Phantom of the Paradise
I was not myself last night
Could not comfort myself with flowers
How'd They Make a Film Like Phantom of the Paradise?
Part 1: Faust in the 70s
This question ran through my mind when watching <PERSON> Phantom of the Paradise. Yes, Faust is a common story to adapt. But this was made in the New Hollywood 70s. The sexploitation porno 70s. The "I am not a crook" 70s. A story about a deal with the Devil where the Devil is in no uncertain terms the villain sounds foreign even in the 70s, let alone today. <PERSON> interest is moral tales not for families. Those statements may sound opposing to some, but morality does not bend to MPAA whims. You can teach young children "the world is yours" or "viva le revolucion" now. <PERSON> answers "the world is yours" with a man dying in a pool of his own blood.
Part 2: Brian's Moral Tales
But what is interesting is that <PERSON> works, or seemingly does, on the way of God. The Bible tells moral tales, but in ways our modern world call adult-geared. Remember <PERSON> and <PERSON>'s infidelity? Remember <PERSON> and <PERSON>? Remember even the Crucifixion? It's why I don't squirm at certain ideas and concepts if they are depicted. It's why I discern. It's not that it's being depicted. It's how it's being depicted. 952
It's what separates <PERSON> from <PERSON>. It's what separates <PERSON> from <PERSON>.
Part 3: Your Best Entertainment
Phantom of the Paradise is a moral tale about the entertainment industry. <PERSON> is a <PERSON> figure, <PERSON> is a <PERSON> figure, and the "Phantom" is an ordinary man trying to expose what's really going down at the Paradise. There's also this <PERSON> dude tearing <PERSON> apart before <PERSON>. Don't believe me? Well, let me tell you a tale. Do you know why <PERSON> isn't making movies anymore? There are two reasons. One, <PERSON> wanted <PERSON> to make a film for him. <PERSON> refused and was in essence, excommunicated. Two, <PERSON> made a controversial War on Terror film known as Redacted that made the neocons really, really angry. Now with that said, is <PERSON> the 70s sleaze artist some will gleefully portray him as or was he just a dude showing a mirror into New Hollywood and the Uniparty establishment that did a little too good of a job?
Part 4: Epilogue
I'll keep it real here. I have only scratched the surface in regards to Phantom of the Paradise and <PERSON>. <PERSON> is a man who strikes me as one who despises the Hollywood and entertainment industry, but loves storytelling. He reminds of me of me. He also doesn't genuflect to the whims of people of power trips no matter the individual cause, good or bad. If Scarface and Phantom of the Paradise are any indication, he is my kind of auteur. 698