Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

This week's flick is quite the gem! Brian DePalma's 1974 rock musical, Phantom of the Paradise!

A combination of Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray and Faust, Phantom of the Paradise is in no way a perfect film but it sure is fun to watch! While it was released a year after The Rocky Horror Show stage musical and preceded The Rocky Horror Picture Show by a year, they both have a similar quality and will ensure an enjoyable experience!

Paul Williams stars as Swan - a mysterious and enigmatic musical genius who runs his record company, Death Records with an iron fist. William Finney plays Winslow Leach, a composer/musician who plays his opera, "Faust" as back-up to Swan's nostalgia group, The Juicy Fruits. Swan loves the music and wants to use it to open his version of a musical Disneyland, The Paradise. Swan's assistant, Philbin (the late, great George Memmoli) steals Winslow's music under the guise of a record contract and when Winslow hasn't heard back from Swan, he goes to Death Records to inquire and is kicked out. Later, Winslow goes to The Swanage (Swan's mansion) to see a line of women rehearsing his song. Winslow meets aspiring singer, Phoenix (Jessica Harper) and after hearing her sing it, believes she is the best pick to sing his opera.

Winslow is kicked out of The Swanage after two cops, called by Swan plant drugs on him and he is whisked away to Sing-Sing for life. Once there, Winslow loses his teeth which are replaced with metal ones thanks to a prisoner program funded by Swan. After hearing his music sang by The Juicy Fruits on the radio, Winslow loses it, escapes Sing-Sing and heads to Death Records where he tries to destroy everything, including a record press which he accidentally falls into, deforming his face and destroying his voice. Winslow crawls to the ocean and falls in, never to be seen again.

Back at The Paradise, Winslow sneaks in and steals a costume and a mask to hide his newly deformed face - becoming The Phantom. While Swan is watching The Beach Bums (formerly The Juicy Fruits) rehearse, Winslow plants a bomb in the prop car, nearly killing them. Later, Swan sees a security tape and recognizes Winslow. Swan confronts Winslow, promising him the chance to get his music heard again and Winslow agrees on the condition that his cantata is done his way with only Phoenix singing. Swan wants Winslow to re-write his cantata for Phoenix and makes Winslow sign a record contract in blood because "ink isn't worth anything [to me]." Winslow is then locked in a room with a bevy of pills and paper so he can re-write his cantata. After it is completed, Swan orders the room to be permanently sealed up with Winslow inside. Threatened by Phoenix's perfection, Swan replaces her with a glam rock star named Beef (Gerrit Graham) and makes Phoenix a back-up singer. After awaking to find out he has been betrayed, Winslow breaks out of the room and threatens Beef with death to anyone (except Phoenix) who sings his cantata. Pressured by Philbin, Beef goes on anyway and is killed by Winslow while the crowd cheers; giving Phoenix the spontaneous chance to sing. Phoenix is met with screaming and thunderous applause. 

As usual, I can't say much more as it would ruin the experience, but from here on, the film gets stranger and stranger. There is so much to say about this film that I don't know where to begin so I will start with the obvious - The music. Written by Paul Williams, the songs are a great addition to this film and are the backbone of what makes it fun, zany and emotionally gripping. From The Juicy Fruits' take on 50's rock/pop bands, The Beach Bums' riff on surf music and finally The Undead's glam-rock/horror pop, most of these songs will be stuck in your head for a while. The very last song in the film, "The Hell of It" is one of my personal all-time favorites. The song Phoenix sings after Beef is killed, "Old Souls" is sung perfectly by Jessica Harper (who now sings children's songs). You can really feel her passion for singing in her voice and when the curtain drops, in iris-in, Phoenix smiles to herself with great accomplishment and you can't help but feel happy for her.

Being a Brian DePalma film, Phantom is definitely a very visual film, however more so in terms of mise en scène. Although a lot of the angles are standard, there are some interesting shots and visuals. DePalma's use of split-screen is never over-used and never done without purpose. The scene where Winslow plants the bomb in the car for The Juicy Fruits' rehearsal keeps your eyes bouncing back and forth between frames, while wondering what is going to happen (even though I already told you, so it's more of a "When is it going to happen?") Even though this is one of his earlier films, you can tell that his visual eye is something he has always had, which he has perfected over the years.

The acting is over the top and it's definitely deliberate. DePalma wanted this to be a fun ride that didn't take itself too seriously but in doing that, he did succeed on making the characters likeable, giving this film a slightly serious tone. Take the scene where Winslow is trying to destroy the record press: When he is knocking boxes of records over and flailing about, you might be laughing and even when his face gets stuck in the record press, you may still be laughing but once you see how much he is suffering, you may not be laughing as much because Winslow is the protagonist, even if he is a silly protagonist.

Paul Williams is perfectly cast as Swan and he brings a delightful vileness, mixed with a false sense of trust to the character. Being in the music industry definitely helped Williams play this role with perfection. Jessica Harper is by far the best here, giving us just enough of a character that we can sympathize and empathize with and when she sings, we, the viewers listen and even root for her because we want to see her succeed. Near the end Harper gets a little extreme with her deliveries and over-emotes but I chalk that up to that's what DePalma was going for. Gerrit Graham is superb as Beef; this guy is over the top and then some! Playing a drug-addicted prim a-donna rock star, I find it fantastic that Graham delivered all of his lines with complete seriousness (the dressing room/shower scene especially). Lastly, I need to mention William Finney who plays Winslow/The Phantom with such homeliness that through all of his cheesy lines and slap-stick actions is a character who you sympathize with because he is just trying to make his dreams come true and everywhere he turns, he is rejected and spit on. When he first appears as The Phantom, Finney gives us enough anger and angst that we want to see him succeed even more; Finney lets you into his life as Winslow and makes you side with him as The Phantom.

Phantom of the Paradise was billed as a horror rock musical but I didn't see too many horror elements, although Psycho is spoofed. I see it more as a psychedelic musical rock opera romance but no matter how you categorize it, it's still about [music and] "the man who made it, the girl who sang it...and the monster who stole it."

The film did poorly in theaters back in 1974 but has now gained a cult following. There was even a festival organized by fans called, "Phantompalooza" which reunited the cast with Paul Williams performing in concert. There is even a mega fan site at: http://www.SwanArchives.org which is filled with information on everything about the film. Check it out! Phantom of the Paradise is available on DVD for a modest price and is worth every penny!

All in all, this film is full of fantastic music, characters and visual eye candy. Suspend your disbelief as soon as you put this film into your player. The plot does throw a few curve balls your way and while you may be thinking things don't make sense and that it's a silly film, but when the last song begins and the end credits role, there will be no doubt in your mind that it was a fun ride!

5 Dead Birds (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer or Become the Phantom's Next Victim!

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Pick up the Soundtrack on Amazon:

Body Parts (1991)

After seeing this at my neighborhood used record store for a mere $3.95, I had to pick it up and give it a spin and I'm glad I did.

Jeff Fahey (The Lawnmower Man, Grindhouse, Machete, TV's Lost) plays Bill Chrushank, a criminal psychologist and college professor who loses his right arm in a car crash. On the operating table he accepts the offer from Dr. Webb (Lindsay Duncan) to have his arm replaced with a donor's. Once Chrushank returns home to his family, he begins noticing physical and psychological effects he attributes to his new arm. Chrushank finds out that his new arm once belonged to a psychopathic killer who was on death row and recently executed. Chrushank then finds out that two other men were recipients of the donor - One had both his legs replaced and enjoys playing basketball while the other, a painter (Brad Dourif who is great as usual) who now paints violent pictures while selling them for small fortunes. Both men dismiss Fahey's warnings about their new body parts (!) and like everyone else, consider him crazy.

As usual, I'm not going to give away any more of the plot because everything I review here should be watched with a minimal amount of spoilers to further enhance your experience. I will say that this is a pretty basic film in terms of camera work, angles and lighting but do not let that sway you from watching it because what's really crucial here are the characters and the story. The story does get a little ridiculous but what else could you expect from a film called, Body Parts? This is definitely a psychological horror/thriller that will have you immersed in the characters while screaming with joy at the over-the-top blood and violence.

Fahey delivers the serious acting chops here by playing a family man who is content with his personal life, yet not with his professional life. He dislikes what he does for a living and once he receives his new arm, he is hell-bent on finding out the history behind the man it was previously attached to as well as Dr. Webb's motives for attaching it to him. This is another film where the main character goes balls-out trying to uncover a mystery while destroying him emotionally and physically. Over the course of the film, you can really see Chrushank's mental state transforming as it builds from a snowball into an avalanche as he tries to control his physical actions and his emotions, while letting his inhibitions go to put an end to his own personal hell.

Brad Dourif can do no wrong (except maybe Prophecy 3 or Halloween II) but as usual, he can make a bad film better by his acting; he really makes the second act come alive and lends a bit of sadistic humor. Playing Remo Lacey, a man who only sold basic paintings of parks and mountains to doctors offices, now has the other arm of the deceased killer and paints pictures of terror and horror while becoming a hit in the art world. He loans a shrill counter personality to Fahey's and doesn't care about the horrible effects because he's a success thanks to it.

All in all, this is a great film that was overlooked back in 1991 and while it's not perfect, it deserved more acclaim that it got for its characters and off-the-wall plot. Thanks to DVD, Body Parts has developed a small cult following and hopefully over time it will grow. Check it out!

The DVD is now out of print along with a large number of Paramount DVDs so don't expect to find it online cheap. Support your local used record/movie stores and get it for cheap!

3 1/2 Severed Hands (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer or Lose An Arm!

Pick up the DVD on Amazon:

Hobo With A Shotgun (2011)

I know I'm breaking the rules again and while this film was released this year, I feel it needs a review on this blog due to it's lasting impression on my mind and the spirit in which it was made with. It also has my vote of best film of the year even though the year is not even over yet (I doubt something this good will come along in the next eight months that will blow me away as much as this film did).

Originally among a set of fake trailers shown on Canadian prints of Grindhouse (2007), Hobo with a Shotgun was a fun trailer to see on YouTube but it left us wanting more, although we thought not much more could come out of such a great trailer. Robert Rodriguez turned his Machete trailer into a feature film which worked as a exploitation film, but it felt like Rodriguez was hitting the proverbial political nail too hard and that's where I lost interest. Hobo with a Shotgun hits the exploitation nail perfectly on the head while beating the spiked hammer right through your skull!

 

As usual (and how it should be) the plot is simple: A homeless man credited only as "Hobo" (Rutger Hauer) has arrived in a new town and wants to buy a lawnmower and start his own mowing company so he can be somebody. A crime kingpin called "The Drake" and his two sons keep the town's (mostly sleazy) citizens at bay with fear so Hobo decides to get a shotgun instead and clean house vigilante style. A hooker with a heart of gold named Abby (Molly Dunsworth - who is absolutely terrific!) takes Hobo under her wing and lends a sensitive yang to Hobo's rough ying. Rutger Hauer plays the roll perfectly and amid all of the cheesiness, makes you believe his lot in life as a hobo, which hopefully gives Hauer and other filmmakers a chance to better utilize him. First time feature director, Jason Eisener knows what he's doing with this film and I hope he continues making movies like these because finally, once again, there is a market for them.

As far as plot is concerned, there's not much more to tell because it is so simple and what counts here is the performances, the Carpenter-like soundtrack, the schlock and of course, the violence! Oh, sweet, over-the-top bloody violence! There are so many things in this film that cannot be ruined and a second or third viewing is a must due to how much there is to take in. For now, I can only say that there are tons of new classic one-liners, obligatory over the top violence, bad guys on ice skates, shotgun kills, a bad-ass mercenary duo called “The Plague,” cocaine and an octopus (yes, your read that right, an octopus)!

I have read online that there are a lot of people complaining about the acting so obviously these people have never seen an exploitation film and don't know what they are talking about. Remember, this is the internet where every idiot (including myself) has a voice. The over-the-top acting was mostly unintentional in classic exploitation films but is completely intentional in Hobo by adding to the schlock-fest that it intends to be. Of course, as I mentioned before, the stand-out is Hauer and how seriously he takes the role of the hobo even in a film that is rough around the edges on purpose. Even his nonchalant mannerisms as a homeless man gave me a good chuckle: In the beginning of the film as Hobo is aboard a cargo train, entering the city he waves to a stopped car - Fucking classic!

Even though this film has been released this year among hordes of 3D children's movies, PG-13 "horror" movies, sparkling vampires and paint-by-number rom coms, it is not apologetic about its viciousness and keeps you salivating and wanting more. More movies like this need to be released and I am glad it came out. Hopefully it will show Hollywood what they are lacking: Good old-fashioned fun that doesn't censor itself and doesn't use the same old formulas that moviegoers are bored of. Watching Hobo with a Shotgun gave me the same charge of cinematic love and creativity that I got when I saw Grindhouse in theaters back in 2007. Movies were fun again.

A good film is like a big puddle of water with so many subtleties that our brains need to soak it up like a sponge. I need to see Hobo with a Shotgun again to soak it up some more, although I already appreciate it for what it is: A great riff on exploitation films that purposely doesn't take itself seriously and is one hell of a ride!

Hobo with a Shotgun is currently available On Demand and through X Box 360 / Zune, The Playstation Network, iTunes, European theaters now, Canadian theaters on May 25th, and in selected USA theaters on May 6th. If you like exploitation films do yourself a favor and watch it now!

Seriously, watch it NOW!

"I'm gonna sleep in your bloody carcasses tonight!"

5 Shotguns (Out of 5)

    

  

I've added both trailers. First, the original Canadian version shown at SXSW and the 2011 unrated feature film. Watch them both!

Links at the bottom to watch the movie!

Official Site:

http://www.hobowithashotgun.com/

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/HOBO-WITH-A-SHOTGUN/105517406157831

Rent it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Hobo-Shotgun-Pre-Theatrical-Rental/dp/B004UP3D8M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-video&ie=UTF8&qid=1302228106&sr=1-1

Rent it on Zune / X Box 360:

http://social.zune.net/movies/Hobo-With-a-Shotgun/79e34ee3-926e-42a8-97e5-c00379c2bc3d

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1974)

DISCLAIMER: This is not an April Fool's post. I considered reviewing something current like Battle: Los Angeles or The Lincoln Lawyer, but I couldn't bring myself to writing about a shitty movie which would make me depressed and sad. So I decided to write about a really good movie - one of my all time favorites.

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry begins with NASCAR driver, Larry (Peter Fonda) and his mechanic, Deke (Adam Roarke) planning on robbing a grocery store manager (Roddy McDowall in an unaccredited role) via a hostage situation involving his wife and daughter so they can finance their careers in the auto industry. The morning before the job, Larry quietly leaves his motel room and his one night stand, Mary (Susan George) still sleeping in the bed. The two men complete the job successfully and are about to make their getaway when they are confronted by Mary who wants to tag along or she will turn them in. The two men reluctantly agree and they drive off as the Sheriff (Vic Morrow) begins hunting them. The trio change cars and evade the police successfully until the sheriff begins pursuit in a helicopter.



Naturally, I hate to ruin films for those who haven't seem them so this is as much as I will say regarding the simple plot which leaves more room to focus on the characters and the chase scenes. For me, what makes this film great is its spirit. It doesn't take itself too seriously and for the few moments that it does, the following scene is a funny one or an exciting chase sequence. I will say that the ending of Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is one of the best emotionally driven and overall best endings ever committed to film. When the tires have cooled off, the characters and the actors playing them are what contributes to the film's great spirit and for me personally, are what makes the film more enjoyable.



Peter Fonda is the guy you can identify with the most because besides from the robbery business which he is just dabbling in, he is your classic everyman who just wants a shot at doing what he's best at: Driving (and being a smart ass in a way that Fonda seems to be enjoying in this role). The chemistry between Larry and Deke is fantastic: You can tell that they are good friends by the way they talk to each other and once Mary comes into the mix, there is a slight undertone of tension due to Deke's dislike of Mary and Larry's playfulness towards her. The characters of Larry and Mary themselves bounce off of each other thanks to their snappy and witty dialogue. They bicker at each other like brother and sister or a couple who have been together for a long time while "Honeymoon Stage" is still in effect. Susan George does a wonderful job of playing Mary, the troubled girl who is just looking for fun. She pushes Larry's buttons with great precision that you just want to see more of the two of them in other situations in life. The late Vic Morrow is spectacular as the sheriff chasing the trio and he plays his part so well that you would think that he may have even been in law enforcement at one time in his life.

The chase scenes are done with real old school stunt driving and look great due to their realism. Movies like Drive Angry may have the eccentric flash and CGI to make them more appealing to today's audiences, but this movie was done with real drivers, performing real dangerous and exciting maneuvers and to me, that is more exciting than a bunch of things flying at the screen in under three seconds time. While the pacing of the car chases may seem slower than today's standards, they are still exciting to watch and even more exciting because you since you care about the characters in that car from early on in the film, you care more about them even more when they are in peril.

If you're looking for a fun, no brainer film with good car chases and likeable characters who you would want to hang out with after the film is over, check out Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry! It is being re-released on April 12 from Shout! Factory as a double feature with another great Peter Fonda flick, Race With the Devil.

5 Dodge Chargers (Out of 5)

Check Out the Trailer!

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