Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge

My review was written in May 1989 after a Cannes Film Festival Market screening.

Horror movie cliches get a ho-hum airing in "Phantom of the Mall", a sleep-inducing effort which generates camp humor only in its ridiculous final reel, probably too late for most fans.

Mayor of Midwood, California, Morgan Fairchild, inaugurates a new shopping mall, but a masked figure stalking the airshafts starts killing people. His main target is pretty young waitress Kari Whitman, who in her nightmares is convinced the killer is her dead boyfriend Eric.

Rather strained script contrives an additional killer plus a couple of nefarious villains. Visual references to the "Phantom of the Opera" don't come off, and the phantom's makeup job is poor and unscary.

Final reel features some effective stuntwork and breathless pacing, with the deaths and twists sadly coming so fast that it's funny. If only helmer Richard Friedman had turned up the throttle earlier. (Producer Tom Fries is credited with directing additional footage.)

Kari Whitman makes an empathetic heroine, but her flashback sex scenes are poorly shot and use of a nude body double is obvious. Fairchild has little to do until the slambang finale, while rest of the cast is adequate.

The sound quality and picture quality were a little ugly but this could have been down to a bad quality transfer. The effects and design were ample for the purpose. Nothing special though. I liked the attempt at a modern take of a classic story. Shame that it is really tacky and unimaginative! Still tacky cheesy fun is contained within which is something. It was enjoyable seeing Pauly Shore looking fresh-faced and young but he hadn't fully become the weasel yet. Apart from one cool moment and some fun stunts it is average tacky cheese from the eighties. This deserves a remake, it could have been better!

I recently watched Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge (1989) on Shudder. The plot revolves around a young man determined to hold onto his home, which a developer aims to replace with a mall. When he refuses to sell, the developer resorts to arson with the young man and girlfriend inside the home, resulting in tragedy. Presumed dead, the young man's girlfriend survives, while he becomes a deformed entity wreaking havoc within the newly built mall.

Directed by Richard Friedman (Doom Asylum), the film features performances by Jonathan Goldsmith (known for Dos Equis commercials), Derek Rydall (Popcorn), Pauly Shore (Son in Law), Morgan Fairchild (Campus Man), and Ken Foree (Dawn of the Dead).

Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge strikes a balance as not great but also not bad, yet undeniably entertaining. It encapsulates the essence of 80s cinema with its characters, storyline, attire, and settings. While the kills lack gore and sophistication, there's a quirky charm to the corpses and dismemberments. The reveal is straightforward yet enjoyable, and the presence of a young Pauly Shore adds to the film's nostalgic appeal.

In conclusion, Phantom of the Mall: Eric's Revenge is a delightful 80s horror gem that will resonate with fans of the era. I'd give it a 7/10 and suggest giving it a watch, at least once.

Dont be put off this film by the star rating or the tacky movie title. I collect 80s B- movie classics and i quite enjoyed this movie. Its about a girl who starts a new job in a mall and is still traumatised over the death of her boyfriend(Eric)and evidence keeps on showing up that makes her believe he may still be alive. He protects her when she is in danger, and goes on a murderous rampage. The Fx arent fantastic but the story is quite interesting and the acting is reasonable, (ive seen worse). So if you can find a copy catch it if you can!

One of the cornerstones of low-budget cinema is taking a well-known, classic storyline and making a complete bastardization out of it. Phantom of the Mall is no exception to this rule. The screenwriter takes the enduring Phantom of the Opera storyline and moves it into a late '80s shopping mall. However, the "Phantom's" goal now is simply to get revenge upon those responsible for disfiguring his face and murdering his family. The special effects do provide a good chuckle, especially when body parts begin appearing in dishes from the yogurt stand. Pauly Shore has a small role which does not allow him to be as fully obnoxious as one would expect, mostly due to the fact that his fifteen minutes of MTV fame had not yet arrived. If you're looking for a few good laughs at the expense of the actors and special effects crew, check this flick out. Otherwise, keep on looking for something else.