Phantom of the Paradise (1974) User Reviews

Different but brilliant reinterpretation of a classic!

[jluis1984 · 8/10 · 11 May 2006]

"Phantom of the Paradise" is Brian De Palma's outrageous blend of horror, comedy and rock opera very loosely based on Gaston Leroux's immortal novel "Phantom of the Opera". I know it is hard to think of a musical horror movie without thinking about "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", but De Palma strikes first with this more horror-oriented (although still hysterically funny) satire on the music industry of the 70s.

Swan (Paul Williams) is a powerful and legendary music producer who is making preparations for his greatest triumph in music business: The Paradise, a monster auditorium that will serve him as palace. To inaugurate his palace, he is looking for the perfect sound and he fins it in the music of Winslow Leach (William Finley), a young composer who dreams with presenting his "Faust" cantata to the world. Swan steals Leach's work and in an accident, deforms his face turning Leach into The Phantom. Now, as the masked monster, the Phantom will try to stop Swan's plans by sabotaging the Paradise.

The movie is a visually and musically impressive rock opera with a healthy dose of horror and tongue-in-cheek humor. Brian De Palma cleverly conjures the basic outline of Leroux's novel and add elements of his other influences making the movie a subtle yet moving tribute to the books/movies/music he loves. The modernization and the change from opera to rock work surprisingly good and despite of being a bit outdated by now, the music (by Paul Williams) still makes one of the best soundtracks in a horror film.

De Palma continues improving his technique in this film and like in the previous "Sisters", his style shows maturity and a definitive trademark. Often labeled as a Hitchcock-imitator, I believe that De Palma simply likes to pay constant tribute to his influences, and this film serves a proof of that. Elements of Welles, Hitchcock, Murneau, Whale and Wienne are all over the picture, yet "Phantom of the Paradise" is like none of the works of those directors.

Paul Williams not only composed the soundtrack, he also stars as Swan, the dark and evil genius that leads Death Records and ultimately uses Leach's music for his own purposes. His performance is superb and while not physically imposing he is truly one of the best villains I've ever seen. Finley's take on the Phantom is, like most of the modern interpretations of the character, a romantic tragic figure; but Finley recovers some of the original horror characteristics of the novel creating an attractive but still menacing monster.

Jessica Harper, who would achieve fame in Dario Argento's "Suspiria", gives a good performance as Phoenix, the young singer that captures both Swan and Leach's attention. Like she would do in "Suspiria", she adds depth to the role of the naive singer who wants nothing but to triumph. Something remarkable is the fact that she sang all her songs and did it with credibility and talent. Last but not least, Gerrit Graham portrays a Bowie-inspired Glam rock diva in the unforgettable role of rock superstar Beef.

Sadly, not everything is perfect in Paradise, and neither is in this movie. The odd mixture of musical and horror works very good but at times the movie gets a bit too serious to pass as a musical or too silly to pass as a horror film. It's not a surprise that "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" gained more recognition as it keeps both genres perfectly in equilibrium in all its flamboyant runtime. Still, this is a minor flaw that keeps the movie away from perfection.

Maybe I had low expectations or maybe I was just in the right mood, but "Phantom of the Paradise" was a pleasant surprise that I would not hesitate to recommend to fans of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" or fans of black comedy in general. 8/10

Cult musical is better than Rocky Horror

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 8 October 2016]

An early, atypical outing for horror/thriller expert Brian De Palma, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE works in many ways that the similarly-themed ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (a film that left me cold) does not. A hilarious combination of a horror classic, a musical show, and a comedy with plenty of laughs and humorous situations along the way, this undiscovered classic remains pretty much forgotten these days, relegated to late-night television slots and forgotten in favour of the Tim Curry-starrer, which was released the following year. De Palma's skilled direction is already in evidence this early in his career, with plenty of stylish camera tricks, pans, split screen, even some hand-held camera work at one point that comes off successfully, plus one or two techniques that remain highly original.

The insane storyline works on many levels and throws in bits of The Picture of Dorian Grey, The Phantom of the Opera, and Faust, with a few of De Palma's expected Hitchcock homages along the way, including a bizarre take on PSYCHO's famous shower sequence. The music is stylish and hummable and extremely well written by song writer Paul Williams, who also stars as the totally sleazy and smugly evil Swan. Winslow Leach is played by William Finley as a gangly bespectacled geek who undergoes a bizarre transformation into a masked avenger. Jessica Harper (SUSPIRIA) also makes her acting debut as the young singer Phoenix in one of the few roles that doesn't gel together properly, with the actress's character failing to connect to the audience at hand.

However, totally stealing all of his sequences is Gerrit Graham, giving the performance of a lifetime as the outrageously homosexual rocker named Beef, who makes Gary Glitter look like Cliff Richard! Beef's demise, in which he is electrocuted live on stage in front of hundreds of screaming fans, is totally through the roof and will have you reaching for the rewind button. Things culminate in an exciting finale which plays up the tragedy aspect of the storyline. My only recommendation can be to seek out and watch De Palma's musical classic immediately.

Salutations from the other side!

[ptb-8 · 6/10 · 24 February 2004]

I am bewildered that viewers today think this film is a rip off or they don't see that it is a comedy....in fact I think it is easily as much a cult comedy as ROCKY HORROR, albeit unappreciated and undiscovered. Dismissed in its day it ended up as a double feature with Rocky Horror and then played endlessly across Australia in the 1970s. It is a very funny film and anyone with a sense of humor can see that it is as silly as it is scary. The cinema in Sydney where it opened in 1974 was the 2200 seat Regent and looked just like the theater in the film. The film was forgotten the theater demolished and now everyone moans. .....yeesh.PHANTOM is great fun and has hilarious songs and satire. Just enjoy it. PHANTOM was filmed in the Majestic Theater in San Antonio Texas, and is famed Architect John Eberson's first 'atmospheric' theater with stars and sky as a ceiling.

Quintessential cult movie

[francheval · 10/10 · 13 February 2006]

Mix "the Phantom of the Opera" with "Faust" and "the Picture of Dorian Gray", sprinkle it all with 1970's electric glam-rock, Gothic horror and uttermost baroque scenery and costumes. And there you get "Phantom of the Paradise", a picture that has everything to be the perfect cult movie, and would deserve much more attention than its more famous counterpart "The Rocky Horror Picture Show", released one year later.

Whereas "Rocky Horror" remains a farce all the way through, "Phantom of the Paradise" is a real tragedy in the original meaning : the story of a genial but naive musician who gets his work swindled by an evil baby-faced producer who has sold his soul to the Devil. Besides, "Phantom" is more a film about music or a film with songs in it than a proper musical, and it's better so because the story is really interesting. Like "Rocky Horror", " Phantom" is full of parody and incredible gimmicks, but the plot and the soundtrack are far superior, and on the whole, "Phantom" has a lot more class.

Many people who have seen the movie when it was released were teenagers, and it's one of those movies I know many people to have seen ten times or more. Looked at from a mature point of view, it is true that "Phantom" appears somewhat kitsch and not so profound, and it is obvious that the director must have had great fun shooting such a delirious show. But let's say then that as "typical midnight movie", "Phantom of the Paradise" remains a gripping and creative kitsch masterpiece, and still keeps up with its cult movie status thirty years after. That's what classics are all about.

Countless scenes and details would deserve comments, but let's say that two of them are really hard to forget: when the hero gets his face destroyed in a record-press after his escape from Sing-Sing in a toy box, and when he murders the campy music-hall star who usurped his music in the middle of the stage, by shooting a neonlight across his chest as the climax of a hysterical rock concert.

Interesting to know that the same three singers successively impersonate a parody of a sixties group with banana hairdos and falsetto voices, a nutty band in pants and wigs, and finally appear with ominous black and white make-up in a hard-rock performance that reminds of "Kiss". I guess you wouldn't tell if you didn't know.

The casting is very good although none of the actors seemed to have achieved real stardom. You don't get to see so much of William Finley because he wears a mask throughout much of the film, but Paul Williams, who has had a rather mediocre singing career, was perfect for the role as machiavelic producer Swan. The angelic blond face and the malign nature of the character make a very powerful contrast.

However, I found the most impressive performance was given by Jessica Harper. Her big dark eyes and deep voice make her stand out both as an accomplished actress and singer. Her talent has been unfortunately never used any better than in this movie, which was her first star role, and that's "the hell of it".

As for director Brian de Palma, I have not seen many of his films outside of this one, so I'm not too sure, but it looks like "Phantom" really has a place apart in his career. For instance, "Carrie", which got more attention, appeared very disappointing to me in comparison, much more like a B-grade horror flick. Mr de Palma certainly seems to have a fascination for blood, and "Phantom" has of course its fair share of it. Contracts are even signed with blood instead of ink...

A long lost, but not forgotten Midnight Movie Classic

[redbeard_nv · 16 November 2001]

Still playing on double-bills with The Rocky Horror Picture Show in England, Brian DePalma's foray into the psychodelic world of the musical excesses that was the 70's becomes more than just another rock musical. With a fusion of Faust, Dorian Grey, Phantom of the Opera, the Twilight Zone (courtesy of an opening narration by Rod Serling)and Psycho, using multiple camera angles cleaved into split screens, we follow the tragic trials and tribulations of one Winslow Leech (William Findley, the scary side splitting surgeon of DePalma's "Sisters"), composer, whose music is stolen by mook henchman Philbin (George Memmoli, Joey Clams of Scorsese's "Mean Streets")on the orders of his boss, rock impresario Swan (song writer Paul Williams, in a role that must have had him giddy) to be used in the opening of his new rock palace, The Paradise.

Attempting to get his music back, Winslow befriends a young, up and coming singer called Phoenix (Jessica Harper, who many have accused of being woefully miscast. Watch for her in "My Favorite Year"). Beaten by Philbin, set up on drug charges by Swan, subjected to stainless steel dentures because of Swan's own campaign to wipe out dental decay in the penal system, Leech escapes prison upon hearing his music on the radio, breaks into the record factory, and when caught, accidentally has his faced mauled by a hot record press, and sent moaning in pain into the East River.

Swan continues his preps for the opening, using his former 50's doo-wop group, the Juicy Fruits, now a surfer band called The Beach Bums (Later, they become a Kiss-like bunch called The Undead. The band is made up of the same three actors, Archie Hahn, Jeffery Commanor and Harold Oblong. Watch for Hahn in many more films, including "Innerspace" as the deadly deliveryman), to perform Winslow's music. A shadowy figure, donning a leather bodysuit, lame lined cape and a hawk-like mask invades the Paradise and starts reeking havoc.

From here, all the cliches play out from Phantom of the Opera, but in one absolutely looney twist is the addition of a fay glitter rock star called Beef (Gerrit Graham, singing voice by Ray Kennedy), who delivers a Hitchcock homage that will never let you look at Janet Leigh in the Bates Motel shower the same way ever again. Toss in a bit of Dorian Grey, with a videotape instead of a portrait taking on the years(and we wonder about Dick Clark's never aging profile!), a strange transformation of several musical themes, all familiar but somehow morphed into different personnas, and you have a cult classic on your hands.

This movie fits into so many different viewer interest groups. First, the DePalma fans, watching his early work before classics like "Sisters", "Carrie" and "Dressed To Kill"; for musicians/soundtrack fanatics, the mutation of a handful of themes into different works, as well as an incidental soundtrack filled with string quartets, classic piano and organ; for movie trivia fans, the appearance of the star of one of DePalma's all time suspense/horror classics as a production associate, not as an actress (I'm not telling you. watch the credits!).

For the rest of us, a great popcorn night movie that will leave you laughing, tapping your feet and wondering "Where was I when this movie came out and how did I miss it the first time?"

Belongs in The Unnamable Top-Ten List with "This is Spinal Tap"

[Dave_Violence · 10/10 · 19 November 2005]

My father wouldn't let me see this in 1974 (I was 11) and I recall him reporting a coworker's opinion that the film should have been rated "R."

So finally, in 2005, I see the film at age 42.

The film is disturbing on a variety of levels. First and foremost, I realized that most of the players are now in their late 50's and 60's. Disturbing, why? Well, because there's a band out there called "the Undead" (Bobby Steele, ex-Misfits) who, turns out, stole (or did he?) his name from Phantom of the Paradise's "the Undeads" Likewise, the Undeads in this film were doing in 1974 what Scandinavian death metal bands _started_ doing in the early 1990's. Furthermore, did the Damned's Dave Vanian rip off the Undead's gimmick?

I felt uneasy realizing that, had I seen the movie when it came out, I probably wouldn't have gotten any of the jokes; I wouldn't have laughed out loud at Beef, the lesbian jokes, the parody of self-important wimpy rockers. And I wouldn't have appreciated the successful composite of Phantom of the Opera, Faust, Picture of Dorian Gray, etc.

The acting is top-notch - the only way "camp" gets laughs. Paul Williams's Swan is the most black-hearted villain I've seen.

The wait was worth it for me on this one.

A Unique Rock Opera, That Is All I Can Say

[gavin6942 · 7/10 · 5 April 2011]

A composer has his music stolen by a big-time record producer and vows his revenge. Things get more complicated after he gets sent to jail and apparently commits suicide in the river...

Howard Maxford feels the film is "dated", and that is the best criticism one can make of the film. The songs do not hold one's attention well. The plot in general is decent, but the music -- a central focus of the movie -- is just average.

Brian de Palma, the director of "Carrie" and "Black Dahlia", is in charge here. He makes a visually appealing film, with angles and colors that call to mind Stanley Kubrick's "2001" and "A Clockwork Orange", as well as Dario Argento's "Suspiria" (which star Jessica Harper would appear in after this film).

Gerrit Graham ("TerrorVision") as Beef is great, and a nice send-up of glam rock. The critics had called the film "funny" and "hilarious", but both are exaggerations. The humor is very subtle, with this being a musical first, horror film second and comedy third.

The references to Dorian Gray are awesome, and unspoken. There are also cues from Poe and previous "Phantom" films. Some have said there is even an homage to Orson Welles' "Touch of Evil" (and I believe them, but I have not seen the film yet). Sissy Spacek is credited as a "set dresser"... you decide what that means.

A feast for the eyes.

[Hey_Sweden · 8/10 · 13 September 2014]

This viewer feels obliged to point out that his hometown - Winnipeg, Canada - is one of the two cities in the world to truly embrace Brian De Palmas' operatic spoof of the glam rock era. (The other being Paris, France.) Therefore, it's mystifying that it should have taken me so long to finally watch it, but now I'm glad that I have.

It's a thoroughly flamboyant, marvelously designed and decorated rock musical that combines the themes of Phantom of the Opera, Faust, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. William Finley stars as Winslow Leach, a naive, trusting singer-composer who is taken advantage of by conniving producer Swan (who's played by real-life singer-composer-actor Paul Williams). Several circumstances later, the disfigured Leach seeks revenge against Swan while falling madly in love with aspiring pop star Phoenix (the radiant Jessica Harper).

The late, great character star Finley and the engaging Williams were never better than in this funny and fast paced exercise in style. It gets off to a great start with opening narration by none other than Rod Serling. Well shot, by Larry Pizer, and designed, by Jack Fisk, it features some thoroughly catchy ditties by Williams. The parodies of such performers as Sha-Na-Na and the Beach Boys are spot on. De Palma is also most effective at capturing the insanity of the emerging shock-rock trend, especially with the effeminate rocker Beef, one of the all- time best roles for top character actor Gerrit Graham.

Harper is beautiful and extremely appealing and it's a shame that neither she nor Graham nor anyone else here ever became big stars. Williams is great fun, and Finley fully embraces the tragic arc of his character. Heavy set George Memmoli is also solid as Swans' gopher Philbin.

This film manages to maintain that feeling of fun throughout while also being rather sad at the same time.

Trivia note: Fisks' wife, actress Sissy Spacek, who went on to play the title role in De Palmas' next film, the feature adaptation of Stephen Kings' "Carrie", was the set dresser here. And look for such familiar 70s actresses as Jennifer Ashley, Janit Baldwin, Janus Blythe, Robin Mattson, Patrice Rohmer, and Cheryl Smith among the groupies.

Eight out of 10.

I thought I was the only one who liked this movie.

[ronshafer · 7/10 · 27 September 2018]

I watched this in the theater when it came out in 74 and didn't really care for it at first because I thought it was going to be more of a science fiction film. I don't like musicals, ( You couldn't pay me to watch Mamma Mia.) but that's not the big part of the movie it is just a vehicle of the film. That being said I do like a lot of the songs and music and as it turns out it is a science fiction movie. This really grew on me over the years but nobody I ever loaned the tape to, yes I said tape, liked the movie, everybody hated it. I think the movie is brilliant but very dated now and it has a lot of silly parts to it and I feel it begs to be remade. We don't need another giant ape movie but this could be a great endeavor.

A Super-Cult of My Generation

[claudio_carvalho · 10/10 · 5 January 2008]

The powerful and awarded producer of records and owner of the successful label Death Records, Swan (Paul Williams), steals the Faust cantata composed by the unknown and naive composer Winslow Leach (William Finley) for the grand-opening of his rock-palace, The Paradise. When Winslow bothers Swan trying to meet him to produce his album, he is framed by Swan and sentenced to life in Sing Sing. Winslow escapes from the prison and is accidentally disfigured by the record press of the Death Record. He haunts The Paradise and finds Swan, who proposes a thick contract to Winslow to be signed with his blood. In accordance with the deal with the evil producer, the composer could finish the cantata he was composing for his muse and passion, the singer Phoenix (Jessica Harper), to sing in the theater. However, Swan double-crosses Winslow again, and he finds the dark secret of his contract.

The kitsch "Phantom of the Paradise" is a super-cult of my generation, with a tragic love story that blends "The Phantom of the Opera", "Faust" and "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I do not know how many times I have heard the delightful soundtrack of this movie on CD and watched this film on VHS, and today I have just seen it again on DVD for the first time, thirty-three years after the original release and still enjoying and singing the songs together with Phoenix, Beef and the Juicy Fruits. My family also loves this movie and the songs of this underrated masterpiece. The awesome composer of the some of the most important classic songs of The Carpenters, Paul Williams, fits perfectly to the role of the evil Swan, with his blond hair and dark heart. I do not recall seeing William Finley in another movie, at least in a remarkable role. However, the debut of the talented Jessica Harper was stunning, with a top-notch performance and an awesome voice. I could bet at that time that she would become a sensation as actress and singer, but unfortunately I just recall her in "Suspiria", "Love and Death" and "Tales from the Crypt". Brian De Palma pays homage to Alfred Hitchcock with the shower scene of Beef. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "O Fantasma do Paraíso" ("The Phantom of the Paradise")

On 18 January 2011, I saw this film again.

Deliberately goofy glam-musical

[Superunknovvn · 6/10 · 17 March 2006]

I had remembered "Phantom Of The Opera" as an extremely entertaining movie with fantastic music. Well, as with many things it turned out that my memory has made more of this flick than there really is to it.

The story isn't even half bad. A strange mixture of "Faust" and "Phantom Of The Opera" it's filled with some ratty criticism on the music industry. Unfortunately, Brian De Palma puts style over matter once again (and of course he didn't forget the obligatory Hitchcock reference, either). While the movie is visually appealing, the story becomes deliberately unrealistic and goofy, which gets a bit tiresome after a while.

Musically "Phantom Of The Opera" is quite enjoyable, but the songs are nowhere near as catchy or interesting as the ones from the very similar and more successful "Rocky Horror Picture Show". If you like rock musicals and glam fairy tales such as "Velvet Goldmine", you could get a kick out of this movie, too. If you don't, be prepared to yawn your way through "Phantom Of The Paradise".

Finally getting the praise it deserves

[tomgillespie2002 · 8/10 · 23 February 2014]

For those who are familiar with the great work Brian De Palma did throughout the 1970's and 80's, his bright, energetic glam-rock opera Phantom of the Paradise may seem like something of an oddity. It's a spin on The Phantom of the Opera, with elements of Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray, told within the context of the music business, who De Palma and scorer/star Paul Williams obviously hold some level of disdain for. While this may differ tonally and perhaps thematically to De Palma's more popular works, Phantom embodies the mixture of flair and homage that De Palma perfected, which many label him a rip-off merchant for (though I strongly disagree).

Sad-sack composer Winslow (William Finley) is overheard playing his Faustian opera by the powerful and mysterious music producer Swan (Williams). Swan is on the cusp of opening his new theatre The Paradise, and feels Winslow's music is perfect for his vision of nostalgia and kitsch. Winslow offers his work to Swan, but is never called or paid for his contribution. Seeking answers, he arrives at Swan Records to see an endless line of women, including Phoenix (Jessica Harper), auditioning to be a backing singer and singing his songs. He is thrown out, framed for drug possession and sentenced to life in prison. But Winslow escapes and, after being mutilated by a record press, seeks vengeance on Swan.

For all it's visual pizazz, where Phantom lacks is within the casting. Finley, who had worked with De Palma the year before in Sisters and who sadly died in 2012, struggles to make his character empathetic. Williams, while certainly looking the part, lacks the presence to convince that he would be able to wield such a control on his underlings. Harper, while cute as a button, lacks the charisma to really justify Wimslow's obsession over her. The only actor to really impress is Gerrit Graham as glam-rock God Beef, who behind the scenes is a fussy little queen. Beef is no doubt Paul Williams' stab at all those self- important diva's he unavoidably came into contact with during his time as a musician.

But with a bright and bouncy film such as this, the acting plays second fiddle to the visuals and the music. While the music may not be catchy in the same way as Phantom's close relation The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975), in context they contemplate De Palma's camera. All of De Palma's visual ticks are there - crane shots, long takes, split-screen - and it even throws in a homage to Psycho (1960), only with a plunger. It makes for quite an exhausting experience, but you only really need to hold your breath and dive in, and it's really quite easy to fall in love with it. It was unfairly panned by critics and ignored by movie-goers on it's release, but with De Palma's early films getting positive re- evaluation with various Blu-Ray releases, Phantom is finally getting the praise it deserves.

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A campy and highly entertaining flick

[mightybinky · 7/10 · 1 February 2000]

This is a send up on " The Phantom of the Opera ". It focuses on a dorky, but talented composer Winslow Leach ( William Findley ) who's music is stolen by a demonic, but highly successful record producer Swan ( Paul Williams ). Jessica Harper who also appears in another campy musical, " Shock Treatment " stars as the Christine-like character who Winslow pines for. Phantom of the Paradise is a wonderful parody of 70s Glam rock, and is chock full of B-movie references; it even begins with an intro narration by Rod Sterling! The pace of the movie is electric, and the music done by Paul Williams is fantastic. Don't miss a diabolical " KISS-like " group as the entertain the crowd during the end of the film. This is a bizarre and highly entertaining film not to be missed!

A uniquely strange failure.

[imbluzclooby · 3/10 · 11 October 2020]

I saw Phantom of the Paradise when it was first released in theaters. Wow! What an ambitious, over the top blend of visual stimuli it is. This 1970's Rock Opera is almost too garishly stylistic for its own good. We have three familiar motifs being used here: The Faustian parable, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and, of course, The Phantom of the Opera which DePalma denies. That's clearly a lie, because there is absolutely no subtlety in this picture. This is too much allegory crammed into a 90 minute musical and the results are messy. But who else to helm such an Off-the-wall project other than the 1970's Brian DePalma.

Now I think the Multi-concept, although very crude, can work if handled properly. But here it simply doesn't, because they themes get lost in the song lyrics which are not always intelligible. The scenes and visual nuances are too absurd and often silly to be taken seriously. As we know the story is about this talented yet completely unappealing and unmarketable composer, Winslow Leach. A major music mogul-impresario, Swan (Paul Williams), steals his cantata and ideas and frames him for a drug crime. Leach escapes prison, but suffers a horrible accident which leaves his face disfigured and voice ruined. So, Winslow dons a Costume, looking like a space age Owl with a wild metallic helmet, cape and black leather jumpsuit. His goal now is to exact revenge on the man who framed him and stole his work. Swan prepares his Music empire, The Paradise, replete with state of the art show rooms, dressing rooms, recording studios and fancy offices. Winslow must sign a deal with Swan in order to connect with the new Singing soubrette, Phoenix, played by Jessica Harper. The rest of the movie is about The Phantom's zealous rage and thirst for revenge and a series of parodies mocking different music genres. Okay, I understand that's what DePalma is going for, but due to it's scatological screenplay, the movie is too bizarre looking to register as serious drama. It looks goofy and too psychedelic at times.

Now I know the three motifs being used are meant to serve as a morality tale, but there is no emotional impact for us as a result. Which is indicative of a misfire and huge miscalculation. The singing sensation, Phoenix, is no Jennifer Lopez, Madonna or Britney Spears. She doesn't possess the striking sex appeal required for a pop-sensation. Her singing is too melancholic and her voice is warbly. She sort of has the look and style of Linda Ronstadt and of that era. Most of the music is forgettable and uninspiring. But Winlow's obsession for her is what drives this tale forward. The acting is mediocre at best. There are some kitschy usages of split-screen graphics and clever set designs. albeit gaudy. We are given a showcase of 1970's theatrics from clothing, set design and style. This is a satire on the music industry no doubt, but the blend of satire and intentionally serious drama proves to be problematic here.

Phantom of the Paradise was a box office flop, but has achieved a somewhat loyal cult following. Brian DePalma tries very hard to indict the ugly business of the music industry. And what it does convey, in a very blatant manner, is that image, danger and subversion are more marketable to a young audience rather than raw talent. But the movie suffers from an unattractive protagonist who doesn't draw our attention in an intriguing way. Some of the songs are catchy like The Juicy Fruits opening scene, the Glam rock song performed by the androgynous, Beef, and the ballad performed by Phoenix. Paul Williams deserves major props for writing the soundtrack as well as giving a believable performance.

Beauty and the Cheese

[CaptainChunk · 10 October 2004]

This movie is beautiful. Its a consummate midnight movie. Okay, so Paul Williams, Bill Finley, and Jessica Harper may not be the best actors in the world. And sure, the effects, set, camera moves, and acting is SO VERY seventies, but that doesn't take away from the most beautiful score of any made for film musical, heart tugging writing, and a great villain. Also, the humor of this film is great. De Palma was obviously having fun. I mean, this movie can be viewed as a bad piece of overblown trash, or a studio trying to capitalize on a midnight movie craze, but wheres the fun in that? The direction is solid, the music is relevant, and the movie tells a story. Its fun, entertaining, and emotional. What more do you want from a movie? Plus, you have Rod "Twilight Zone" Serling doing the opening narration! What a beautifully cheesy movie.

The More Cinematic Rock Horror Musical

[Cineanalyst · 9/10 · 8 September 2018]

"Carburetors, man, that's what life's all about" -The Beach Bums.

"Phantom of the Paradise" is oft compared to "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" (1975) because they're both mid-70s rock musical reworkings of Gothic horror, and they're both cult classics. "Rocky Horror," however, is more of a theatrical event--adapted from the stage, rather stagy in its production and best experienced at midnight screenings where audiences dress up and participate. On the other hand, "Phantom" is a more purely--and postmodern--cinematic experience. It's much easier to appreciate as separate from an event. Although "Rocky Horror" is interestingly transgressive, the Gothic horror elements are more clever and developed in "Phantom," while also mocking the music business. The soundtrack in "Rocky Horror" may be more catchy, especially "The Time Warp," and it's an integrated musical whereas "Phantom" is a backstage one, but I consider that of secondary importance. "Phantom" has the added self-referential layer of the music by Paul Williams, who also plays Swan, who in the story steals the music from Winslow--in effect, stealing his own music. It reminds me of Jean Hagen's role of dubbing herself in "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). On top of this, Swan produces the music into a multi-layered opera of Gothic horror, which is what writer-director Brian De Palma does here.

Before specific references to literary sources kick in, the film seems like Winslow's nightmare in its exaggerated characterizations and illogical and fantastic narrative--kind of Kafka-esque. The introduction in the fashion of "The Twilight Zone," as narrated by none other than Rod Sterling, establishes as much. Throughout, there's inspired camerawork and production design. The use of a wide-angle lens, odd angles and the short doorways especially compliment the bizarre dream element early on, as do the campy characterizations. From there, it's mostly a reworking of Gaston Leroux's novel "The Phantom of the Opera," with specific references to the 1925 and 1943 Universal adaptations. "Faust" was always part of this story, as it's the play performed, except in lousy versions such as the 1943 film. De Palma makes this connection more self-reflexive by the inner play of the Faust rock opera reflecting the outer play of the lives of the characters in the main story--more so even, as the Phantom signs an eternal contract with Swan. And, within that story is the Faustian bargain Swan made, which is a reworking of another Faustian piece of Gothic horror, Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray."

Thus, there's the ballad "Faust" within "Phantom of the Opera" within "Dorian Gray" within a Kafka-esque nightmare. And, for good measure, inside all of that is another Gothic horror story that shares similarities with "Faust" with the Paradise's opening act of "Frankenstein," which itself is designed like "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" (1920) performed by KISS imitators. To an extent, the themes of creation and performance and of men going to horrific lengths, for what else, a woman runs through all: Faust's deal with the Devil for youth and the affections of Marguerite, the Phantom's demands that Christine play Marguerite, Dorian Gray's wish for eternal youth and his demands on the performances of Sybil, the demands of the creature that Frankenstein create him a bride, and even the somnambulist Cesare's abduction of Jane in "Caligari."

Especially in "Dorian Gray" and "Frankenstein," as well as other Gothic literature, there's the spectre of the doppelgänger. Here, there's the doubles of Swan and Phantom, which serves as a bit of misdirection, with the Phantom haunting through his concealment, but this disguises the ultimate ruse of the Faustian bargain made by Swan, who like Dorian wished for eternal youth and received it at the expense of his doppelgänger image revealing his true decay by age and sin. For Dorian, it was his painting; for Swan, it's the mechanical reproduction of himself--an apt alteration for a film. De Palma and company include a mirror motif to highlight this theme, and Swan's initial deal appears as a mirrored apparition. I also like the use of a mirror for a secret passage--usually the domain of the Phantom in the movies, but here, it's for Swan. The revolving mirror shot that reveals the Phantom shadowing Swan entering the lair is a standout. Swan's secret is foreshadowed through his avoidance of his photograph being taken for anyone else to see. I was reminded of Dracula's avoidance of mirrors, and the press conference scene implies this by referencing Transylvania. The consequence of his bargain, however, is that he must endure witnessing his own decay from the array of surveillance he employs to capture his own representation--and not only visual. There's a sequence where we hear him listening to the distortion of his recorded voice, whereas the prior scene that this recording is of, it was the Phantom's voice that was distorted.

There are other cinematic, literary and musical allusions, as well. The sealed room recalls Edgar Allan Poe's "The Cask of Amontillado." The shower scene is a parody of "Psycho" (1960). The best such scene may be the homage to the long-take tracking shot from "Touch of Evil" (1958), which is referenced here in a trademark sequence by De Palma in split screen of two long takes while the film's best musical gag, methinks, is played in an imitation of The Beach Boys (of the quotation at the top of this review). Moreover, "Phantom" contains quite a few nice tracking shots, as well as the multi-layering of images via Swan's surveillance apparatus and the final TV broadcast--creating films-within-films in addition to the story's play-within-a-play structure. There may also be something to the bird motif (the Phantom's mask, "Swan," the dead bird logo); like the cinematographic image here, birds may swoop, and they may use both eyes either together or separate, like a split screen. Doppelgänger images.

P.S. Does the Phantom remind anyone else of Batman, especially Christian Bale's from the Dark Knight trilogy? The animal mask, the distorted voice, the sneaking around, the whisking of his love to the rooftop, and the way his cape flaps as he runs--he's a dead ringer.

Musical and Horror combine to great effect!

[The_Void · 8/10 · 15 November 2004]

Brian De Palma is a filmmaker that takes existing ideas, and regurgitates them into something fresh and original (or at least he tries to). Usually it's Hitchcock that comes under De Palma's 'list of things to tribute', but on this occasion it's the classic tales of 'Phantom of the Opera' and the German legend, 'Faust' that get the honours. De Palma has managed to fuse the two stories into one...very, very weird film.

Winslow Leach is a musician who has his lyrics stolen by the megalomaniac record producer known as 'Swan'. Winslow doesn't take this lightly, and much less so when he gets framed by Swan and sent to Sing-Sing. However, he gets out and while attempting to avenge himself, he ends up falling into a record press, which disfigures his face...ouch. The plot thickens due to the fact that Swan is planning to open up a new rock club known as 'The Paradise', and it's Winslow's lyrics that he wants to use for the opening. However, now scarred and with nowhere to go; Winslow decides to haunt The Paradise with the help of a silly plastic mask...becoming known as 'The Phantom'. But wait! The fun doesn't stop there, as De Palma, not content with an already thick plot has decided to complete the Phantom of the Opera side of the story by adding a girl singer for the phantom to obsess over - here played by Jessica Harper.

This is an important film for Jessica Harper, as it is with this performance that she impressed Dario Argento into giving her a role in her career highlight - 'Suspiria'. It's a shame that Harper didn't make more films, as she has a very cute look that bodes well with the euro-horror feel that is abundant in both this film and, obviously, Suspiria. I'm not sure what Brian De Palma was trying to achieve with this film...there's no real point to it, and the plot is anything but coherent a lot of the time, leading me to believe that he simply wanted to make a flamboyant musical with horror elements, and if that is the case; I dare say he succeeded. Phantom of the Paradise is a lot of fun; the musical numbers are hilariously entertaining, and the movie is very fun overall. Some people won't be able to appreciate it, just because it is so surreal and absurdly weird; but if you're a fan of that type of film, you've come to the right place.

While not as well done as 'Dressed to Kill' or some of De Palma's other tributes, and although the plot can get a little messy at times; Phantom of the Paradise stands out because it's so different to almost anything else ever made, and it comes with a recommendation for that reason.

"You see, I'm under contract too"

[TheFinalAlias · 7/10 · 21 December 2009]

Ah, what better film to review for my 50th than Brian De Palma's weird and wonderful Rock & Roll send-up of "Phantom of the Opera'. Alternately overpraised as a Kubrickian genius, or dismissed as a lame Hitchcopycat, De Palma is still a genuinely interesting director to study if not exactly easy to understand. While I agree that 'Carrie' is his masterpiece, his most unique and re-watchable film is this bizarre take on Gaston Leroux's often-filmed tale, which is filmed with lots of things which will alternately make you marvel or start scratching your head in confusion, not the least of which being that this version probably features THE most faithful portrayal of the Phantom since the days of Lon Chaney Sr and drives home the Faustian element of the story farther than any other version, and in some ways, much better than even in Leroux's own novel.

Yeah, you read that correctly.

The film sets its tone with the opening scenes(following a bizarre "Twilight Zone'-like voice-over)as we see a greaser nostalgia group called the Juicy Fruits perform a deceptively cheerful song about an unsuccessful musician who kills himself so that he will become a legend overnight so that it will help support his sister. Scenes like this are great, as they pretty much tell you that you will be getting more of the same in alternating doses of effectiveness. The whole film is like this opening: Fast-paced, bouncy, but with an underlying sense of menace, tragedy and heartbreak. If James Whale was alive in the '70's, this is the film he would have made.

The plot is a comedic update of the 1962 Terrence Fisher version of 'Phantom'. William Finley plays Warren Zevon-look a like Winslow Leach, a character clearly patterned after Herbert Lom's Professor Petrie. The nerdy but easily angered(he goes berserk at the prospect of his music being sung by the Juicy Fruits, whom he despises)Winslow is writing a rock opera based on 'Faust' which he insists on performing himself, and although he does quite a good job in my opinion, record dealer Swan(Paul Williams, playing a cross between Phil Spector, Dorian Gray and Michael Gough's Lord D' Arcy character from the 1962 version)decides he likes the music more than Winslow and steals it. After several unsuccessful attempts to get his music back, Swan has drugs planted on Winslow and he ends up getting life(?). However, after hearing his music performed on the radio by the Juicy Fruits, our hero snaps, kills a guard and escapes in a montage straight out of Loony Tunes, only to get disfigured by, wait for it, a RECORD PRESS.

Yeah.....

You can tell what happens next, but that doesn't mean things don't become more and more twisted. He may now be the disfigured, caped masked madman, but Winslow is soon going to discover he's not the only one inhabiting Swan's performance house who is worthy of being called "The Phantom".

Often criticized for his overindulgence(only in the '70's could such a minor celebrity have so many guest appearances) and diminutive size, Paul Williams nevertheless crafts a wonderfully slimy and urbane villain in Swan. The Phantom may be deformed, kill and terrorize, but Swan is the real monster in more ways than one. William Finley shines as Winslow, managing to make us instantly care and sympathize with him despite being a nerdy, naive, egotistical goof-ball. Yet, as the Phantom, he is genuinely menacing. Winslow, much like Erik in the novel, is more at home writing and performing than interacting with other people, and although he is targeting a genuinely evil man, he nevertheless has no qualms whatsoever about brutally slaughtering innocent stagehands and musicians he does not care for, annoying though they may be. It is genuinely disturbing watching him cackle insanely with his high-pitched robotic voice as he maims and kills people. Like Erik, he may be a tragic victim, but he really does enjoy being an evil monster more than he would care to admit. Finley makes his murders progress from bad tempered outbursts, to circumstantial ones to "Wheeeee!!! Murder is FUN!" in a believable fashion. And his Phantom costume, depending on your point-of-view, is either the best or worst ever created, even though he looks more like a superhero(or villain)than anything else. Husky-voiced Jessica Harper is also good as Winslows' love interest, man can she sing. Despite prominent billing, Gerrit Graham has little more than an overlong cameo as quite possibly the biggest gay stereotype on the face of the earth; a metal singer named Beef(!!!??)who ends up being killed in an outrageously offensive quadruple-visual pun(I'll let the smart people guess what I mean, and no, it's not because of his Frankenstein costume).

The film has great songs, and a fun cartoon sensibility that makes several gaping plot holes and outrageous coincidences overlook-able. The film's only flaw, is that it is too short, and too fast-paced. Nevertheless, this is still essential viewing for any cult film enthusiast.~

Pure perfection

[BandSAboutMovies · 10/10 · 1 June 2019]

I have no one to blame but myself for this movie taking this long to make it on to this site.

Seriously, this is in my top ten films of all time and I could never find a good time to share it. Without further ado, if you know this movie, let's discuss it. And if you've never seen it, get ready to have your mind blown.

After Sister and before Carrie, Brian DePalma wrote and directed this musical take on The Phantom of the Opera by way of Faust and The Portrait of Dorian Gray. That's a simplification of this astounding movie, which wows me every single time I watch it.

Singer-songwriter Winslow Leach (William Finley with Paul Williams singing) plays his music for the sinister record producer Swan (also Williams). It's the perfect music to open The Paraside, Swan's new concert hall. Instead of paying Leach for his music, Swan steals it with the help of his strong arm henchman Arnold Philbin.

Months later and Winslow sneaks into Swan's Death Records (it was originally filmed as Swan Song, but Led Zeppelin sued and every single mention had to be changed at great expense, but a few sneak through) and watches women rehearse his music for their audition. He falls for one of them, Phoenix (Jessica Harper, Suspiria) who he thinks has the perfect voice.

Leach tries to sneak in one more time, dressed in drag, but he's beaten and framed for drug dealing, then jailed and his teeth replaced with metal fangs. Six months later and The Juicy Fruits have taken one of his songs to number one. He flips out and tries to destroy the records as they're being made. The recording press accidentally catches him and his face is crushed and burned, along with his vocal cords being destroyed. He falls into the river and is presumed dead.

Now, Winslow is gone and all the remains in the Phantom, clad all in black and wearing a silver owl mask. He haunts and attacks Swan and any musicians who sing his music, but the evil music producer cons him into composing the ultimate album for him, even giving him a special recording studio and electronic voice box that allows him to sing again. Working on his new project, Faust, the Phantom throws himself into his work. But the music was never intended for his beloved Phoenix. No, Beef (Gerrit Graham) will be singing his music and the contract has been written in blood.

Throughout the film, the backing band switches identities, from the 1950's doo-wop of The Juicy Fruits to the surf rock Beach Bums to the shock rock band The Undeads. As Beef sings "Life At Last," The Phantom dispatches him with a neon lightning bolt. He tries to tell Phoenix who he is and begs her to leave.

That night, he watches through a skylight as Swan and Phoenix embrace. The moment destroys him so he stabs himself in the heart, but he can't die until Swan does, thanks to their contract. And he can't kill his enemy with a knife, because he's under contract too to someone much more sinister.

Following the first performance of Faust, Swan and Phoenix will be married. The Phantom then finds the videotaped contract between Swan and the Devil, as well as the contracts that he made with the producer and a new one with Phoenix. Even worse, he learns that his love will be killed during the wedding ceremony.

Right before that happens, The Phantom swings out and saves Phoenix, then reveals that Swan is a monster. Like literally a monster. As they battle to the death, both of their wounds take their lives while Phoenix finally embraces The Phantom and recognizes him.

I love that Rod Serling is the intro voice here. To tell you the truth, I adore every moment of this movie, which is DePalma going completely wild with split screens and camera tricks to tell this bonkers tale. There's an amazing lift of a scene from Orson Welles' Touch of Evil as The Phantom places a bomb in the trunk of The Juicy Fruits' car.

Two of the stars of Carrie assisted on this film and you'll never see them. First, Betty Buckley who plays Miss Collins in that film, provided all of the singing and character ADR work for the audition and orgy scene. And Sissy Spacek assisted her boyfriend Jack Fisk, who was the film's production designer, as a set dresser.

As with almost every other musical I've covered this week, this movie flopped badly. Everywhere, that is, except Winnipeg, where it played for over a year and sold 20,000 copies of its soundtrack. It even came back to play theaters in the 1990's and 2000's there. The city even held an annual Phantompalooza convention.

It also was a big hit with two French teenagers, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel De Homem-Christo. You might know them better as Daft Punk. Thomas claimed that the movie is, "our favorite film, the foundation for a lot of what we're about artistically." It's no coincidence that they've worked with Paul Williams or that the metallic helmet and jumpsuit of The Phantom inspired their onstage personas.

Strictly cult material

[MOscarbradley · 7/10 · 28 February 2017]

This deliriously daft rock musical filters "Faust" through "The Phantom of the Opera" throwing in "The Picture of Dorian Gray" while plagiarizing God-knows how many movies on the way. It's an early De Palma and it contains many of his signature marks. When it came out I thought it fresh enough to choose it as my best film of the year. Now it looks like a period piece but it's a fun movie nevertheless. Paul Williams, Jessica Harper and Gerrit Graham are still very good but the soon never to be heard of William Finley simply can't carry the role of the Phantom. Today it's a cult movie, beloved by those who prefer De Palma's more off-the-wall efforts. Certainly it's no longer 'best film' material but it's still worth seeing.

DePalma's best ever

[lee_eisenberg · 10/10 · 12 May 2005]

In this melange of "The Phantom of the Opera", "Faust", "Beauty and the Beast" and a few others, musician Winslow Leach's (William Finley) music is stolen by death-obsessed rock impresario Swan (Paul Williams). When Leach attempts to take revenge, his face is smashed in a record press, and he becomes "The Phantom" and begins haunting Swan's music empire.

But it does not end there. The Phantom and Swan make a deal. But part of the deal allows Swan to pull some unseemly tricks. Above all, the Phantom wants to make sure that only diva Phoenix (Jessica Harper) can sing his music.

DePalma was clearly showing not only the slimy tricks within the music industry, but also how the performers were starting to get very outlandish. The character Beef (Gerrit Graham) is basically an exaggeration of this.

Certainly a movie that everyone should see.

A Very Entertaining Musical

[the_not_so_great_one · 7/10 · 21 May 2009]

One of My favourite musicals. Toe-tapping songs, a disfigured hero, and evil mogul, a pretty girl. It's got most things a good film needs. The witty humor works almost to perfection. I have to say the strongest character is Beef. One of the campest and funniest characters ever to appear on film. And the best song... Life At Last by a mile. I wouldn't say that this is better than Rocky Horror, but it's up there with the great musical comedies. All of the characters have great relationships. And also an ending which, had some more work gone into it, could of possibly been a good tearjerker. This is definitely one of the greatest musical comedies ever. Wonderfully dark, incredibly witty, and the greatest Psycho send-up ever. What more could you want.

Give Rocky a rest.

[BA_Harrison · 9/10 · 1 March 2012]

As far as rock/horror/comedy/musicals are concerned, The Rocky Horror Picture Show has by far the most dedicated cult following, but in my opinion, Brian De Palma's oft-overlooked Phantom of the Paradise is just as deserving of such fervent admiration: its tunes might not be as 'instant' as those in Richard O'Brien's classic, meaning that an audience sing-a-long is unlikely, but the film manages to blend the same genres in as equally entertaining a manner.

To tell his tragic tale of betrayal and love—a wicked combination of Faust and The Phantom of the Opera, with just a soupçon of Dorian Gray thrown in for good measure—director Brian De Palma imbues proceedings with a garish comic-book look to complement the outlandish rock opera excess, delivers some neat horror references for fans of the genre (including a hilarious homage to Psycho's shower scene), stages several magnificent musical numbers (words and music by the brilliant Paul Williams, who also stars as the film's villain, powerful record producer Swan), and ends the film in a suitably chaotic manner.

Next time you feel yourself yearning to do the time-warp yet again, why not decide to give Rocky and pals a rest, and try the Phantom for a change—you won't regret it.

A very crazy and entertaining film constituting an intelligent satire to the music industry of the time

[antoniocasaca123 · 7/10 · 22 April 2018]

I really like almost every movie I've seen from Brian De Palma. I have not yet seen some films from the earliest phase of his career and I have only now seen this "phantom of the paradise" which is a very crazy and entertaining film constituting an intelligent satire to the music industry of the time. This type of films generally do not have an immediately positive reception of the public and the critic, but some become, over time, cult films, with legions of followers, as it is the case of this. See, for example, too, the case of "scott pilgrim vs. the world" by director Edgar Wright, 2010, whose humor bears quite a resemblance to this De Palma film. Also he had a cold reception initially, but with the passage of the years is more and more appreciated, being already considered by many also a cult film. Such films, different, of great creative freedom, and that satirized in an intelligent way many of the aspects of present-day society, so dormant and amorphous, are needed today.

just a freakin' mess

[robbiebear1 · 2/10 · 15 December 2002]

I gave this stinker a 2, which I guess implies that it isn't completely worthless. But everything, from the melange of source material, to the derivative music, to the dramatic stylings of Paul Williams is so amateur and insipid that only drugs can approach an explanation as to why this was produced at all. I recommend this thing be shown to kids everywhere as final proof that drugs make you stupid.