Phantom of the Mall… that’s one of the most ’80s concepts I can possibly imagine, so let’s see what the age of rampant consumerism and questionable fashion choices has wrought this time, shall we?
A new mall is being opened (which those in charge think will actually help juvenile delinquency… ) and gal-pals Melody (Kari Whitman) and Susie have just become full-fledged employees… but that’s no big deal as the place let’s Pauly fuckin’ Shore (as Buzz) dish out scoops in the food court, which if his well-known habit of “wheezin’ the juice” is considered, will have that place shut down by the Board of Health by noon…
You know what else might make the mall’s progress a bit dicey? Melody’s old flame Eric (Derek Rydall) is prowling the mall’s ventilation ducts putting a murder on anyone unfortunate enough to cross his path! Why is Eric so pissed? Well, he’s been completely disfigured courtesy of a mysterious house fire (a blaze everyone believed spelled his demise)… and guess where the new mall is located…
Boasting a high body count (with some delightfully ridiculous methods of murder), a cast filled with familiar faces (the aforementioned Shore, Dawn of the Dead‘s Ken Foree as a mall cop, TV mainstay Morgan Fairchild), a shitty popcorn fart of a mystery, spectacular stunts, and a heapin’ helping of 80’s mall culture, director Richard Friedman’s (Scared Stiff, Doom Asylum) Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge is nothing if not a ton of mindless horror biz shenanigan’s, and that’s what makes it the perfect cinematic comfort food!
Adding to the positive vibes, the cast here is super game for the nonsense at hand, with standouts being Hack-O-Lantern and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia‘s Gregory Scott Cummins as the vile n’ villainous security guard Volker, a hilariously sedate (well, for him anyway) Shore (who looks like he’s about to burst into laughter in a few scenes the second “Cut” is called), and Jonathan Goldsmith (another familiar face from the ol’ boob tube as The Most Interesting Man in the World from those Dos Equis beer ads) as the mall’s slimy owner, Harv Posner.
Also solid are leads Whitman and Rydall, with the former making for a rather strong heroine that never resorts to weepy histrionics in the face of the danger posed by the latter. Speaking of which, Rydall is suitably angsty as our tragic yet totally out of his damn mind antagonist, aided and abetted by some fun, cartoony “burn” make-up… though why his voice gains all manner of electronic effects after his immolation is anyone’s guess…
Less on point is the mystery element of the picture, as we know who’s doin’ the murder biz right from the title alone, and as to who set that fire mentioned up yonder, well that’s given away pretty early on too. Chances are this won’t effect your good times with this fright flick as the bread and butter stalk n’ slay elements on display are top shelf indeed.
Speaking of “shelf”, if you are so inclined to put this Blu-ray release from Arrow Video on your movie shelf you’ll get some pretty fuckin’ rocking extras (that awesome segue was my bonus content to you, my revoltin’ readers)!
First comes a whopping three audio commentaries featuring Friedman (moderated by filmmaker Michael Felsher) covering his career and the production of the film, disc producer Ewan Cant and film historian/author Amanda Reyes (examining the film more from the fan perspective, as well as covering differences from script to screen as well as between cuts of the film… but more on that list bit later), and composer Stacy Widelitz & Associate Producer Robert J. Koster (giving a focus to their respective roles in the production).
Next we get a new, warts and all making-of documentary featuring interviews with director Friedman, screenwriters Scott Schneid and Tony Michelman, actors Rydall and Cummins, filmmaker Tony Kayden and special make-up effects creator Matthew Mungle, followed by an interview with Joe Escalante of The Vandals on the creation of the Phantom of the Mall theme song.
Also included are a collection of sequences cut from the final feature, but utilized for the film’s TV version, a duo of trailers, and an image gallery.
Remember I mentioned alternate cuts of the film earlier? That’s where disc two comes in as it contains a recreation of the TV version discussed above, as well as a “Phan” edit containing both versions mixed n’ matched together. While the restoration on the feature is pretty solid with only some grain and haziness here and there, the TV footage remains decidedly untouched, so just be aware so that shit doesn’t jar your ass as it pops in… I know how delicate some of you fine fiends are…
Additionally, the whole she-bang comes with a 60-page fully-illustrated perfect-bound book featuring new writing by author Daniel Budnik and Reyes, a reversible sleeve and large fold-out double-sided poster featuring new artwork by Justin Osbourn, and six postcard-sized lobby card reproductions.
A nostalgic slasher pic with it’s feet in Leroux and it’s brains loitering between Sam Goody and Chess King, Phantom of the Mall: Eric’s Revenge should not be missed!
