Imagine if you will, a newly opened college film program, one that is struggling to make its mark on the campus where it is held.

Then the students come up with a seemingly brilliant idea, a horror themed night of entertainment featuring a smattering of screenings of classic in universe horror hits and featuring their original release gimmicks to boot!

That’s what kicks off the main plot of the early 90’s slasher comedy Popcorn in which we follow Maggie (Jill Schoelen) who is a student of the program struggling with recurring nightmares that she can’t make heads or tails of as she believes they are related to her current work, a screenplay that she seems very passionate about, to the point she carries around a tape recorder for those moments where inspiration strike.

As the students get the screening ready, we move away from the college classroom and over to an old soon to be demolished theatre, where most of the film takes place. We then spend some time introducing some new characters including Dr. Mnesyne (Ray Walston) who runs a shop related to horror films and films in general and supplies the students with the tools to make their screenings a hit, he is a very interesting and eccentric side character that I personally wish was given a few more minutes of screen time.

This film does its best to make us acquainted with each of the characters as we settle in, however it doesn’t make things feel overly drawn out or boring, in fact we get our first kill of the film withing the opening fifteen minutes or so and it doesn’t disappoint, but don’t you worry there’s plenty more where that came from, as it should be in any good, if a little campy, slasher film.

Popcorn does well in a few areas in my opinion but that can also show with a lack of care in others throughout the runtime, as there are a fair few blunder in the film, from some continuity shenanigans with cowboy boots to the killers eyes seemingly swapping colors between shots, there are a few things eagle eyed viewers and seasoned film buffs will take notice of, but none are film killers in my opinion.

Popcorn was filmed entirely in Kingston Jamaica but is seemingly meant to be set in idyllic California, judging from a sign which can be seen at the University near the opening of the film.

The films main set piece, the movie theatre is full of charm and character and has a little backstory going into the film, it was once a theatre for stage performances, but was converted to a large single screen auditorium theatre once movies became the more common medium but is soon to be demolished.

The plot is swung into action when the students find a film reel marked “do not open” and, just like in every horror film before and after opening it anyway, and screen it in the theatre which causes Maggie to realize that the film is identical to some parts of her recurring nightmares after which she passes out.

We then cut to a new scene when Maggie wakes up, and the class is told about a former cult leader whose followers would make experimental films and take drugs as part of their beliefs, the cult leader Lanyard Gates created the film they just viewed and killed his family live on stage in the climax by setting the theatre on fire, presumably killing himself in the process.

I’ll now take the time to dive a little into Lanyard Gates, whom we first hear presumably talking to Maggie’s mother over the phone after which she brings a gun to the theatre to hunt down Lanyard and is the first death of the film after she is grabbed by a bunch of hands and pulled off screen.

Back to the students who are now taking tickets for the screening, and everyone is settling in until someone comes up to the ticket booth and asks for a ticket to “Possessor” the name of the discovered film by Lanyard Gates, Maggie of course freaks out and is terrified at the fact that Lanyard is now in the theatre with them, and chaos begins to ensue.

The second death of the film is an awesome kill on the class instructor during the first screening when he is impaled by the giant mosquito animatronic given to them by Dr. Mnsyne, it always makes me smile when films put good effort into making the kills look good.

Jumping ahead throughout the chaos and past some shenanigans and kills, we reach the climax of the film.

(Spoilers ahead) the killer is revealed to be Toby, the very one who had the idea to put the screening event on, we then learn that Toby’s mom was part of Lanyard’s film cult and was in the front row leaving him horribly disfigured from the ensuing fire to which he blames the only living member of the Gates family, Maggie, whose real name  is revealed to be Sara and is the Daughter of Gates and Her mother who was actually killed during the original Possessor incident.

It turns out the woman who has been raising her is actually her Aunt, who is now a hostage and has to watch as Toby tries to kill Maggie in front of the audience who believe it all to be one cruel joke and part of the show, I won’t go any further into detail as to avoid spoiling how the film actually ends but I will say Toby, is actually a decent character who made me feel for him for a time, and the effects work on his face is insane.

Be sure to check out Popcorn on Shudder today and give this forgotten B movie blowout a watch.

I give it 6 out of 10.