Poppers

Director - Jose Maria Castellvi

Starring - Giannina Facio (The Hunger, Spanish Fly), Agustin Gonzalez (The Ugliest Woman in the World, Blood Hunt), and Conrado San Martin (The Black Duke, The Beast and the Magic Sword)

Release Date - 1984

Genre - Action/Horror

Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I've finally reached the final two films in this set and I'm seriously surprised by how long this set has taken me to review.  I started this journey weeks ago but I wanted to give each film the same attention regardless if they were horror or not.  This next to last movie in the set is the 1984 action horror film Poppers which was also released under the title Hunting.  This is another one I had heard about prior to it's release after I saw it on Tubi when browsing 80s horror flicks.  I never took the time to check it out but I'm glad I finally did.  It was among the better films in the set.  

     Th film follows a musician who becomes jealous one night in a club while performing and accidentally kills a man.  He serves his time but when he is released he finds himself being hunted by a mob wanting him dead for the murder he committed.  At first he is running for his life but before long he starts fighting to survive and the mob is put on the run.

     I went into Poppers with the mindset that I was about to check out an action thriller set against the backdrop of a gay club.  The artwork for this release and poppers, which is what many in this area call whip its, is common among the LGBTQ party scene.  However, that was not the case and I found myself actually enjoying it.  The acting in this one if probably the best acting in the set.  The characters have a little more depth and the cast really does a great job at bringing their characters to life.  I would have liked to see some characters with a bit more memorable personalities but the cast does a great job with what they were given.  The story for this one reminded me a lot of an urban spin of the first Rambo film, First Blood.  A man being hunted by a group of people only to flip it on them by hunting them one by one.  It's fun for what it is but it doesn't have a lot of replay value.  We have good pacing and enough action to hold our attention.  Finally, the film has several bloody scenes but the effects are very limited.  The deaths are not that imaginative or creative which is a bit of a disappointment.  Overall, Poppers is a solid film that may not be original but it was fun.  This is the kind of film I could really enjoy with a few friends and some drinks.  Check it out.