'Popcorn' first published in 1996 has to be one of Ben Elton's best novels so far; and it manages to blend suspense, action and a really exciting plot into one book. The main plot is basically about a Hollywood director, who on the night of the infamous 'Oscars' is taken hostage along with his ex-wife, daughter, agent and girlfriend. The people that take him hostage are collectively known as 'The Mall Murderers' and they claim that the reason they've been driven to kill is because they have been heavily influed by the gore and violence of Bruce's film 'Ordinary Americans'.Ben Elton's structures the narrative in a very clever way indeed - because part of the story is made up of prose, whilst some sections are written like a film script; thus giving the impression how close film and art come to real life, which is a clever device and turns the book into a satirical thriller, that basically asks the question: 'Does art imitate life, or vise versa?'. Its a subject handled with unique style and commitment and 'Popcorn' would be a book I'd recommend to anyone who enjoys crime thrillers, humour (because some sections are laugh out loud funny) or a light piece of fiction.