Popcorn (1991) FotW #303

[Cocoa]

Film of the Week #303: Popcorn (1991)



Summary:
A murderer begins killing off teenagers at a horror movie marathon they have organized in an abandoned theater.

#954 on 1000<400, with 243 checks.
Nominated by Cocoa, Minkin, and xianjiro.
On IMDb
On iCM

From the 1000<400 results

#954(⇩296, #658) Popcorn (1991)

Directed by: Mark Herrier
(165.6 Pts, 3 Votes) , Top 1–10–50: 0–1–2
History: 954←658←988←1174←1233←NA←NA

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ICheckMovies: 241 Checks , 10 Favourites , 1 Official list

List of Voters:

mightysparks (9)
Daviddoes (21)
Cocoa (417)

This movie fits the current Horror Challenge.



Here is a schedule of all the FotWs.

[72aicm]

Saw it back in August. It was a fun watch. 6.5/10

[joachimt]

Nominated by Cocoa, Minkin, and xianjiro.

Why did you guys nominate this one? To me this looks just like a random horror movie. It's on the low side of TSZDT, so normally it's something I would skip. Did you filter the eligible title on genre "horror" because of this month' challenge? I'll watch it anyway, because it's FotW.

[Cocoa]

Nominated by Cocoa, Minkin, and xianjiro.

Why did you guys nominate this one? To me this looks just like a random horror movie. It's on the low side of TSZDT, so normally it's something I would skip. Did you filter the eligible title on genre "horror" because of this month' challenge? I'll watch it anyway, because it's FotW.

Personally, I love this film when I watched it years ago. Movie theater horror sub-genre I will admit that I don't expect everyone to love it since it's horror (there is no horror film that is beloved by all) and a little on the cheesy side to fit in with its sub-genre. It's not my number one favorite horror film on the 500<400/1000<400, but my favorite horror film on it didn't receive enough nomination votes.

[mightysparks]

I saw it years ago (think it came up on as a random browse on CG) and loved it. Agree with Cocoa that it’s not for everyone and a bit cheesy, but I do love the movie theater horror stuff and it’s a good fun slasher (despite slashers being one of my least fave sub genres of horror).

[joachimt]

I don't think I've spotted one decent actor in this. 5/10

[peeptoad]

I agree with joahchimt… the idea was kind of cool and I recognized a lot of the actors from other stuff in the 80s, but the acting was subpar imo and the plot really lacking other than the concept. I also hated the early 90s fashion, or lack thereof, and it was more or less on full display here.

[yllow]

Not seen for a while but I recall it being fun.

[xianjiro]

Nominated by Cocoa, Minkin, and xianjiro.

Why did you guys nominate this one? To me this looks just like a random horror movie. It's on the low side of TSZDT, so normally it's something I would skip. Did you filter the eligible title on genre "horror" because of this month' challenge? I'll watch it anyway, because it's FotW.

under the old system, I basically just took the list in order, removed movies I'd seen and then dropped 50 titles as nominees - that's how I ended up nominating Popcorn but would have eventually seen it if only because it made the 1000<400 and a copy is in the library system.

Only watched it tonight - wasn't all that impressed. To be honest could have lost the madman on a murder spree aspect and concentrated on the characters putting together the HorrorFilmFest and been a whole lot more interesting. I think one thing that keeps the audience interested is the throwback to the era of movie gimmicks from the 50s - 3D, stink-o-rama (or whatever it was called) and the chair zapping.

Technically, the movie was fine. It clearly didn't have a huge budget to work with so felt less Hollywood than we generally come to expect. This also worked to the film's advantage since the style of horror flicks it references are also pretty low budget, etc. The acting was fine, given what it was.

But all in all, can't say it impressed me much. It does have a feeling of moving away from the moralistic slasher films of the 80s and towards something more modern. After all, we don't get the sense that those that who don't survive the FF are "bad" people or anything. That was a relief. But otherwise, pretty much a non-starter for me. Gave it 6 out of 10.

[xianjiro]

Nominated by Cocoa, Minkin, and xianjiro.

Why did you guys nominate this one? To me this looks just like a random horror movie. It's on the low side of TSZDT, so normally it's something I would skip. Did you filter the eligible title on genre "horror" because of this month' challenge? I'll watch it anyway, because it's FotW.

Personally, I love this film when I watched it years ago. Movie theater horror sub-genre I will admit that I don't expect everyone to love it since it's horror (there is no horror film that is beloved by all) and a little on the cheesy side to fit in with its sub-genre. It's not my number one favorite horror film on the 500<400/1000<400, but my favorite horror film on it didn't receive enough nomination votes.

Odd generalization - I think movies like The Shining, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and especially Alien/Aliens, Jaws, and Psycho are very widely respected even by those of us who have little time for the genre in general. A well-made movie is a well-made movie; the problem with so much of the genre is its reliance and jump-scares and gross-out scenes. It's stuff like that that costs the genre respect in the wider cinematic world.

[Cocoa]

Why did you guys nominate this one? To me this looks just like a random horror movie. It's on the low side of TSZDT, so normally it's something I would skip. Did you filter the eligible title on genre "horror" because of this month' challenge? I'll watch it anyway, because it's FotW.

Personally, I love this film when I watched it years ago. Movie theater horror sub-genre I will admit that I don't expect everyone to love it since it's horror (there is no horror film that is beloved by all) and a little on the cheesy side to fit in with its sub-genre. It's not my number one favorite horror film on the 500<400/1000<400, but my favorite horror film on it didn't receive enough nomination votes.

Odd generalization - I think movies like The Shining, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and especially Alien/Aliens, Jaws, and Psycho are very widely respected even by those of us who have little time for the genre in general. A well-made movie is a well-made movie; the problem with so much of the genre is its reliance and jump-scares and gross-out scenes. It's stuff like that that costs the genre respect in the wider cinematic world.

Ugh, The Exorcist. As someone who first watched the film in the 2010s, that film has aged horribly. A kid cursing = possessed. Jaws is somewhat boring, just stay out of the water.

[xianjiro]

Personally, I love this film when I watched it years ago. Movie theater horror sub-genre I will admit that I don't expect everyone to love it since it's horror (there is no horror film that is beloved by all) and a little on the cheesy side to fit in with its sub-genre. It's not my number one favorite horror film on the 500<400/1000<400, but my favorite horror film on it didn't receive enough nomination votes.

Odd generalization - I think movies like The Shining, The Exorcist, Rosemary's Baby and especially Alien/Aliens, Jaws, and Psycho are very widely respected even by those of us who have little time for the genre in general. A well-made movie is a well-made movie; the problem with so much of the genre is its reliance and jump-scares and gross-out scenes. It's stuff like that that costs the genre respect in the wider cinematic world.

Ugh, The Exorcist. As someone who first watched the film in the 2010s, that film has aged horribly. A kid cursing = possessed. Jaws is somewhat boring, just stay out of the water.

kids! I have lived through theatrical release of every one of those films. I agree, the Exorcist does have its moments of high comedy, but if it's such a 'bad' movie, why is it No 1 atop the Zombies list? Clearly someone has some ?

[yllow]

I thought Silence of the Lambs would be the most universally popular horror film if we call it horror?

[Armoreska]

Fun random horror movie. 7/10
Much better than the incidental watch of Blood Theatre with rifftrax the day before. Not to be confused with the Theatre of Blood.
Enjoyed Jill Schoelen in this.

[joachimt]

Fun random horror movie. 7/10
Much better than the incidental watch of Blood Theatre with rifftrax the day before. Not to be confused with the Theatre of Blood.
Enjoyed Jill Schoelen in this.

Trying to catch up on FotW? I see you still have 7 to watch.