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Review
Archives
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Today's
Date is:
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PHANTOM
OF THE PARADISE
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Reviewed
by: |
Christopher
J. Jarmick |
| Genre: |
Horror |
| Video: |
Anamorphic
1.85:1 Widescreen |
| Audio: |
Stereo 2.0
or French Mono |
| Language: |
English,
French |
| Subtitle: |
English,
Spanish |
| Length: |
92 minutes
|
| Rating: |
NR |
| Release
Date: |
09/04/01 |
| Studio: |
20th Century
Fox |
| Commentary:
|
None |
| Documentaries:
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None |
| Featurettes:
|
None |
| Filmography/Biography:
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None |
|
Interviews: |
None |
| Trailers/TV
Spots: |
The original widescreen
theatrical trailer for Phantom is presented along with trailers
for other Fox films including: Bedazzled, The Rocky Horror Picture
Show and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. |
| Alternate/Deleted
Scenes: |
None |
| Music
Video: |
None |
| Other:
|
None |
| Cast
and Crew: |
Paul Williams
William Finley Jessica Harper George Memmoli Gerrit Graham Archie
Hahn Gene Gross |
| Screenplay
by: |
Written by
Brian De Palma |
| Produced
by: |
Bustave M. Berne, Edward
Pressman and Paul Williams |
| Directed
By: |
Brian De Palma |
| Music: |
Paul Williams |
| The
Review: |
Once upon
a time, way back in the year 1974, before Carrie or Dressed
to Kill or even Bonfire of the Vanities, Brian De Palma directed
a fantasy-horror rock musical remake of Phantom of the Opera.
Phantom of the Paradise was a strange combination of a film.
It was part satire, part fantasy, part horror and part rock
musical. * * * It combined several types of music, from a satire
of the early 70s 50's revival which had just past its peak in
1974 (but would return with even more fervor following the success
of Grease just a few years later) to folk-rock to a hybrid of
Glam and hard rock. It took a little bit from Faust, a whole
lot of Phantom of the Opera, a sprinkle of The Picture of Dorian
Grey updated them all and set itself in the world of modern
pop music so it could add a few twists and make some satiric
cynical comments about the entertainment industry. . It featured
narration by Rod Serling, introduced future Suspiria star Jessica
Harper, and had an Academy nominated song score that was written
by (stick with me now) Paul Williams and George Aliceson Tipton.
* * * David Bowie and T-Rex were bringing the world Glam Rock
and androgyny back in the early 70's but only a few were paying
attention to it or even considering what might happen next.
* * * Rock and roll was gritty and raw, to most, not full of
spectacle, camp and theatrics. The Who's Tommy conceptually
was a rock opera but it had yet to be filmed by Ken Russell.
Jesus Christ Superstar was making some noise on Broadway, but
that was Broadway.* * * It was supposed to be an up to the second
fresh musical fantasy aimed at an audience who wanted to experience
something they had never seen before. Unfortunately, it didn't
immediately connect to any audience. No one was quite sure how
to market this strange concoction of a film and when critics
failed to declare it anything special, it was allowed to fade
away. Its surprise Academy Award Nomination was considered a
fluke. There weren't many that discovered the film when it first
appeared in 1974. It was released again in 1975 in the shadow
of Alice Cooper's 1975 Welcome to My Nightmare tour which it
undoubtedly influenced and scored with a small audience, but
once again failed to make a large impact--possibly because it
was already a bit dated. Bands like KISS, the Tubes, and a new
Ozzy Osborne suddenly began staging not just rock concerts but
theatrical shows. * * *. Today, in this age of Nine Inch Nails
and Marilyn Manson, the once somewhat shocking and far-fetched
rock concert in Phantom of the Paradise looks positively old
fashioned and not particularly abnormal. It's still very enjoyable
as camp of course, but I'll bet new viewers will fine it difficult
to fathom how it was once considered somewhat shocking and viewed
as an utterly over-the-top exaggeration of a rock show. * *
* Paul Williams (who also co-starred in the film) wrote the
entire score of Phantom of the Paradise. Williams was a well
known singer -songwriter-music arranger, television actor and
frequent talk show guest who wrote some of The Carpenters biggest
hits as well as the Theme from Love Boat. He also wrote the
hit song Evergreen for Barbara Streisand. You might best know
him today as the short guy in the Smokey and the Bandit movies.
He also plays SWAN in Phantom of the Paradise, the head of various
record labels including Death Records. * * * I always enjoyed
several of the songs from Phantom, but it's a score which to
the first time listener will probably sound like a cross between
Steve Miller, and Toto with an Alice Cooper/ Ozzy Osborne song
thrown into the mix. All of it is pretty dated today, though.
* * * As our story begins, a talented, naïve songwriter by the
name of Winslow Leach (played by William Finley who was last
seen in De Palma's Sisters) creates a combination of rock and
classical music for a proposed rock opera of Faust. He's a janitor
who seizes an opportunity to play his music for Swan (Paul Williams)
the mysterious Phil Spector type mega record producer mogul
(part Tommy Motola, part Phil Graham, part David Geffin). Swan
is so powerful he manipulates the tastes of the record-buying
public and controls the fate and fortune of several pop star
bands. He tricks Winslow, steals his music and then has Winslow
framed on drug charges. Winslow winds up being sent to prison
in Sing Sing (Sing Sing… cute huh?). Leach loses the rest of
his sanity when he hears his music transformed lyrically into
a song about carburetors and escapes from prison vowing revenge
on Swan. He attempts to destroy Swan's headquarters but is nearly
killed and becomes horribly disfigured. Winslow re-invents himself
as The Phantom and swears vengeance against Swan who is busy
creating a brand new one of a kind rock palace called The Paradise.
* * * Swan once again manipulates Winslow and helps him to finish
writing his Faust rock opera, which he plans to use to open
The Paradise. Winslow believes that he will be working closely
with Swan and that his music will be presented in the best way
possible. And by this time there is a girl named Phoenix who
Winslow believes would be perfect to sing the lead female role.
He is in love with both her talent and charm. Jessica Harper
who is best known for her role in Suspiria, appeared in Pennies
from Heaven and played Janet in the disastrous Rocky Horror
sequel called Shock Treatment plays Phoenix. (Harper born in
1954 was recently seen in Me Myself and Irene). * * * Well things
don't work out and Swan again tricks Winslow. An unbelievably
theatrical extravaganza is mounted at Swan's Paradise Theater.
We get to see Swan's newest star 'BEEF' (played memorably by
Gerritt Graham). Eventually the showdown between good and evil,
art and commerce and Swan and (Winslow) the Phantom takes place.
* * * De Palma experiments with his fluid camera, and uses split
screen quite effectively. He explores several themes including
the growing interest and fascination with death. The film shows
how the attraction and desire to be a celebrity is very much
like a moth to a flame. How being naïve and less sophisticated
can make you a stepping stone for someone else's greed and desire.
We see artistic delusion. We see how almost anything can be
turned into a temporary disposable entertainment for an unsophisticated
crowd. * * * If all this sounds very dark and cynical--you're
right. It is an extremely dark and cynical tale that is wrapped
up with an extremely illusory wrapping of high camp. * * * I
can not predict how people who grew up watching MTV will view
something like Phantom of the Paradise. In 1974, the general
public was not nearly as media savvy as it is today and not
everyone seemingly had an opinion about the manufacture of pop
trends. We were just entering the first wave of disco, and seeing
Glam rock's influence spread. We had not yet experienced the
disco explosion of the late 70's, punk rock, New wave, LA hair
bands, speed metal, world music, or grunge yet. Heck, cocaine's
popularity was barely beginning and Studio 54 wasn't even a
pipe dream yet. * * * Fans of the film will of course want to
proclaim how it incredibly predicted some musical trends and
styles (Alice Cooper, Kiss, bigger wilder rock shows, new wave,
Goth) and how influential it was in being a trail blazer so
that The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Little Shop of Horrors and
perhaps even Andrew Lloyd Weber's Phantom of the Opera (a big
stretch of course) could be successful. * * * Was it influential?
Yes, but to what actual degree is impossible to know. And the
fact that the film was slightly ahead of its time and correctly
read the trends that had already begun doesn't guarantee that
the film will work for you or entertain you. * * * The story
of how a songwriter is ripped off and abused still works pretty
well, but William Finley's (Winslow) performance is uneven.
He's pretty convincing as a milquetoast but as he becomes part
martyr, part avenging Phantom he's not as convincing. Paul Williams'
(Swan) presence is a strange one. He's almost too self consciously
playing a somewhat melodramatic villain--though it's a performance
I've always enjoyed. He's at times winking at the audience and
at other times he's too convincing in the role. Jessica Harper
as Phoenix is a slightly aloof, natural beauty. We can believe
that Winslow sees an honest soulfulness in her when she awkwardly
auditions for a role in the stage show. I found her a captivating
believable presence but the script gives her character that
makes an abrupt transition few actresses could navigate flawlessly.
Some of the supporting players give nearly perfect performances.
Archie Hahn as one of the members of the clone Beach Boy group
the Juicy Fruits is wonderful. He's a face you'll probably recognize
from dozens of films and television shows and was a member of
San Francisco's the Committee (a famed improvisational comedy
group). Gerritt Graham is another recognizable actor whose turn
here as "Beef' an Ozzie Osborne type lead singer (his singing
voice was dubbed by Ray Kennedy) is priceless. You might remember
him from Used Cars or as Bud the Chud. * * * I'm way too close
to the film to be able to venture a worthwhile guess of it's
potential to connect to a new audience today. A sensitive 12
or 13 year old is likely to consider the film a very mean-spirited
and somewhat sad film with really mediocre music. There's a
suggested orgy scene in the film which while within the bounds
of a P.G. rating might be considered a bit too strong for some.
* * * Phantom of Paradise was always destined to be a cult film.
When it was originally released, hindsight tells us there is
absolutely no reason why it should not have achieved the kind
of success and following that the Rocky Horror Picture Show
had. The Rocky Horror Picture show after all bombed just like
POTP did when it was first released and it was over a year later
that popular midnight showings of Rocky Horror engaged audiences.
* * * Well by the time Phantom was re-released again almost
two years after it's original run, it had lost some of its edge
and looked slightly dated. De Palma wasn't supposed to make
fantasy musicals, he was supposed to make over the top horror
movies. Paul Williams was a ridiculous character who wrote the
theme to Love Boat and Close to you for the Carpenters and wound
up overexposed on t.v. Talk and game shows. The score and lyrics
he wrote for the film and the performance he gives is not like
anything he had ever done before or since. The film perhaps
was just too dark and cynically smart to be embraced as a campy
cult hit. It does strongly suggest how fickle and easily manipulated
the record buying public is, after all. * * * To enjoy Phantom
of the Paradise one has to over-look some flaws and imperfections
and forgive the film for fudging a bit on a detail here, or
not going far enough with an idea there. The script could have
been better; the performance styles are all over the map and
don't blend with each other all that well. Paul Williams is
trying to be an over-the-type Dr. Phibes type Vincent Price,
while Finley's Winslow is an unpleasant character, too weak
and spineless at the beginning, and still too trusting and naïve
to view as a hero or avenging angel later on. It's a film that
a lot of people will quickly dismiss and just wonder what the
fuss was all about. * * * I am reaching a bit now to mention
a bit of a similarity between Phantom and the recent Josie and
the Pussycats. Both films make satirical points about the music
industry and the music buying public. Josie approaches the material
as a mad-cap maniacally upbeat farce and like it's source material
is cartoonish and intentionally over the top and dumb. Phantom
is a dark musical fantasy laced with smart cynical humor and
like it's source material is a tragic love story. * * * If you
do try the film out, be sure to stay tuned and listen closely
to the lyrics of the closing number. * * * Love yourself as
you love no other / / / * * * Be no man's fool, be no man's
brother / / / * * * We're all born to alone / / / * * * Y'know
that's the hell of it. / / / |
| Image
and Sound |
Presented
in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen, the film looks very bright
and clean with very little grain or blemishes. That's pretty
surprising to see in a low budget film nearly 30 years old.
The colors are not oversaturrated and for the most part look
clear and bright. There is some intentionally soft focus type
scenes that are part of the film.The black levels perhaps aren't
quite where they should be since a few details are lost I lower
light situations. Over-all however this is a very clean transfer.
The film has possibly never looked better than it does on this
DVD. * * * I wish I could tell you that they went over-board
and did a full music restoration complete with a Dolby 5.1 remix
but that isn't the case. The DVD presents the film in a 2.0
stereo mix. The stereo separation seems to exist only for the
music. The dialogue sometimes sounds a bit harsh and shrill.
The music sounds pretty good but not as full and dynamic as
one would ideally hope for. It's doubtful however that it will
ever sound or look better than it does on the disc. |
| The
Extras |
The only
extra on the DVD is a collection of theatrical trailers. The
film's original theatrical trailer is here and there are trailers
for other Fox films such as Bedazzled, The Rocky Horror Picture
Show and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. * * * |
| Commentary |
None |
| Final
Words: |
I wish there were a documentary
featuring interviews with Paul Williams, Brian De Palma and
the stars of the film, as well as someone like Alice Cooper
or members of Kiss or even Styx. There isn't. * * * Phantom
of Paradise is an interesting time capsule film. It was briefly
ahead of it's time, but then dated itself very quickly. It
was influential, yet forgotten or passed over by many. It's
a campy rock musical, dark cynical satire, and tragic love
story. It contains some wonderfully staged musical sequences
(even if you don't enjoy the music all that much). There's
some very varied but fun and worthwhile performances to be
enjoyed here as well. You'll also see a very different type
of film than one you normally associate with Brian De Palma.
The DVD package is bare bones, but the film looks and sounds
as good as it ever has before. I'm a long time fan of the
film and this looks and sounds much better than old VHS copy
of the film I obtained a while ago. It's priced under 20 bucks
and a film I'm glad to put into my DVD collection.
* * * Christopher Jarmick,is the
author of The Glass Cocoon with Serena F. Holder a critically
acclaimed, steamy suspense thriller. For information on Author
readings/signings or availability of special autographed editions
of the novel email: glasscocoon@hotmail for details. * * *
Original portions of this review Copyright© Christopher J.
Jarmick 2001. The above work is protected by international
copyright law.
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