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Horror/Exploitation Films news and reviews:
If you know the difference between REAL horror films and that Disney-ized shit at your local multiplex...
...than this is the place for you! Nope, you see a review of the new Wes Craven or Kevin Williamson movie here, but you will find the most biting, opinionated horror film reviews on earth. If you think we sound elitist, YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT! We're sick of the shit Hollywood is forcing down our throats that they THINK is horror and braindead teens flock to. We're here to put horror back where it truly belongs - in the hearts and hands of REAL horror fans like you!
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Horror/Exploitation film of the week: I first saw Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) when I was 13 years old, way back in 1990. I can remember reading so much about it and hearing what a great movie it is so I just had to rent it. The first time I saw it, I really didn’t know what to make of it. All of the open sexuality and alternate lifestyles represented were a tad overpowering for me, but I did fall in love with the music immediately. A few weeks later, I rented the movie again and watched it another couple of times. I was hooked. With its frank (no pun intended) sexual honesty, reverence for old horror and sci-fi, and warm and witty musical numbers, it gradually became one of my favorite films. I became a die-hard RHPS fan and eventually caught up with its lackluster sequel Shock Treatment (1981). Where RHPS has a certain childlike naiveté to it, Shock Treatment, well…sucks. It does have one great musical number (Little Black Dress), though. While I thought that no film would ever come close to matching RHPS’ magic mixture of art and music, Brian De Palma’s 1974 forgotten gem Phantom of the Paradise got it right a full year before RHPS debuted.
POTP tells the tale of Winslow Leach (William Finley), a sad sack composer who writes a new rock n’ roll cantata based on the tale of Faust. While record mogul Swan (Paul Williams) is auditioning new acts to open his ideal theatre, the Paradise, he hears Winslow singing part of the cantata himself while sitting at the piano. Swan decides that the music that Winslow has written is perfect for the debut at the Paradise, but Winslow is not. Swan’s henchman Philbin (George Memmoli) tricks Winslow into giving him the cantata so that Swan can read and see if he wants to use it. Swan steals it and has his protégés, Sha-Na-Na look-alikes The Juicy Fruits, record it in their own way. Winslow tries to speak with Swan to get the credit due to him, but Swan keeps having him ejected from his office. At a backup singer audition Winslow is trying to infiltrate, he meets the lovely and talented Phoenix (Jessica Harper) who he feels would be perfect to star in the production. Increasingly aggravated, Swan has Winslow framed on drug charges and sent to prison. While serving time in Sing-Sing, Winslow hears the Juicy Fruits’ version of his cantata on the prison PA and escapes to get revenge on Swan for ruining his music. Winslow is eventually cornered and ends up getting his head caught in a record press (Ouch!) and is left for dead – disfigured and disillusioned. Swan’s opening of the Paradise is going smoothly…until the Phantom strikes. Based on the acts committed by the Phantom, Swan realizes that it is indeed a resurrected Winslow who has been causing him grief. Swan tricks the Phantom into rewriting his cantata so that Phoenix can sing it. The Phantom agrees as long as it is only to be Phoenix that sings his work. Of course, Swan tricks the Phantom and hires David Bowie wanna’ be Beef (Gerrit Graham) to sing it while reducing Phoenix’s role to a back-up singer. The Phantom finds out and vows revenge, and death, to all that ruin his dream.
Yea, the plot is not that original. It’s the old sell-your-soul/Phantom of the Opera sandwich. While that may be true, there is enough originality, dark humor, and great music to make this film a winner. Paul Williams not only plays Swan with great swagger (for a near midget, of course), but also wrote all of the film’s 10 original songs. While the Sha-Na-Na-esque Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye and the Beach Boys-ish Upholstery are good within the context of the film, they are kind of silly to listen to on their own. Of course, tracks like Faust, Beauty and the Beast, and The Hell of It more than make up for them. Williams’ songs are not only compelling, but also slyly humorous and evocative of a great era in rock n’ roll. Like RHPS, a great rock musical can only stand on the strength of its songs. Luckily with Williams doing the songwriting, the songs are strong enough to stand on their own. While he doesn’t make the most intimidating villain (How can you honestly be intimidated by a man under 5 feet tall?), he is a charismatic one for sure. Got to admit, though, every time I saw him, I was like That’s the dude who wrote The Rainbow Connection for Kermit the Frog and the Love Boat theme! Being a 70’s rock fan, he did a real bang up job on the Alice Cooper-esque Someone Super Like You for KISS look-alikes the Undead. De Palma’s direction is, of course, top notch. But the real star here is Williams. Even with non-singers like Finley and Jessica Harper giving their interpretations of the material, it all comes off flawlessly. I’d easily rank the tunes from POTP up with the classics of RHPS.
POTP was a great surprise for me as I went in expecting something good and came out with a new favorite. It’s a shame that FOX doesn’t push the hell out of this rock musical like they do with RHPS as it’s pretty fucking obvious that Jim Sharman caught a screening of this under appreciated gem before making his film. There are some scenes, which are almost shot-for-shot, exactly the same. While I’m certainly not trashing RHPS, I would highly suggest Rocky-philes to check out POTP just to see what certainly had a hand in getting RHPS made. POTP is a fun, loud, rock n’ roll musical that reminds me of a time when Hollywood was willing to take a chance on a more original film than it usually does. Fun performances all around, great sets, costumes, music, and campiness make POTP the ultimate second feature of a great double bill with RHPS. I think I’d call it a Science Fiction/Double Feature…
Rating: **** (out of ****)
Available on DVD from FOX Home Video.
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Phantom of the Paradise is available everywhere on DVD as part of the Brian DePalma collection... |
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Horror/Exploitation News and Rumors:
You knew it was coming. New Line has decided to delay "Jason X" until next spring...Robert Englund is hosting a look at famous Hollywood madmen and monsters for Universal to coincide with the second wave of their "Classic Monster" DVDs. The disc is called "Boogeymen" and will be out in August...Still no word on a distributor for Rob Zombie's "House of 1,000 Corpses" though word is that both Lion's Gate and Artisan are interested...Dario Argento's classic "Suspiria" hits DVD on June 24th form the gods at Anchor Bay. "Opera" will finally see the light of day in October with a remastered DTS-EX (6.1) soundtrack...Rumors abound that FOX is actively working on "Alien 5"...Look for "13 Ghosts" to hit theatres the week before Halloween, just like the Robert Zemeckis produced "House on Haunted Hill" (1999)...Lastly, Bruce Campbell's memoirs "If Chins Could Kill...Confessions of a B-Movie Actor" will be out in July. |
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