POPCORN (1991) Reviewed by Jerry Saravia RATING: Three stars
Time is a major factor in how a film is received. The first time I saw "Popcorn" in 1991, I was less than enthused by it. Perhaps I had missed the point or perhaps I had expected a scary horror film. The truth is that "Popcorn" precedes "Scream" by a few years, and its intention was to make fun of the horror genre with a sly wink here and there. On second viewing, I can say it is not a great success but it does manage to keep a breezy tone through most of its 90-minute running time.
Jill Schoelen ("The Stepfather") plays Maggie, a film student who is having strange dreams of some hirsute hippie engaging in strange rituals. These dreams convince her that she has a screenplay in her hands, and avidly records her dreams in a tape recorder. Her mother (Dee Wallace-Stone) is not too fond of Maggie's dreams or her inability to eat breakfast. Nevertheless, Maggie's college film class at the University of California lacks the funds to continue as a course (it seems they are constantly being shafted). Maggie's teacher (Tony Roberts) and other film classmates decide to host an all-night horror-thon of old B monster movies at a condemned theatre. This will help raise funds for the classmates to make their own independent films. A bunch of people attend the premiere night of the horror-thon, including that hirsute hippie who may be after Maggie. The hippie in question was the director of some avante-garde film called "The Possessor," which he never completed. When it was shown in the very same theatre, it was missing the last scene which he performed live on stage. This last scene involved the actual murder of his whole family!
"Popcorn" is not a standard issue horror flick and no ordinary slasher flick by any means - this is meant to be a parody. It is fun watching the audience watching these gimmicky 3-D monster flicks, using such tricks as electric shocks and aroma gases for the appropriate scenes. In fact, these scenes occupy most of the movie's running time. There are also clever puns on everything from Ingmar Bergman to the content of avante-garde films.
The backstory on Maggie and her relationship to her mother, not to mention the possibility that the hippie could be her father, is not gripping stuff but it holds the movie somewhat. It helps that Schoelen, though not a great actress, adds a touch of class and sincerity here, at least compared to the scream queens post-"Scream." Also worth noting are priceless moments by Tony Roberts (he could read the phone book and I would listen) and Ray Walston as a film memorabilia owner with his own steady supply of William Castle gimmicks. The late Tom Villard is the most memorable of the classmates because he is the nuttiest and most unpredictable. I could live without Maggie's on-and-off again boyfriend, especially the blonde date he brings to the premiere that is simply marking time. And maybe someone can explain to me if Dee Wallace's entrance to the theatre is a dream or a supernatural occurrence. Hmmm.
"Popcorn" is fun because it does not take itself seriously, and all those in-jokes and cinematic puns make it more than worthwile. Although I can't say it is better than "Scream," it is far more jokey and self-parodic than the latter. And it helps that Jill Schoelen is in it (can you tell I am a big fan?)
For more reviews, check out JERRY AT THE MOVIES at http://www.geocities.com/faustus_08520/Jerry_at_the_Movies.html
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