The Music. Listen to the Music: Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

One genre that seems to be common in the film industry lately (unfortunately) is the remake.

Studios seem to want nothing more than to make the most money possible with the smallest amount of work. And what could require less work than something that has already been done before?

I began thinking about possible remakes for the future.  Classic films I'm sure Hollywood would love to get their hands on and tamper.  One of my all-time favorites instantly sprang to mind.

Brian De Palma's Phantom of the Paradise.

Released in 1974, Phantom is most likely the oldest film that will be covered on this blog. It premiered a year before The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which is interesting, considering that both films have a lot of similarities. Musical numbers. Off-beat performances.  And a larger-than-life "freak" of a main character. However, one of these similarities was not financial success, as Phantom was ultimately a box office flop.

Everywhere, that is, except Winnipeg, Manitoba (where the film has such a cult following that an annual festival, Phantompalooza, was created).

Photo credit: burningairlinesgiveyousomuchmore

Anyway, De Palma's film was truly ahead of its time, combining and bending genres. Is this film a musical? A drama? Romance? Science Fiction? It could honestly fit all of the above, and it does so without coming off as disjointed or confusing. The film is also unique in its inspirations. It takes aspects of Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and the Faustian myth, and rolling them all into one. It even makes brief references to other works such as Psycho and Frankenstein. And all of this is done in a way that tells a compelling story.  

There is just something so distinctly '70s about the film that it would forever be tarnished if a brave soul ever attempted to duplicate it. Still, I can't help pondering the possibilities.

Would the reels of film be replaced by some form of disc? I want you to see the film, so I will not spoil it, but a key element of the story is that in order for certain characters to be destroyed, so must video footage from film reels.

Photo credit: Pink Cow Photography

With the digital age we live in today (especially with sites like YouTube and Dailymotion), how would a director be able to pull off this key plot element?

Speaking of a director, who would do it?

Due to the "oddness" associated with Phantom, one name that would certainly come to mind would be Tim Burton.  Another choice could be Joel Schumacher, the director of the 2004 film version of Phantom of the Opera.  The problem is that Burton would certainly put his own spin on it, giving it a "Burton-esque" look and feel.  Though I admit to being a fan of this, it just does not fit Phantom at all. And though I am not as familiar with Schumacher's work, if it is anything like his version of Phantom of the Opera, I would expect something lavish, drawn out, and oversly romanticized.  Something again not at all like the Paradise.

And then there's casting.  If Tim Burton were the one to direct a remake, I can almost see the roles now.  Johnny Depp as the eccentric record mogul, Swan.  Helena Bonham Carter as the talented and Naive Phoenix. Michael Keaton as Winslow/The Phantom.

Please...No.

I can see it now and the vision is not a pretty one.  I am a fan of all three of these actors, but I know what they would bring to the project and it would just turn the film into something completely different.  It would lose its intimacy and its originality.

And the music. Let's talk about the music.

Photo credit: Dellamorte Dellamore

Music plays such a vital role in this film, Winslow and Phoenix both aspiring musicians while Swan runs the most powerful label on the planet.  How would this all be changed?

In the 1974 film, in a fit of rage, Winslow bursts into Swan's company and attempts to destroy stacks and stacks of vinyl records.  How would that work today? Would he have to smash a computer to bits? That just doesn't seem to hold the same weight.

Hopefully, the songs themselves, written by the great Paul Williams, wouldn't be changed.  Still, they would have to be redone and I just don't think anything could match the original renditions. I don't think Helena Bonham Carter would bring the same angelic Karen Carpenter-like voice that Jessica Harper does.

One humorous possibility is with the Juicy Fruits.  In the film, they are the most popular group of they time, and a target of Winslow's fury. An obvious replica of the Beach Boys, their songs are shallow pop hits with little to no lyrical meaning. What band would a director use today as inpiration? The Jonas Brothers?  That could be intriguing...if not more painful to hear.  

Another big change for the film would certainly have to do with the rating.

If you are one of those people who somehow see the MPAA's rating system as a bit lenient, let me just tell you....they were pushing it back in the 70s. At the time, a PG-13 rating did not exist in the US. There was only G, PG, R, and X. Not seeing anything truly worthy of an “R,” the MPAA labeled Phantom PG.

I tend to be one of those that think the MPAA are often too strict rather than lenient, but if Phantom of the Paradise were released today with a PG rating, parents would have coronaries left and right.

Between the pre-orgy talk, implied sexual harassment, drug references, and themes of death, murder, and selling one's soul, whatever remake produced would certainly need to receive a much higher rating.

Ultimately, it is not about the rating or the technology. There is just something special about De Palma's creation. Something timeless.

I fear that if anyone were to even try to duplicate it, they would just fall tragically short.