Phantom of the Paradise (Brian De Palma, 1974, USA)

Brian De Palma's 1974 horror-comedy rock opera Phantom of the Paradise is a film whose influence far outweighs the impact it had on its initial release. At the time of its release, the film was a failure in the United States. It did however, have some substantial box office success in Canada, France, and Japan. Even by the standards of New Hollywood, Phantom was a difficult movie to market in the United States. One can see another scenario in which the film might have become like Rocky Horror - however, it was not meant to be.

The film stars De Palma regular William Finley (Sisters) as Winslow Leach, an aspiring songwriter who is tricked by a music producer, Swan (famous songwriter Paul Williams), into selling away his life's work. Leach, after a disfiguring accident, begins terrorizing Swan's new theater and insisting that his music be performed by his favorite singer (Jessica Harper, later to become iconic in Argento's Suspiria). Williams, perhaps best known up to this point for his iconic collaborations with The Carpenters, wrote the music for the film. The songs are catchy and fun.

Phantom marks a bit of a turn for De Palma after Sisters, and fits more in the mold of the director's earlier satires like Hi, Mom! Even if Phantom is a bit more uneven than some of De Palma's other efforts, it still must be appreciated for its audacity and bravura style. At merely an hour and a half, it does not overstay its welcome either. Phantom is probably a movie best enjoyed with a crowd of fans, much like Rocky Horror. At this point in his career, De Palma was still proving himself, and Phantom likely seemed like a challenge that he was willing to take on - to prove he wasn't going to be pigeonholed as a Hitchcockian.

7/10