Phantom Of The Paradise

Bar open: 7:15pm
Trailers / shorts: 8pm
Main feature: 8:15pm
1974 | 91 min | M Violence
Director: Brian De Palma
Cast: Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper

De Palma (Scarface, Carrie) outdoes The Rocky Horror Picture Show in operatic, comic-horror-musical excess - a year before Rocky Horror was even made.

This neat update of The Phantom of the Opera was initially overlooked upon release, but is now a universally recognized masterpiece of creative insanity.

William Finley plays an idealistic singer-songwriter who takes elaborate revenge on a diabolical record executive — played by none other than Paul Williams, who wrote the film’s toe-tapping, Oscar-nominated song score.

Highlights include Jessica Harper singing and lunge-dancing; De Palma’s first Psycho shower-scene homage, but with a toilet plunger; and a literally electrifying on-stage performance by a glam rock god named Beef!