Popcorn is a 1991 American horror film

Horror film

Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

, directed by Mark Herrier

Mark Herrier

Mark Herrier is an American actor and film director, best known for his role as Billy in the 80's teen trilogy Porky's. He graduated from Lompoc High School in 1972....

 and written by Alan Ormsby

Alan Ormsby

Alan Ormsby is an American director, screenwriter, make up artist, actor and author. He is best known for his work in the horror genre.-Film career:...

.

Plot

A group of film students plan an all-night horror film

Horror film

Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...

 festival in order to raise funds for their cinema club. They decide to show a number of (fictional) horror films from the 1950s that rely on gimmicks such as 3-D

3-D film

A 3-D film or S3D film is a motion picture that enhances the illusion of depth perception...

, Odorama, and electrical "buzzers" in seats. Unbeknownst to the group, a homicidal maniac is stalking the theater where the festival is being held. A filmmaker named Lanyard Gates, who murdered his family during a screening of his only film in the 1970s, supplies the decoy killer character, since young Maggie (Jill Schoelen

Jill Schoelen

-Early life:Schoelen was born in Burbank, California. Her mother is the famous fashion designer Dorothy Schoelen.-Acting career:Schoelen has starred in such movies as D.C...

) may or may not be his missing daughter.

Cast

• Jill Schoelen
  Jill Schoelen
  -Early life:Schoelen was born in Burbank, California. Her mother is the famous fashion designer Dorothy Schoelen.-Acting career:Schoelen has starred in such movies as D.C...
  
   as Maggie
• Tom Villard
  Tom Villard
  Thomas Louis Villard was an American actor. He is best known for his leading role in the 1980s series We Got it Made as Jay Bostwick, as well as roles in feature films One Crazy Summer, Heartbreak Ridge, My Girl, and Popcorn.-Early life:Tom Villard was born on November 19, 1953, in...
  
   as Toby
• Dee Wallace as Suzanne
• Derek Rydall
  Derek Rydall
  Derek Rydall is an American screenwriter, screenplay consultant, script doctor, stuntman and author. -Acting career:He has also worked as an actor, starring in several films & television shows with Tom Skerritt, Charles Bronson, Elliot Gould, Tony Roberts , Paulie Shore, director John Turtletaub,...
  
   as Mark
• Elliott Hurst as Leon
• Tony Roberts
  Tony Roberts (actor)
  David Anthony "Tony" Roberts is an American actor. He is best known for his roles in several Woody Allen movies, usually cast as Allen's best friend.-Early life:...
  
   as Mr. Davis
• Ray Walston
  Ray Walston
  Ray Walston was an American stage, television and film actor best known as the title character on the 1960s situation comedy My Favorite Martian. In addition, he is also remembered for his roles as Luther Billis in South Pacific , Mr. Applegate in Damn Yankees , J.J...
  
   as Dr. Mnesyne

Production

Popcorn was filmed entirely in Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston, Jamaica

Kingston is the capital and largest city of Jamaica, located on the southeastern coast of the island. It faces a natural harbour protected by the Palisadoes, a long sand spit which connects the town of Port Royal and the Norman Manley International Airport to the rest of the island...

. Alan Ormsby

Alan Ormsby

Alan Ormsby is an American director, screenwriter, make up artist, actor and author. He is best known for his work in the horror genre.-Film career:...

 was originally the film's director but was replaced by Porky's

Porky's

Porky's is a 1982 comedy film about the escapades of teenagers at the fictional Angel Beach High School in Florida in 1954. It was released in the United States in 1982, and spawned two sequels: Porky's II: The Next Day and Porky's Revenge! and influenced many writers in the teen film genre...

actor Mark Herrier

Mark Herrier

Mark Herrier is an American actor and film director, best known for his role as Billy in the 80's teen trilogy Porky's. He graduated from Lompoc High School in 1972....

 a few weeks into filming. The original lead Amy O'Neill

Amy O'Neill

Amy O'Neill is a performer and a former actress. After appearing in several sitcoms and starring as Molly Stark on The Young and the Restless in 1986, she was cast as Amy Szalinski in the 1989 Disney film, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, for which she was nominated for a Young Artist Award...

 was replaced by Jill Schoelen

Jill Schoelen

-Early life:Schoelen was born in Burbank, California. Her mother is the famous fashion designer Dorothy Schoelen.-Acting career:Schoelen has starred in such movies as D.C...

 at this time as well.

Home media release

Elite Entertainment released a DVD edition of Popcorn in 2001. Special features include theatrical trailers, TV spots and promotional footage. The DVD has now been discontinued and as of January 4, 2010.

February 7th, 2011, www.popcorndoc.com has confirmed a re-release of Popcorn is in the works. It will include a retrospective documentary, cast commentary, collector's booklet and collectible poster with new artwork from Jeff Zornow. The dvd is set to be released March 23, 2012.