Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
Directed by Brian De Palma
Singer-songwriter Winslow Leach seeks revenge on the nefarious music producer Swan, who steals both Winslow's music and his favorite singer for the grand opening of Swan's new rock palace, the Paradise.
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What critics compared Phantom of the Paradise to
The film itself is filled with references to other movies (after all, this is De Palma), including perhaps the funniest Psycho (1960) shower-murder parody ever.
De Palma’s cultural nods are always on his sleeve, from bombing the Beach Boys to a Psycho– / Hitchcock-aping plunger joke.
Phantom of the Paradise is equal parts compendium of the director's interests as a cinephile - Touch of Evil and (naturally) Psycho are among the classics to be explicitly referenced - and showcase for the young Turk's visual flair.
…gives off similar vibes to Phantom of the Paradise…
…and a body horror romp like “Phantom of the Paradise.”
But the thing is, Mandy is so much more than just another revenge flick—it’s a mash-up of brutal terror and trippy LSD-fueled cult horror that also manages to evoke something of a rock opera feeling as well (this writer got some serious Tommy and Phantom of the Paradise vibes at one point).
The idea comes from video games and, before them, horror’s occasional camera-eye sequence, famously extended by Brian De Palma in movies like Blow Out and his delirious Phantom of the Paradise.
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Phantom of the Paradise is equal parts compendium of the director's interests as a cinephile - Touch of Evil and (naturally) Psycho are among the classics to be explicitly referenced - and showcase for the young Turk's visual flair.
Then Sing Street, the outfit from Sing Street, could take its rightful place alongside the Rutles (Neil Innes and Eric Idle’s brilliant parallel-universe Beatles); Sex Bob-Omb (whose songs were by Beck) from Scott Pilgrim Vs the World; the Juicy Fruits (a Beach Boys send-up) from Phantom of the Paradise; the Carrie Nations (nee The Kelly Affair) from Beyond the Valley of the Dolls; and, of course, Spinal Tap, whose “Big Bottom” eclipses much of the genre it was supposed to be spoofing.
And down the cast-list, there are cameos for De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise music biz leech Paul Williams, old master of streamlined action flicks such as The Driver Walter Hill, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, as Eddie No-Nose, “formerly Eddie the Nose” (what happened?
Gabriel’s voice, which, for unexplained reasons, can only be heard over radio waves or on the telephone, sounds like no one as much as Winslow Leach, the tragic hero of Phantom of the Paradise , who also skulks around in the shadows while wearing a cloak.
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I have unreservedly liked only two of his films Phantom of the Paradise and Carrie.
Brian, while I can excuse a lot of self-indulgence from the director of "Phantom of the Paradise" and "Scarface", I've got to take issue with one of your recurring habits.