Popcorn

3/31/2023

**_Good first hour; dull close_** To raise funds, several film students & their teacher in SoCal hold a one-night horror marathon at an old theater set to be demolished. Unfortunately for them, a supposedly dead filmmaker who doesn’t like criticism is apparently in attendance. "Popcorn” (1991) has everything going for it, highlighted by the old downtown theater, a plot that meshes “Phantom of the Opera” with “The Abominable Dr. Phibes,” a colorful tone and an homage to William Castle. The latter was known for creating gimmicks to draw people to his low-budget B movies (e.g. “The Tingler”) at a time when television tempted people to stay home. I particularly enjoyed the setting of the aged theater since I used to work at one in downtown for seven years. Alan Ormsby directed the fa