PHANTOM OF THE MALL: ERIC’S REVENGE (1989)
Tagline: At Midwood Mall, Prices Aren't The Only Thing Being Slashed
(Horror, Romance, A Trip To The Mall) [R]
Peter, it’s like he’s still around, I know he’s still around…
In this one, some investors want to open a mall to make a ton of money right where this guy Eric lives. When he resists they burn his house down with him and his girlfriend Melody in it. Melody escapes but the whereabouts of Eric is unknown. Unless you read the title and figure out he’s alive, badly burnt, and pissed. Eric wears a creepy Phantom of the Opera-like mask because it’s the 80’s, and is killing anyone responsible for the mall that has just opened…as well as anyone that even remotely messes with Melody….
When it comes to the plot, this one actually has a pretty decent storyline for what it is. We get everything from a killer that will literally high kick you, to a cover-up regarding Eric’s house burning down, a TV getting punched, a cobra, and even some murder attempts that have nothing to do with the main villain..."classic Spanky".
Acting-wise this movie actually managed to have several stars. This is definitely the first horror movie I have seen Paulie Shore in. He actually gets a lot of lines, so it’s more than just a cameo. Morgan Fairchild plays the Mayor who for some reason just hangs out at the mall all the time. Rob Estes (best known for the TV show CSI Miami) plays a dude named Peter who is just really into Melody, and man, in this movie you do not freakin want to be into Melody. Melody is Eric’s x-girlfriend and he is just not having any of that. The central character is Kari Whitman who plays Melody and she fits this role pretty well. I can’t really say any of the roles are don’t badly especially given that this is a fairly obscure 80’s horror movie.
For some strong points, if you love the 80’s this film is all 80’s all the time. It’s not nearly as good as CHOPPING MALL, but it’s far from being bad. The score is solid and the effects are actually not bad at all. I will say the gore level is low, so if you came for that, there isn’t a ton, but for me, it’s right in my wheelhouse of cheese. The final song by “The Vandals” is also deliciously goofy.
The week point is some of the added parts of the plot that seemed not only out of place but over the top even for this flick. The lighting is also pretty rough through most of this film. Some added lighting even though it’s underground for parts of the film would have added to the look, it’s not like the makeup or mask or whatever was going on was bad. The baseball cap on the killer though? Bad, that was bad.
If you are thinking about watching this, I highly recommend looking it up on a streaming service because the DVD and BLU-RAY come with a higher price tag than I would want to pay.
For me, this is a 4 out of 7. It’s not going to blow minds, but it’s a pretty good addition to any horror marathon, especially for fans of the ’80s.
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