Ben Elton's

Popcorn

------ I got Popcorn for a Christmas present. When I saw it was written by Ben Elton I felt like throwing it in the bin. I don't really like Ben Elton. I didn't mind blackadder. It's funny & witty but Ben Elton himself bugs the hell out of me. I decide to give the book a chance. I'm glad I did. Popcorn is a lot like a roller coaster. Slow & climbing at the beginning but once it gets over the top of the roller coaster doesn't stop until it reaches a violent end. I must say that there's a lot of violence in the book but I expected that. It's all about Bruce Delamitri, director of the movie Ordinary Americans. Bruce just won an Oscar for Best Director but alot of people think that Ordinary Americans is a downright evil, movie. After the Oscars Bruce mingles at the Governor's Ball, butter ups the stars and spewing rudeness at everyone else before leaving with Playboy model Brooke Daniels. When he brings her home for some seduction, she pulls a gun on him and demands a screen test. He agrees, and the two fall into each other's arms. Meanwhile to express their distress with the movie Ordinary Americans, Wayne Hudson and his girlfriend Scout a.k.a. the Mall Murderers have gone on a two month, four state shooting spree. They ended up at Bruce's house on Oscar night to take him and whoever is with him, hostage where they find Bruce & Brooke. After they settle in for a drink, Wayne questions Brooke with provocative questions while Scout feigns mortification. Bruce's drops by uninvited (he gets shot). Then Bruce's money grabbing ex-wife Farrah and bratty daughter Velvet show up; Brooke gets shot, and Wayne phones NBC. Two TV journalists, stripped down to their underwear, are allowed into the house. Bruce debates against his captors for a live-TV debate about violence in the movies. But as things get chatty, the ratings drop, so Wayne shoots Farrah. SWAT teams storm Bruce's house, and everyone is killed except Bruce and Scout. Bruce's career is clearly at an end. I think there are 3 reason why people choose to read this book first because of the famous name BEN ELTON. Secondly the satire humour is mostly dead right. It's so funny. And the thirdly reason is if you like Tarantino's films. If you don't like Ben Elton's humour or Tarantino's films don't bother reading Popcorn & if you're expecting an original book don't read it either because most of the book is based of the ideas and styles from films like pulp fiction, reservoir Dogs etc Popcorn could of been more original but it's still a good book all in all.