Capital Celluloid 2025 — Day 277: Mon Oct 6

Phantom of the Paradise (De Palma, 1974): Prince Charles Cinema, 12.15pm


This film, part of the Horroctober at the Prince Charles Cinema, also screens on October 24th. Full details can be found here.

Time Out review:
Despite the dread MOR dirges given to Jessica Harper's crooning ingenue, arguably De Palma's finest film. A highly inventive updating of the Phantom of the Opera story to the rockbiz world - complete with borrowings from Faust and The Picture of Dorian Gray - it tells of rock composer William Finley's desire for revenge after he is cheated by a nightclub and record label mogul (Paul Williams). Nothing that remarkable about the plot in itself, but De Palma employs his love of gadgetry to imaginative effect (making terrific use of split screens and video technology), and casts a satirically beady eye upon the money-hungry foibles of the music industry. Best, in fact, is the cameo by Gerrit Graham as the camp, 'Producers'-style glamrock star, although Memmoli's world-weary manager and the piss-take of Alice Cooper are also memorable.
Geoff Andrew

Here (and above) is the trailer.

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