Phantom Of The Paradise

1974 • 91 minutes

About this movie

Composer Winslow Leach (William Finley) is determined to seek revenge on Swan (Williams), an evil record tycoon who steals his pop cantana of the Faust legend to launch his enemy's palace as the mysterious Phantom of the Paradise and continues to plan his gruesome retaliation.

Ratings and reviews

So basically what we have here is Phantom of the Opera meets Faust by way of 1970s excess. Director Brian de Palma - who is probably best known for his bloody epics Carrie and Scarface - also wrote the script, and he fully commits to the melodramatic goth-rock-opera feel of the film. He's ably assisted by Paul Williams as amiable sociopath Swan (amusingly, Williams also provides the singing voice for sort-of-hero Winslow). I'm also a fan of the debuting Jessica Harper, who does her own singing and who starred in the Rocky Horror sequel, Shock Treatment. I first saw this film on VHS around 20 years ago, and it's stuck with me all that time. While its mix of melodrama and black comedy won't be for all audiences, if you found any of the above intriguing at all, you should check it out.

Cult classic masterpiece.... An electic mix of Phantom Of The Opera, Faust and the Rocky Horror Picture Show!