[tps_title]7. Phantom of the Paradise (1974)[/tps_title]
Dir. Brian De Palma
A bona fide cult classic, Brian De Palma’s Phantom of the Paradise is a brash attempt to combine a kaleidoscope of musical, literary, and cinematic influences into a visually dazzling nightmare of love, passion, and rock ‘n’ roll. Loosely based on The Phantom of the Opera (the original French novel, not the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical), the film follows wannabe composer Winslow Leach as his music, a mammoth retelling of Faust, is stolen by a satanic rock record producer who throws him in prison. After escaping, Winslow’s face is horrifically disfigured in a record press accident. He becomes the Phantom of the “Paradise,” the record producer’s concert hall, and begins his terrible mission of revenge. In addition to Faust, the film also borrows heavily from The Picture of Dorian Gray and features sequences that directly homage films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920), Touch of Evil (1958), and Psycho (1960).
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