Phantom of the Paradise: A GLAM Opera!

I LOVE this movie. I passed it by countless times at the video store, assuming it was a Phantom of the Opera rip-off on the camp level of Kiss Meets The Phantom of the Park. Now that I've seen it, I wish I could go back in time...

We begin with Swan (introduced to us by none other than Rod Serling), an ultra-powerful music promoter/producer in the early 70's and head of DEATH RECORDS (!) who's looking for a new sound, a radical form of music, a hip, marketable trend to open his new rock and roll xanadu, The Paradise. His current group, The Juicy Fruits (!), open the film with a bitingly satirical song about a dead rock star whose career goes straight to the top after he commits suicide (ain't it the truth?). They're passable, but then Swan (played by elfin music star Paul Williams) hears a young songwriter named Winslow Leach (William Finley), whose music is just what he's been looking for. Winslow is working on a 300 page contada based on Faust, and being terribly naive, has his music predictably stolen away from him by Swan. Not realizing he's been given the shaft, Winslow tries and tries to gain an audience with the reclusive Swan, only to be thrown out, beaten up, framed and then sent to prison (Sing-Sing, of course).

Along the way, he meets Phoenix, the girl we know will be the heroine of our tale on account of she's the only one Swan's auditioning for his new act that can sing. Actually, vocal ability is the last thing Swan's looking for. Good thing times have changed! She's played by Jessica Harper, whom die-hard Rocky Horror fans will recognize as the actress who took over the role of Janet in RH's sequel, Shock Treatment.

When Winslow hears that Swan is going to open his new club with the stolen music, he escapes and goes to get his revenge. His first attempt is cut short when, in true "Phantom"-movies style, his face is hideously deformed (by a record press, no less!), he's shot by security, falls into the ocean and is presumed dead. We know, of course, that the fun has just begun.

Fans of Phantom Of The Opera will be amused with how all the familiar characters and plot devices manifest themselves in this film. Not only that, we also get a strong dose of Faust weaved into the plot along with a pinch of The Portrait of Dorian Gray. Released on Halloween night in 1974 and directed by none other than Brian DePalma, it has a great early 70's glam rock look and sound to it-for example, the "chandelier" scene resembles an Alice Cooper number. Fans of rock movies, Phantom of the Opera or both should find it, watch it, love it.