'All Hail the Popcorn King' Tells the Tale of Joe Lansdale
Going in to review a documentary blind, without any knowledge of the subject it’s covering beforehand, can be a roll of the dice. If a documentary does its job well, it can open your eyes and introduce you to an entirely new subject that had never even remotely been on your radar. If it fails, then it could kill any interest you might have had. Luckily, All Hail the Popcorn King, director Hansi Oppenheimer’s feature on famed author/screenwriter Joe R. Lansdale, is a loving, slickly-crafted send-up to “America’s most unknown, known writer.”
Joe Lansdale is an enigma. The most reductive route one could take in describing him would be “Hunter S. Thompson without the gonzo, add a whole bunch of pulp and a Texas drawl.” While the parallels between Lansdale and Thompson are there, Lansdale is a genre in and of himself.
The man got ideas for stories from the nightmares he used to have after gorging on popcorn that had been cooked in a type of lard that was eventually recalled for health reasons. If that alone doesn’t pique your interest about this man, I don’t know what will.
While covering Lansdale’s entire career in one hour would be impossible, All Hail the Popcorn King manages to cram in many interviews and sound bites into its truncated run time without feeling rushed. The country/western tone of the documentary also fits perfectly with its subject matter, nothing feels forced or out of place, and the chats with Lansdale’s family and friends add to the down-home feel. You feel like the documentary is a genuine love-letter instead of a cold analysis of Lansdale’s career.
As someone who was completely unfamiliar with Joe Lansdale, I’m thankful All Hail the Popcorn King takes a fair amount of time on his prolific, eclectic output. I definitely plan on looking into the Hap and Leonard series, as well as Cold in July. There’s obviously way too much wisdom and experience in Joe that I’ve been missing out on for far too long. Whether you know who Lansdale is or not, All Hail the Popcorn King is a must-see.
All Hail the Popcorn King! gets a 10/10 on the Madness Meter!
