1974
Director- Brian De Palma
Cast- William Finley, Jessica Harper, Paul Williams, George Memoli, Gerrit Graham
I
guarantee you’ve never seen a movie like this before; a rock opera horror
comedy (which came out a year before Rocky
Horror Picture Show) combining the stories of the Phantom of the Opera ,
The Picture of Dorian Grey and Faust, directed by suspense master Brian De
Palma (Carrie) with a ton of great
music by 70s entertainment icon Paul Williams!
Paul
Williams plays Swan, the world’s most famous music producer, a satanic figure
who tricks and manipulates young ingénues and desperate composers like Winslow
Leech (William Finley who starred in several Tobe Hooper films) to further his
empire. Winslow is writing a rock opera based on the story of Faust and Swan
steals it and lures in Phoenix (played by Jessica Harper whom horror fans will
recognize from Suspiria ) as his
star.
Winslow
tries to seek revenge but has his life systematically ruined by Swan, including
being deformed into a bizarre figure that looks like pigeon with an S&M
fetish. Winslow finally joins with Swan
in a last ditch effort to see his music produced. Meanwhile, Phoenix falls
further under Swan’s spell and begins a downward spiral. As the film
progresses, we discover Swan’s demonic secret and the story builds to a final
confrontation where Swan’s true identity is revealed.
The
music in this film is really good! It spans from pop, doo-wop to hard rock. The
songs are catchy and most could have been legitimate top 40 hits. Most of the musical
numbers are essentially parody, paying tribute to the various styles.
This
film isn’t for everyone. Its bizarre combination of music, theatrics, comedy
and horror won’t mix well on most peoples’ pallet. The film remains relatively
obscure though easy to find. But if you’re open to the experience, check it
out!
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