Hi, everyone. "Moriarty" here with some Rumblings From The Lab...
Oh, man, I wish I was going to this. And I wish Guillermo Del Toro (the biggest PHANTOM fan I know) was my date so we could sing along to the movie and then tackle William Finley and Gerrit Graham after the film to explain to them why they are fucking gods.
In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, PHANTOM OF THE PARADISE is one of the most preposterously great underrated films of the ‘70s, and one of the highlights of Brian De Palma’s long and underrated career. It’s a great musical, a wicked pisstake on glam rock, and hilariously funny while still managing to be creepy all at once. Fuck Andrew Lloyd Webber right in his pants. This is the PHANTOM for me. And now... well, just check out what’s going on in Winnipeg...
Hey Harry
Thought I'd give you a heads up on 'Phantompalooza' Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise!
PotP bombed virtually everywhere it opened in late 1974 and was gone, written off with two weeks. EXCEPT in Winnipeg, Canada where it found an audience, and stayed on local screens for an astounding 62 weeks!
To commemorative this prescient display of good taste. a group of local volunteers has organized a one-day event on April 23 which will see a screening of the film at the original theatre where it played for over a year (the theatre has been converted to a conference centre a few years ago and is no longer used for feature films, but we were given a tour of it a couple of weeks ago and it is like stepping into the way-back machine and popping out in 1975! We are going to dig through our collections of memorabilia and dress up the lobby just the way it was 30 years ago.)
Confirmed attendees: William "Winslow Leach" Finley.....AND....Gerrit "Beef" Graham!!
Unfortunately Brian De Palma is unable to attend due to his current shoot of "The Black Dahlia" in Bulgaria, but is aware of the event and has sent his blessing. Ditto for Paul "Swan" Williams. Jessica "Phoenix" Harper unfortunately had to bow out due to family commitments but will be preparing a special taped greeting for us. But we are absolutely thrilled to have two of the original stars on their way up to the great white north for this event!
Fans are coming up to Winnipeg all the way from Florida, Virginia, Minnesota, California and across our frozen land to celebrate Phantom-mania!
Cheers,
Doug Carlson
Phantompalooza Organizing Committee
Doug, I wish you nothing but good luck with this one. It sounds like enormous fun, and if I thought I could sneak away, I would. When is there ever going to be another celebration of this particular film?
"Moriarty" out.
