Skip to content
Dom Robinson reviews
- Cert:
- Cat.no: SPARK 101
- Running time: 89 minutes
- Year: 2007
- Pressing: 2007
- Region(s): 0, PAL
- Chapters: 13 plus extras
- Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
- Languages: English
- Subtitles: English
- Widescreen: 1.85:1
- 16:9-Enhanced: Yes
- Macrovision: Yes
- Disc Format: DVD 9
- Price: £14.99
- Extras:Trailer, Behind the Scenes, Original Screen Tests, Extended Scenes: The Films Within The Film, Podcasts,Stills Gallery
Director:
- Darren Paul Fisher
(Inbetweeners, Popcorn)
Producers:
- Rebecca Knapp and Daniel M San
Screenplay:
- Darren Paul Fisher
Music:
- Paul Leonard-Morgan
Cast:
- Danny: Jack Ryder
Suki: Jodi Albert
Kris: Andrew-Lee Potts
Zak: Luke De Woolfson
Florence: Colette Brown
Annie: Kate Maberly
Jeannie: Laura Aikman
Katerina: Ophelia Lovibond
Emil: Lee Williams
Carl: Kavi Shastri
Max: Andrew Dunn
Lo: Chike Chan
Laura: Charlotte Bellis-Ferreira
Fit Girl: Gemma Gregory
Yukino: Kacey Barnfield
Romantic Screen Man: Tim Robinson
Romantic Screen Woman: Kate Loustau
The Killer: Sophie Anderton
Popcorn is not so much ‘boy meets girl’, but ‘boy would like to meet girl butshe’s way out of his league’ and so many of us have been there.
As the film begins, Danny (ex-Eastenders‘ Jack Ryder) is waiting for his sister, Laura (CharlotteBellis-Ferreira) to turn up before going into the local multiplex, Moovieworld. He’s looking pensive,but only because the girl who takes the tickets and tells you where to go (that is, the screen in which yourchosen film is playing) is the delectable Suki (Jodi Albert, right with Ryder), who looks uncannily like Danny’sfavourite female anime character.
Several cinema trips and several failed attempts to start a conversation with her later, the next plan isfor Danny to get a job there. Starting at the same time as another lad, Lo (Chike Chan), and beingbossed about by up-himself assistant manager Kris (Primeval and Ideal‘s Andrew-Lee Potts),it’s not long before they’re deep in the bowels of the multiplex, learning how things work and seeing howeverything connects together with other departments in the complex.
It’s not long before he’s helped by projectionists Zak (Luke De Woolfson) and Florence (ex-HolbyCity‘s Colette Brown), since they can see he has the hots for Suki and so begins a series of plansall designed to help him win the girl, one being when Danny is led by Zak into pretending that he fanciesposh girl Annie (Kate Maberly) in the hope that Suki will get jealous and take him in her arms instead,but it doesn’t really look like it’s working. Add to this, he’s sort-of got competition from resident wankerEmil (Lee Williams).
Better do as Suki’s electronic display says!
You don’t want her to come down on you… oh, hang on…
Popcorn is so-called because of a cinema’s main source of income. It’s not the film themselves, it’show much you can sell of the sweet and tasty snack that’s no good to anyone’s guts and makes for a noisyauditorium.
Elsewhere in the plot, there’s a mole on the premises trying to investigate some ne’er-do-well behaviour.Naturally, since Danny’s behaving in a shifty manner because he’s a young lad with raging hormones, everyonethinks it’s him; there’s a burgeoning romance between Lo and ticket desk girl Jeannie (The Mysti Show‘sLaura Aikman, centre-right, with Ophelia Lovibond and Kate Maberly), as she fancies him like mad, and Annie is learning how to stop being so posh and be alittle more uncouth in her language thanks to the teachings of fellow ticket seller Katerina (OpheliaLovibond).
Popcorn contains many clever moments, such as early on when Danny and Laura are about to watch himcrash and burn for the first time, and are revealed to be standing in front of bizarre standees for films,currently showing at Moovieworld, that make no sense on their own but as they’re revealed, they appear to showwhat each of them is thinking – his is a bloke with an arrow and the words ‘Going Down?’, as he stares longinglyat Suki, and hers is of a woman slapping her forehead in a ‘D’oh!’-like moment.
Overall, the film is a daft comedy, but it’s fun and it’s packed with nubile totty – sometimes in variousstates of undress, including that happening to Laura Aikman who looks very similar to Mena Suvaricirca-American Beauty.
Don’t dismiss Popcorn just because it doesn’t star an infinite numberof American actors and actresses and the fact it’s been made in Britain.It has some clever writing, many engaging performances and great directionwhen it comes to telling a story and keeping up the pace. It also reminds me ofthe teen comedies of the ’80s, not to mention the fact it has a cast thatworks brilliantly together.
The film is presented in the original 1.85:1 theatrical ratio and is anamorphic. The picture looks vibrantand colourful throughout, which is essential for getting across the feel of the cinema, a place that ismeant to draw the punters in and make you spend all your money. The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack starts witha great opening track – Little Voice by Mohair, which sounds very ’80s – and then conveys all theatmosphere of a cinema to a worthy effect, including the echoing sound within each auditorium as Suki andDanny go in to check on anyone misbehaving.
The extras aren’t massive in number but have some great stuff for the completist:
- Trailer (2:19): Presented in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and Dolby Digital 5.1, the latter being something you rarely geton a DVD extra trailer so kudos to Spark for that.
- Behind the Scenes (14:15): Presented in 16:9 letterbox with clips to match (why was none of this anamorphic, like the trailer?).All the key cast and crew talk about their contribution to the film, and it includes spoilers about whathappens so, obviously, don’t watch this before the film. Director Darren Paul Fisher also mentionshow difficult it was to aim for a 15-certificate whilst shooting the scenes for lesbian romp Sarah’sHighly Innocent Teenage Exploration (look at the initials and bear that in mind for when you watchthe film…)
It’s interesting to see the cast explain the difficulty of working nights to complete many of the cinema-basedshoots, since that’s the only time they could have the cinema all to themselves.
- Original Screen Tests (13:31): Featuring most of the cast including Jack Ryder and Jodi Albert, but not Kavi Shastri who plays Carl, whosepicture adorns the list of selectable names(!)
All the screen tests were shot in 4:3.
- Extended Scenes: The Films Within The Film (4:16): Letterbox clips of all those films advertised in the lobby that are played during the movie at variouspoints.
- Podcasts (4:09): Four pieces of advice, shot for the film’s websitePopcorn-The Movie.com,including Jodi Albert telling you how to kiss a girl. Also available on the site is more info aboutthe cast and soundtrack, plus wallpapers for the main cast members.
- Stills Gallery:Features on-set production pics as well as designs for the Manga-esque character of which Jack’s a big fan.
The DVD menus contain animation, plus music from the film, all of which is repeated within a short spaceof time, but there is only 13 chapters here, the last one running almost 13 minutes and not even includinga separate one for the closing credits – which contain outtakes – and, strangely, the chapter menu onlyextends to 12. Why?
Also odd is that there are no subtitles. I always put them on, even though I’m not deaf (just choosy aboutthe people I pay attention to) so, Spark, please put them on your next release.
Finally, if you’re wondering you the last picture is of, it’s Kacey Barnfield and her role will becomeclear later on in the film.
PICTURE QUALITY
SOUND QUALITY
EXTRAS
OVERALL
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.