While Rocky Horror vaulted into cult hyper-fandom, its musical cousin, The Phantom of the Paradise remains relatively obscure.
And that’s a shame, as dammit, Brad and Janet, but P of the P is superior film.
An early directorial effort by the legendary Brian De Palma, Phantom tells the story of the diabolical proprietor of Death Records (an early precursor of Death Row Records?), Swan, who wants aspiring composer Winslow Leach’s music to open his new Paradise concert hall.
And like record executives since the dawn of the era of recorded music, swindles the artist, but without the aid of a 360 deal. And then he goes one better (or worse) and then successfully frames Winslow for drugs.
Winslow, understandably, wants revenge. And when he gets out of prison, he returns to The Paradise voiceless and grotesquely disfigured, like the more famous Phantom (of the Opera) namesake, a result of a horrible accident which also destroys his vocal cords.
He adopts a Minerva mask, a la Michele Soavi’s Stagefright, and things go haywire.
Phantom of the Paradise is a darkly conceptualized masterpiece, which also happens to be an cunning satire of the music industry of the time.
The songs are great, plus there’s audience dismemberment and decapitation. What more do you need?
**** (out of 5)
Really Awful Movies 