Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge (1989)
- Cody Iden
- Oct 14, 2021
- 2 min read
Release Date: December 1, 1989
Synopsis:
A newly built mall is haunted by a disfigured phantom who takes an interest into a girl who works at the mall while seeking revenge against the owners of the mall.
Directed by - Richard Friedman
Screenplay by - Scott J. Schneid, Tony Michelman and Robert King
Story by - Scott J. Schneid and Frederick R. Ulrich
Produced by - Thomas Fries, Robert J. Koster and Paul Little
Cinematography - Harry Mathias
Music by - Stacy Widelitz
Distribution Company - Fries Distribution Company
Cast:
Derek Rydall - Eric Matthews
Jonathan Goldsmith - Harv Posner
Rob Estes - Peter Baldwin
Pauly Shore - Buzz
Kimber Sissons - Susie
Gregory Scott Cummins - Christopher Volker
Tom Fridley - Justin Posner
Introducing:
Kari Whitman - Melody Austin
and Morgan Fairchild - Mayor Karen Wilton
Ken Foree - Acardi
John Walter Davis - Devon
Dante D'Andre - Piano Man
Terrence Evans - Security Guard
Kelly Rutherford - Salesgirl
Gary McGurk - Mr. Webster
Sean Reilly - Unknown Role
Jake Jacobs - Reporter #1
Dick Hancock - Reporter #2
Run Time - 1 hr. 31 min. Rated - R
Budget - $3 million Gross - Unknown
Review:
A loose re-imagining of the classic Phantom of the Opera story, this time updated for the 1980s and set inside a shopping mall. While the premise sounds goofy, and it is, the movie is actually a fun watch if you don’t try and take the thing seriously. It really has strong 1980s vibes with an interesting soundtrack and it is fun seeing the different stores in the mall, many of which are long out of business at this point (Sam Goody’s, B. Dalton Booksellers, Kay Bee Toys, etc.). The cast does a decent job considering many of them were relatively unknown. Pauly Shore would go on to be a popular comedian of the 1990s and starred in a handful of films and Morgan Fairchild is enjoyable as the seemingly caring mayor who may or may not have another agenda. The soundtrack is fun and the cinematography is fine, the special effects are few and far between, apparently the film was heavily edited for its theatrical release with almost all of the gore removed which is a shame. This is yet another film that faded away into obscurity but this one deserves to be rediscovered as it should have become something of a cult classic.
My Score: 71
Plot - 7 Cinematography - 7
Attraction - 8 Editing & Special Effects - 7
Theme - 6 Sound & Music - 8
Acting - 6 Directing - 8
Dialogue - 6 Enjoyability – 8
Trivia:
Loosely based on Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. Coincidentally another adaptation was released in 1989 starring Robert Englund. This version, The Phantom of the Opera (1989), was a more traditional telling of the story but with some slasher elements.
Filmed on location at the Sherman Oaks Galleria Promenade Mall in California which is now known as Westfield Promenade.
Actor Jonathan Goldsmith who plays the lecherous Harv Posner in the film later went on to be known for playing "The Most Interesting Man in the World" in a series of advertisements for Dos Equis beer from 2006-2016.
The film's theme song "Is There a Phantom in the Mall?" was performed by rock group The Vandals.
Availability:
Watched on October 13, 2021
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