Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		2.5

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 10, 2021

When even several members of the creative team that helped to fashion a film aren't especially averse to suggesting it's something of a disaster, attention should probably be paid. In a relatively lengthy and often weirdly funny supplement included on this release, the "backstage" shenanigans that played out during the production of Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge are detailed, and suffice it to say that, as one talking head associated with the film acerbically mentions, it was "the perfect Hollywood story", meaning there was at least as much drama, back stabbing and nefarious plotting going on among the production staff as there ultimately ended up on screen. The cut scenes that play under this disc's opening menu feature a cornucopia of 1980s phenomena (?) like Morgan Fairchild and Pauly Shore, which may temporarily raise fans' hopes that the film will at least offer some camptastic allure, but once the actual movie stars, those hopes will probably deflate rapidly, as the actors, perhaps recognizing the substandard material they had been handed, all play things to the veritable second balcony, which may have been appropriate in, say, a stage adaptation of Gaston Leroux's famous story, but which here just comes off as desperation.

Co-writers Scott J. Schneid and Tony Michelman are both unhappy with if at least relatively resigned to how the film they wanted to create turned out. The fact that the two are interviewed separately may just be part of a Covid protocol, but there's some simmering subtext for those who want to look for it which suggests that whatever went down before, during and after the production of Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge may have exacerbated tensions between the two. Michelman mentions, maybe just slightly dismissively, how, while he handled things like plot and character development, Schneid was kind of the "big picture" guy in their relationship, and Schneid himself mentions that he was the one who thought transporting the Leroux premise into a modern day shopping mall, subverting the assumption that a brightly lit emporium filled with shoppers couldn't possibly be scary (those who watch the film may still come away with that assumption).

In this version of the tale, the phantom is indeed still named Eric (Derek Rydall), who has been presumed dead after rescuing his girlfriend Melody (Kari Whitman) from a devastating house fire. A new mall has been constructed atop the site where the burned house was demolished, and, frankly, you can pretty much guess the rest, including the fact that Eric is sneaking around in the bowels of the structure, and that Melody and her BFF Susie (Kimber Sissons) soon get jobs there. The screenplay (which according to both Schneid and Michelman was pretty radically tweaked by subsequent writer Robert King, who was brought in to "massage" things) struggles to keep things more or less in line with Leroux's formulation from that point on, though, especially since the phantom in this case doesn't have the same sort of background or "personal" (and even "professional") association with the venue he's "haunting". Instead, an unending series of perceived threats to Melody is introduced, with expected mayhem ensuing for anyone daring to show an interest in Melody.

There are some relatively ghastly kills in the film, though as someone who has actually made part of my living as a "mall pianist", I must object to one of the more spectacular demises in the story, even if it isn't as overtly depicted as some of the other gruesome goings on. Some of the talking heads in the making of featurette discuss some of the tonal imbalances of the film, and I bet many viewers will think Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge would have worked better as a flat out comedy, rather than as the weird hybrid it ended up being.

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Arrow's insert booklet contains the following information on the restoration(s):

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge has been exclusively restored by Arrow Films and is presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio with stereo audio.

All restoratiog work was carried out at R3Store Studios in London. An original 35mm interpositive was scanned in 2K resolution at Technicolor, Hollywood. The film was graded and restored at R3Store Studios, London. The original stereo mix was remastered from the optical sound negatives.

Additional editing to produce the TV Cut and Composite "Phan" Cut (which combines footage from both the Theatrical and TV Cuts) was performed by Marc Morris. An SD video master was sourced to present the content unique to the TV Cut.

For such a cult item, my hunch is fans are going to be more than willing to overlook some the passing rough spots on display in this presentation. The bulk of the film pops very well, with good densities and a rather vibrant accounting of an almost candy colored palette. That said, there are still some deficits in the many dark scenes, where blacks can have just hint of a blue undertone and crush can creep in, obliterating delineations between shadowy items. In the brightest lit scenes, especially in close-ups, fine detail is quite good (see screenshot 2). Grain is pretty chunky looking throughout the presentation, often having a yellowish tint, as can pretty clearly be made out in several of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review. There is some passing but very minor age related wear and tear that has made it through the restoration gauntlet.

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge features a spry sounding LPCM 2.0 track that offers good, consistent support for the film's daffy dialogue and some source cues by bands even diehard 80s aficionados have probably never heard of. There's solid midrange here that helps some of the musical moments. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Disc One

• Audio Commentaries

  Audio Commentary with Richard Friedman

  
  

  Audio Commentary with Ewan Cant and Amanda Reyes

  
  

  Audio Interviews with Composer Stacy Widelitz and Associate Producer Robert J. Koster

• Shop 'Til You Drop: The Making of Phantom of the Mall (HD; 42:22) is a really engaging featurette filled to the brim with fun interviews.


• The Vandals Go to the Mall (HD; 12:56) is an interview with Joe Escalante of the punk band The Vandals, who provide the film's theme song.


• Alternate and Deleted Scenes (HD; 7:20) are culled from the TV Cut of the film (see Disc Two).


• Trailers

  Domestic Trailer (HD; 1:41)

  
  

  International Trailer (HD; 1:59)

• Image Gallery (HD)

Disc Two

• TV Cut (HD; 1:28:36) is a "recreation" of the TV Cut, containing alternate, re-edited and deleted scenes, which includes some standard definition inserts for footage unique to this version.


• Composite "Phan" Cut (HD; 1:36:18) combines footage from both the Theatrical and TV Cuts.

Either despite or because of this film's status as a definite cult item, Arrow has really done another very nice job with packaging and non disc extras. A sturdy chipboard slipcase holds the keepcase with a reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Justin Osbourn. Also included in the slipbox is a 60 page fully illustrated perfect bound booklet with essays and production notes, as well as a large fold out double sided poster. The keepcase includes six postcard sized lobby card reproductions. Sleuths may want to poke around the discs for a surprise.

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Those wanting a contemporary take on Gaston Leroux's famous source tale might do better to stick with Phantom of the Paradise. It might be interesting for Schneid and Michelman to resurrect their original concept and see if they might be able to get it made the way they initially wanted, but that might presuppose the two are actually speaking to each other, which may be questionable from some subtext evident in the making of featurette. Technical merits are generally solid, and as usual for an Arrow release the supplementary package very impressive, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.