Rating: 
Summary: Great Movie
Review: Phantom of the Paradise is a '70s rock version of Phantom of the Opera. Winslow is a composer whose music is stolen by a famous producer named Swan. During all of this, Winslow ends up falling for Phoenix and only wants her to sing his songs. Meanwhile, Swan plans to open a new rock palace called The Paradise using Winslow's music - with a few changes. Phantom of the Paradise actually borrows more from the 1962 version of Phantom of the Opera where the Phantom gets his music stolen and his face is disfigured by acid while trying to destroy the printing plates of his stolen music. In Paradise, Winslow's face is injured while trying to destroy the recordings of the stolen music. Paradise really combines the plots of the 1962 Opera and the play Faust. Thanks to the truth behind the character of Swan (Paul Williams) the movie does have a Twilight Zone quality to it. You even have Rod Serling speaking at the beginning. Brian DePalma likes to borrow from Hitchcock, and he has an interesting and humorous variation on Psycho's shower scene here. It also takes elements from The Picture of Dorian Gray. It does poke some fun at the music industry and some of the insanity of those in it. The movie takes a humorous approach to things - the scenes where Winslow is sentenced was done by using a very basic set and just two lines. May come across as silly to some but the style of parts like that add to the fun. Parts of this movie are not to be taken seriously. (I can't really explain without doing spoilers.) Paul Williams wrote a nice variety of music for this movie - 50s style for the opening scene. One piece reminds me of The Beach Boys. A somewhat darker song is used during staged construction of Beef. The closing song could be viewed as comments on people who had been corrupted by the biz - plus it's humorous. (You'll find some better comments on the songs in the reviews for the soundtrack. I'm not a music pro.) Everyone except for Gerrit Graham does their own singing. In fact, the three groups in the movie are played by the same three artists. They just switch off on who plays the lead singer. The DVD is a wonderful edition of the movie. Image quality is great considering the age. A trailer that doesn't even have the movie's title in it is included as well as trailers for other movies including Rocky Horror Picture Show. The movie does have some truly weird moments, but I love it! A few trivia notes: Sissy Spacek was set dresser on this movie. Archie Hahn, who sings "Goodbye, Eddie, Goodbye," has appeared on the UK version of Whose Line Is It Anyway? Gerritt Graham starred in Used Cars. Jessica Harper appeared in the movies Shock Treatment and Harper Valley PTA. In the back of the Signet Classic edition of Gaston Leroux's Phantom of the Opera, this movie is mentioned and there is a reference to The Paradise looking like New York's Museum of Natural History. (p271) Phantom of the Paradise was filmed in Dallas, TX. The Paradise and most of the musical moments were filmed at The Majestic Theatre in downtown Dallas. In 1991, I saw Ken Hill's musical version of Phantom of the Opera there which added a nice touch for me. Swan's office building (exterior shots) was at one point owned by Mobil Oil, but I'm not sure if they owned it when this movie was made. Although it's changed alot since 1974, it is along Stemmons Frwy (I-35E) just after Carpenter's Frwy (183) joins it when going south. This same building appeared in Logan's Run. Phantom of the Paradise was also mentioned in the program for Andrew Lloyd Webber's Phantom of the Opera and the same material was published in some special editions of the Gaston Leroux novel. I believe the writer was Peter Haining. He described Phantom of the Paradise as simply having The Phantom terrorizing teenyboppers. That does not fit this movie at all. I really wish people would watch a movie before reviewing it.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Film You Never Heard Of
Review: I tend to think that words like "great" and "genius" are tossed around a bit too freely when it comes to most films. Not this one. Simply brilliant entertainment. The movie DePalma was born to make. Paul Williams' dramatic score is perhaps the best original rock soundtrack ever. Wonderfully campy performances, especially from Gerrit Graham as the outlandish parody of a glam-rocker, Beef. I continue to be dumbfounded by the enduring popularity of the light-headed Rocky Horror Picture Show, while this similarly themed, funnier, smarter, more unique, more memorable film continues to live in obscurity.
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL FANTASY
Review: GREAT MUSIC AND AN INTERESTING PLOT LINE PUT TOGETHER THIS CULT CLASSIC. AFTER A MAN'S FACE IS HIT BY A RECORD PRESSER HE BECOMES A PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE. THERE ARE BIZARRE MOMENTS BUT OVERALL THIS IS A WONDERFUL FILM.
Rating:
Summary: .....and the show goes on for hours
Review: This is one of those movies you gush about to a friend and they look at you with a blank expression on their face cause they have never heard of it. Then you find yourself forcing them to listen while you sing ,"upolstery, where my baby sits so close to me , its supposed to be what our life is all about". In college I learned all the songs on guitar, sang them all summer with my roomate and have loved them ever since. For me it was all about the music.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent soundtrack!
Review: I have only had the opportunity to see this movie three times in my 30 years. The first time as a teenager with my older siblings. I just thought it was cool to see the scary masked phantom-so I really did not get it. The second time I was struck by the music and within the last year I caught it on late night and stayed up till 2 and it was so worth it!
Rating:
Summary: Finally it can be appreciated-
Review: For years I have wondered what has happened to this flick. When it first came out, i may have seen it at least 4 times before it vanished from the public eye and recognition. At the time, it had bad reviews and was shortlived in the theaters doomed to be forgotten by a whole generation. it's good to have it available now on video and be able to reminisce with the few good friends who appreciated this movie when it first came out in '74.
Rating: 
Summary: A TRAGIC ROCK OPERA REMAKE OF A CLASSIC FILM.
Review: I LIKED THE UP TO DATE STORY LINE. THE SOUNDTRACK BY PAUL WILLIAMS IS FANTASTIC. "PHANTOM`S THEME" IS MY FAVORITE SONG. THE CAST WAS A STRANGE ESAMBLE YET THEY ALL PLAYED THIER PARTS VERY WELL. PAUL WILLIAMS PLAYING THE PART OF "SWAN" WAS WELL CAST AS WAS BILL FINLEY AS "WINSLOW".
Rating:
Summary: Dream It Never Ends
Review: I first saw this movie a few months back, and fell in LOVE! This is one bizarre movie, but the cast is great (esp. William Finley) and the songs are fun. I wish they'd show this one at midnight once in a while--Rocky Horror needs a rest. If you haven't seen it (and if you like 'cult movies'), rent it--you won't be sorry.
Rating:
Summary: What a HOOT!
Review: I really got a kick out of this movie, especially since I was in it! The part I was in was the Concert Sequence where Beef was killed. The interiors for the scene were filmed at the old Majestic Theater in Dallas, Texas. I got to go to the Dallas Premier.
Rating:
Summary: it was a great movie.
Review: i saw this movie when i was a kid and it was great. It has some funny parts and a good story. the lightning scene was really funny. over all good movie.
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