Rating: 
Summary: DVD Disappointment
Review: Phantom of the Paradise is one of my favorite cult movies and I really was looking forward to the DVD release. The transfer to DVD was excellent, but the many extras that we have come to expect in the DVD format are heavily lacking in this one. There is no "making of" material, DePalma directors track, or even any material drawn from Paul Williams or Sissy Spacek (who did wardrobe for the picture. Being it has been over 25 years since this movie came out, I would have thought that a 25th Anniversary Special Edition would have been more appropriate.
Rating: 
Summary: A Forgotten Classic
Review: It's impossible to explain to someone who hasn't seen it exactly why this movie is so addictive. I've simply popped the tape into the VCR for numerous friends and let it speak for itself. Bolstered by superb star turns by William Finley as the gentle composer turned Phantom and Paul Williams as the seductively dangerous producer who exploits him,Phantom of the Paradise is a very compelling film. Williams' score is beautiful, listenable even when saterizing the 70's music scene.
One thing remains a disappointment about the DVD release: The lack of extras. Just check e-bay where tapes of the radio spots go for big bucks. There is material available. I interviewed Paul Williams a couple of years ago, and at that time, he had recorded audio commentary for a Criterion edition. WHERE IS IT??? As he says it is the most satisfying professional experience he's ever had, I'm sure he'd have interesting things to say.
Rating: 
Summary: LOVE IT! Got yo have it!
Review: I saw this movie when I was a kid as a double feature to Monty Pythons "In Search of the Holy Grail". It left an impression with me that I will never forget. YES, it is campy, silly, corny and all that. But it is FUN. It has some great music and unforgetable perfomances. I can watch this movie again and again. LOVE IT!!!
Rating:
Summary: DePalma's Great 1970s-Cult Musical
Review: I rented this film because I am a growing fan of Brian DePalma's old movies(From the 1970s to the early 1980s). "Phantom Of The Paradise" is DePalma's fifth best film after "Blow Out."Record producer Paul Williams has sold his own soul to the Devil and steals the music of talented musician William Finley. Finley tries to stop this theft but is disfigured in a freak accident and temporarily becomes a music-writing puppet for Williams. In the end, Finley seeks revenge against Williams. "Phantom Of The Paradise" is an unforgettable cult film. DePalma made this film shortly after he completed his super-thriller "Sisters." The film is an interesting blend of several different genres: Horror, Satire, Love Story, Tragedy, and Musical. With his gaunt frame and bulging eyes, William Finley is truly one of cinema's more underrated character actors. Paul Williams is appropriately cast as the villain in this quasi-dark comedy. Jessica Harper is great as Phoenix, the object of Leach's affections. "POTP" has a great music soundtrack; the music is so good that I want to purchase this soundtrack. "POTP" is blackly humorous yet also oddly moving and disturbing. DePalma is a once great director who lost his edge. He used to have a unique talent for not only scaring his viewers but also morally troubling them. In recent years, he has sadly lost this gift. "POTP" has only one major weakness: The jerky and heavy-handed shifts between the comical and more serious elements of the film. The movie is sometimes tragic and heartfelt at one moment, but abruptly becomes humorous at the next one. In the end, the film sometimes feels awkward and frustrating. "POTP" is for all Brian DePalma fans and anyone who loves cult films.
Rating:
Summary: Perhaps The Funniest "Black Humor" Movie Ever !!!
Review: To start: My review is based on seeing this in the theater (4 times) plus numerous times on VHS, as the DVD is not out at the time I write this. That said, I give this movie my HIGHEST recommendation if --- I stress IF -- you like really dark, mordant humor. It is a sly and stinging parody of the music business circa 1975, based loosely on Phantom of the Opera ... but that's just the beginning. There are also elements of Faust and Dorian Gray, a bunch of great songs, and some truly hilarious moments, including character actor Gerrit Graham's best role ever. The "shower scene" is perhaps the single funniest movie moment ever. Really! If warped humor is your thing, you'll just LOVE this movie. As Swan would say: "Trust Me!"
Rating:
Summary: A brilliant pshycodelic movie from a master of cinema.
Review: Without any doubt this is the weirdest movie by Brian de Palma, the one truly master of suspense of the last three decades.The story that mix such legend stories as THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, FAUST and THE PORTRAIT OF DORIAN GREY is incredibly fun,the amazing score by Williams, the nightmarish art direction and the frenzy edition make this movie a must.Search for the shower scene.
Rating:
Summary: The ultimate rock and roll movie.
Review: An AWESOME movie -- underappreciated in '74. Funny as hell, GREAT music, ingenious combination of styles, stories and genres. BUY THIS MOVIE. BUY THIS MOVIE. BUY THIS MOVIE. This is not entertainment, this is a LIFE-AFFIRMING EXPERIENCE for a mere twenty bucks. BUY THIS MOVIE NOW!!!!!!! Hollywood smile and a perfect profile...
Rating:
Summary: Phantastic! and Phun! This is a Paradise of sights & sounds
Review: I remember going to see this film with my six year younger cousin and sister in the theatre. They loved it and so did I. I ran out and got the soundtrack as soon as it was available. This is truly an imaginative film. How quick we forget that Paul Williams has been a very prolific songwriter. Fortunately just about all the songs on the album are by him. And he acts in it too. Released about the same time as Rocky Horror, Phantom of the Paradise puts a twist on the old Phantom of the Opera story and mixes in a little bit of the Portrait of Dorian Gray for good measure. The update works and so does the music. The acting is superb and the direction dead on (hey it was one of DePalma's first!). I love this film and bought it on video so I could watch it whenever I wanted. Why it isn't run on the tele is anyone's guess.
Rating:
Summary: The Coolest Satire of All Time
Review: Rod Serling's opening narration touches the surface of this horror/black comedy/satire of the sleazy big business of music. Think today's manufactured bands and their promotors are contemporary creations? Check out the greasy Juicy Fruits capitalizing on the nostalgia wave of the seventies. See Beef, onstage a screaming rock wild man, offstage a foppish pansy. Dig Philbin, behind-the-scenes master manager who uses intimidation, drugs, thugs and the casting couch to manipulate performers. There's Phoenix, looking for her big break and getting it, only to later realize the true cost of celebrity. There's the Phantom, once a talented writer whose music was ripped off and trashed, who now haunts the Paradise theater. The "big" man here is Swan, one-named producer/promotor/impresario, who has literally sold his soul to the devil for immortality and success (who wouldn't?). Last, but not least, are the rock fans whose appetite for entertainment is satisfied with on stage murder. This is as good as a B film gets. Add in a super soundtrack and that's entertainment. Sit back and enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: "Trust me!"
Review: Hilarious spoof of horror films, ranging from PHANTOM OF THE OPERA (especially the Hammer version with Herbert Lom), FAUST, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, THE BLACK CAT, FRANKENSTEIN, with a little bit of DAY OF THE LOCUST and GIMME SHELTER to sweeten the mix. Paul Williams proves himself a jack-of-all-trades, writing and producing the marvelously catchy score as well as perfectly personifying the oily, devious Swan. William Finley gets the role of his career as Winslow Leach, a man with more trust than control of his temper, and he effectively and touchingly portrays the ripped-off artist. Jessica Harper in her first film proves herself an excellent actress and singer as the not-so-innocent Phoenix (but oh those crummy, stiff dance moves while she's singing her audition song! Ouch!) and went on to star in SHOCK TREATMENT, the more-or-less sequel to THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW. (Has anybody else noticed that 20th Century Fox produced both POTP and RHPS? An interesting coincidence.) The satire is laid on thick and heavy, with Gerrit Graham taking the part of the rival songstress (yes, I said songstress) terrorized by the Phantom so his ingenue can have the lead. And look closely at the list of Swan's contractees when the receptionist is checking to see if the Phantom is on the "allowed to see the boss list" --- a quick glimpse reveals Bette Midler, David Geffen, Kris Kristofferson and Dick Clark! George Memmoli as Philbin is particularly good. His comic timing works especially well with Gerrit Graham's. However, while the credits say that the John Chambers (PLANET OF THE APES, NIGHT GALLERY, etc) did the makeup design, it's pretty hard to believe, looking at the Phantom's putty eye and the suddenly-aged Swan's bloody visage --- but what the heck, it doesn't really hurt the film. De Palma never made a better film. He even uses his trademark annoying mannerisms (multiple split-screen image, a la THE BOSTON STRANGLER, and the inevitable Hitchcock "homage") to excellent effect here. Don't miss this one, you'll never forgive yourself. Trust me!
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