All Hail The Popcorn King: A reminder of Joe Lansdale’s greatness

Hansi Oppenheimer’s All Hail The Popcorn King will remind you of the greatness of Joe Lansdale or introduce you to a very peculiar storyteller.

Documentaries exist to educate, bring awareness, or show a different side of a person or topic. Some of them even remind us of the talents of a person, making us excited about their work while also teaching us more about them. Such is the case of All Hail The Popcorn King, a documentary on Joe Lansdale.

Directed by Hansi Oppenheimer, the documentary features authors, directors, fans, and actors sharing their experience with Lansdale himself and his work, how he has inspired them and the impact he has had in pop culture. It also takes a close look at Lansdale, following him around town while sharing some bits of his life, inspirations, and more.

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The visual style in All Hail The Popcorn King is that of drive-in movies, a nod to his Drive-In series, as well as some comic book graphics because, well, it’s Joe Lansdale – it has to be as varied as his works.

Oppenheimer followed Lansdale, camera in hand, while he shared some moments of his life. It makes you feel as if you were the one having a conversation with him. This closeness makes you feel the extent of his love for all types of storytelling.

The documentary also shows the impact that he and his work have had on readers and artists, and if there’s one thing everyone can agree on it’s that Lansdale doesn’t care (for lack of a better replacement for a certain censored word). He does what he wants.

There is a scene where both Lansdale and the interviewers mention he treats people as people, not as a race or nationality. I think those can be the two rules he follows when writing: write what you want and treat people as they are.

There are some fun bits that add to representing the uniqueness of Lansdale, such as the whole “popcorn dreams” thing. Who knew popcorn could trigger such interesting and weird stories?

Although short, All Hail The Popcorn King is a documentary full of heart and respect for one of the most creative minds in the entertainment industry that has taken over literature, TV, and film, and will continue to do so.

Are you a fan of Joe Lansdale? Do you plan on watching this documentary? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

All Hail The Popcorn King will screen at the Jean Cocteau Cinema in Santa Fe on October 5th with a Q&A with Lansdale and Oppenheimer.