To celebrate Halloween, we’re thrilled to present Mark Herrier’s Popcorn, a gonzo slasher film about a crazed movie nut terrorizing a horror movie marathon at his local theater. Notorious for its troubled production — the film had a rotating cast of producers and its director was replaced mid-shoot — Popcorn has no reason to be as entertaining as it is. Yet, with its loving homages to old horror films and terrific art direction, Popcorn stands out from most slashers as a wild and unpredictable ride through the history of Hollywood horror lore. You can find out more about Popcorn’s production and legacy via Synapse Films’ wonderful Blu-Ray release of the film.

Wannabe film director Maggie and her peers stage a “horrorthon” at the Dreamland Theatre, an abandoned movie palace, to raise funds for their school. Hellbent on making the night an experience for all in attendance, they decide to show three films that make use of old marketing gimmicks: a Jack Arnold-style creature feature called Mosquito, a Bert I. Gordon-inspired flick titled The Attack of the Amazing Electrified Man that makes use of “Shock-O-Scope,” and The Stench, a dubbed Japanese film that employs “Aroma-Rama.” What they don’t know is that a Manson-ite cult leader has another film in store for the horrorthon’s grand finale, a snuff film of his own design.

“It is a unique and special experience for all of us who did it. A lot of it because of how difficult it was. It’s like wine — the process of making it is very messy and difficult, but eventually, the further you get away from it, the better it tastes.” MARK HERRIER

The exact nature of how Popcorn came to be is the stuff of Hollywood legend. Mark Herrier, who was primarily known for his role in the Porky’s franchise, was brought on to direct the film after Bob Clark (Black Christmas, Dead of Night) passed on the project and Alan Ormsby (writer of Cat People, among other projects) had already started shooting the film. A behind-the-scenes producers shuffle also added to the difficult production; plus, it bears mentioning that Popcorn was shot in Jamaica for budgetary reasons. Yet the final product is a properly gruesome and hair-rising slasher, replete with references for horror buffs and enough shocks to keep any viewer glued to the screen.

Mark Herrier was born in Lompoc, California, in 1954. He remains best known for playing Billy in the Porky’s trilogy. But he also appeared in series like M*A*S*H, Murder She Wrote and Freddy’s Nightmares. He has stated that one of his most prized possessions is a photograph his late mother took of Popcorn on the marquee of the Lompoc Theatre, his local movie-house. “Of all the things I’ve done,” he said, “that was perhaps the biggest thrill to me.”

Text written by Nicolas Pedrero-Setzer. Special thanks to Gerald Chandler for making this screening possible. Additional thanks are in order for Brett Berg, Elizabeth Purchell, Jake Perlin, Sarah Ferguson, and Jeff Yanc.