Phantom of the Paradise

Brian de Palma's great, overlooked 1970s glitter-rock comedy-musical spectacle is a memorable combination of THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA and FAUST. Winslow Leach (William Finley) is a talented young rock composer/janitor whose music is stolen and whose life is destroyed by a ruthless record tycoon named Swan (Paul Williams)-who just happens to have sold his soul in exchange for rock-n-roll success and eternal youth! The ruined and disfigured Leach becomes the Phantom, an imposing leather-clad creature who is hell-bent on demolishing Swan as the diabolical music mogul prepares to open his biggest venture yet- a rock-and-roll palace called The Paradise. Eerily prescient in it's depiction of yet-to-exist musical genres, this stunningly original and darkly comic rock nightmare features voice over narration by Rod Serling, and memorable original songs by the multi-talented Williams. Academy Award Nominations: Best Original Song Score (Paul Williams/George Aliceson Tipton).