(1991) **1/2
Independent filmmaker and certifiable nutjob Lanyard Gates ends his only film, “The Possessor” by snuffing out his family as the cameras rolled. During the one and only showing of this disturbing material a series of coincidences led to a theater fire and Lanyard Gates disappeared and was presumed dead.
Fifteen years later a group of film students decide to re-open the charred Dreamland theater for a one night only “horrorthon” (yep, that’s what they call it) before it is scheduled for demolition. Their idea is to present 3 (made up) 1950s films (“Mosquito”, “The Incredible Electrified Man”, and “The Stench”) using some of the old special effects employed at the time including releasing foul odors, jolting the customers with a weak electrical current and having a giant mosquito fly across the theater. While preparing the theater for the big event the students stumble upon Gates’ old film and fire it up for laughs. The students find the film disturbing and shut it off when one of them faints. The horrorthon (heh heh) sells out quickly and as the movies roll the film students begin to die grizzly deaths. Has Lanyard Gates returned for one last round of mayhem?
Like Matinee (1993), Popcorn is notable for its homage to 1950s schlock b-movies and the movie theaters that showed them. The film itself is pretty dumb and the deaths, although original, are of the yawn variety. The acting is sub-par and the characters are forgettable. Brief appearances by Ray Waltson and Tony Roberts are welcome and lend the film a touch of respect. I found the 1980s-ish montages of the students cleaning out and setting up the theater to bad pop music to be the most enjoyable aspect of the film.
Check out the trailer, which is hilarious because it attempts to lump itself in with famous horror movies,
