- Directed by William Stead
- Written by Harry Boxley, E G. Segar
- Stars Emily Mogilner, Connor Powles, Danielle Ronald
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 19 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee5bhCWZAak
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
A very angry Popeye picks off a group of people in an isolated location by a lake in this one. With a swap, the killer could have been any big angry guy picking people off in creative and gory ways. It’s decent enough, but doesn’t make the most of the fact that it’s Popeye. Though there are multiple popping eyes as well as an assortment of other juicy practical effects. It was better than we expected, but not anything really special. A moderate thumbs up.
Spoilery Synopsis
We get an animation that tells about a baby who was born with some deformities. He had huge arms and a weird face. The child was constantly bullied until he killed one of the bullies, choking him so hard his eyes popped out. His parents locked him in the basement alone. An angry mob came to the house and burned it to the ground, killing his parents. The child was burned in the fire but escaped. The crowd chased him to the lake, where he fell in and disappeared. Popeye’s body was never found.
We cut to Mia and her two friends, who are out by the lake to make a video. Mia has a bad feeling about the legend of Popeye. Popeye’s old house is currently under renovation after fifteen years. Cherry is only there to make out with Alan, and the documentary soon turns into an accidental porn film.
Mia wanders around outside doing sound recording stuff, and she hears someone out there with her. A bald man in a sailor cap beats her to death with an anchor. Out of nowhere, he also drives his fist through Cherry’s chest, killing her instantly. Alan puts up more of a fight, but he can’t escape the lumbering killer. His eyes get popped.
Popeye’s imaginary friend slips a note under the door. “Welcome Back.” Credits roll.
Lora and her husband, George, rogue about the property that they’ve just inherited. It’s the land where the legendary Popeye was supposed to have died. Their daughter Tara likes Dylan, and they’re off, along with Kathy to the lake. Beanie, Nick, Sky, and Donna are going along. They want to turn Popeye’s house into a haunted attraction.
They group literally runs into a fisherman on the road who warns them not to go to Popeye’s house, as the fog is lethal there. The seven young people arrive at the house; it’s creepy but they’ve been cleaning and restoring it. At the dock, Popeye takes notice of new occupants and kills that fisherman we saw earlier.
Back in town, George and Lora talk to Jane, their neighbor, who says, “He’s back. Three dead in the Popeye house!”
Tara tries to get all her friends to work rather than play. Donna and Dylan try to convince the others as well. There’s a knock at the door, and a crazy-eyed woman comes in. “You’re not supposed to be here. He’s not gonna like this. If you leave now, he won’t hurt you.” This warning is not well received by the gang. “I want you all to suffer the way he suffered,” she says before running off.
Later, Nick and Sky make out in the hot tub. She wants him to break up with Donna. They argue, and he leaves. Popeye shows up and kills her as Olive Oyl shows up to egg him on.
In the morning Nick tells everyone that Sky took a taxi home. Beanie asks Kathy on a date, but she’d rather die. Beanie then storms off into the foggy woods to sulk. He finds the boat the Popeye lives on and checks it out. Popeye rips his spine out before pulling his head off.
Tara’s parents finally figure out that she and her friends have gone to the murder house.
Nick and Donna argue, and he finds a mostly-eaten can of spinach as the fog rolls into the cabin. Nick finds out he’s not as tough as he thinks he is, and he, too, loses an eye. Outside, Donna finds that the cars all have flat tires she finds Nick’s body and runs off into the woods to hide from Popeye. He finds her and runs over her with a tractor.
Tara, Dylan, and Kathy look for the others but can’t find anyone. Tara finds a photo of her mother, and Dylan says his mother has the same photo. They hear Donna screaming and run to find Popeye finishing her off.
The parents arrive on the scene, and Popeye immediately kills Jane. George and Lora run away and catch up with Dylan and Tara.
Popeye catches up with Kathy and tips her car over before setting it on fire.
Back in the cabin, Lora tells the story. That thing out there is Johnny, her student, and that’s Popeye’s real name. The week after his death, he appeared in her nightmare, along with everyone in town. The dream wanted them to rebuild the house. She was involved in helping to kill little Johnny. Only little Tara stood up for Johnny, but she was too little to help.
Suddenly, Olive Oyl barges in and stabs George and Lora. Olive explains that she was Johnny’s sister, also locked in that basement. Johnny didn’t deserve what happened to him, and now he lives inside the fog that rolls in from the lake. Tara douses Olive in fuel, and Dylan burns her.
Popeye shows up, and he recognizes Tara. He starts beating Dylan to death until Tara gets on the tractor. They do something vague to lock him into place with the anchor, and then Tara runs him over with the lawn mower.
Of course, that can’t be the end for Popeye, who grabs Tara from behind after they think they are done.
Brian’s Commentary
Who knew Popeye was British? We almost needed subtitles at times. Also, Popeye was never a real sailor; his parents just dressed him like that.
This was made by the same people who made “Pooh: Blood and Honey” and its sequel– but without the loving care and attention to detail those films enjoyed. This is a basic kill-the-horny-teenagers-one-at-a-time at a campground movie. If Popeye had been a guy in a hockey mask, no one would have even noticed the film.
Some shots of the lake are covered in small boats, and others are just a dark gray deserted place. The continuity was clearly not a priority.
Actually, the whole thing seems rushed and subpar. It’s nowhere as good as “The Slayer Man.”
Kevin’s Commentary
The story follows a slasher formula that could have swapped anyone for Popeye. Though we don’t usually get to see the killer’s face so clearly without a mask. The practical effects are good. The kills are gruesome. It was okay as far as slasher flicks go, but the Popeye angle was kind of disappointing.
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