Ep.74: The Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Winslow Leach is a young man who wants to create heavenly music, even if he has to descend to the depths of hell to do it. Brian DePalma's (Scarface) Glam Rock reinterpretation of the Phantom of the Opera is a perfect encapsulation of 70s musical culture in all it's campy, stylized glory. In this episode we'll discuss the film, as well as the cultural influences that play into it's story. Despite being a box office, and critical failure Phantom of the Paradise has over the years developed a cult following and had a much bigger impact on the film and music industry than anyone could have imagined. Host Wyndham Jennings will tell you about the struggles to get it released, and why this early DePalma work should be considered one of the most important films of the 70s before discussing some of the trends it helped predict. Other films mentioned in this episode: The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Suspiria, Carrie, The Black Dahlia, Smokey and the Bandit, Used Cars, Rocky