won me over years ago with Children Shouldn’t Play With Dead Things. I think people take a long look at the man, and there is not a lot of love for Ormsby, but still, he helped make an excellent film, all uncredited issues aside. The little remains a cult classic with a bit of comedy as one of the pioneers of comedy/horror. Popcorn reaches into your mind, and you are also in the theater watching your friends die.
In The End
In the end, Popcorn still flies under the horror genre radar while still being a cult classic. The film is still making its way into everyone’s hearts, thanks to free streaming apps. I guess that was this film’s destiny. I just wish there were more to the story in sequels, while also realizing this film is far from being remade. For now, we can enjoy it as much as we want because of how readily available Popcorn has become very easy to find. Now’s your time to try this film out yourself.
