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| I was just watching this recently. What is everyone's thoughts on this? I always thought it formed a sort of subliminal trilogy with "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Shock Treatment". Here's an interesting write-up about that I found in the old version of the Rocky Music website: QUOTE Here is an explanation of this that was originally posted on alt.cult-movies.rocky-horror by a now unknown person: Okay, this gets a little tricky. First of all, I'm assuming that I don't have to list connections between "Shock Treatment" and "RHPS". These are obvious, and are well-documented elsewhere. We can already assume, then, two-thirds of the trilogy. Now for the last third - "Phantom of the Paradise". All three were released by 20th Century Fox. All three were rock musicals in which the songwriter had a principal role - and always as a villain or untrustworthy type (Ritz as Riff / Cosmo, Paul Williams as Swan). All three were unsuccessful initially but went on to get a cult following. All three have a running theme of voyeurism through video (cameras, monitors, etc.). Both "RHPS" and "POTP" were rock updates of classic horror stories (the Frankenstein story, "Phantom of the Opera"). "POTP" and "Shock" were both satrical reflections on fame / wealth / glory. Look at the similarities between "ST" & "POTP" -- In both films, Jessica Harper plays a young innocent type who SHOULD BE in love with a clumsy, bespectacled goof (Winslow / Brad) but instead falls under the spell of a powerful, mysterious svengali (Swan / Farley). In both films, the powerful mysterious svengali has the clumsy, bespectacled goof locked up and safely out of the way (Winslow goes to Sing Sing, Brad goes to Dentonvale). In both films, Jessica Harper's character is drugged to keep her under the svengali's spell. In both films, Jessica Harper wins over an audience by belting out a song. (It just takes one song to make Jessica famous in both films.) In both films, the clumsy goof breaks free and manages to disrupt the svengali's big public event in the film's climax (Brad bursts onto the "Faith Factory" set, Winslow disrupts the "Faust" concerts at the Paradise). In both films, Jessica's character finally comes to her senses and rejoins the clumsy goof. (Although in "POTP", it's too late; Winslow is dead.) As for "POTP"/"RHPS" connections: there are stylized versions of the "birth" of Frankenstein's monster in both films. And once the blond, handsome, sex-obsessed Frankenstein monsters (Beef or Rocky) come to life, what do they both do? Sing, of course! (And notice how the women who stitch Beef together resemble Magenta.) Also, both "RHPS" and "POTP" have nostalgic, 1950s-sounding songs about dead rockers named Eddie! Farley, Frank, and Swan can also be seen as soulmates. All are powerful, all have underlings, all have a hypnotic charm, all are vain, and two out of three of them are killed at the end. One unmistakable thing: we don't get a good look at either Swan or Farley for a while in the film, and Frank's entrance is also late in coming. And the first shot of Frank is of his shoes. The first shot of Swan is of his gloves. And the first shot of Farley is all dark and shadowy. And notice how both Swan and Frank live in big creepy houses / castles that look really cool during a rainstorm with lightning! And dozens of critics have noticed similarities between Gerrit Graham's portrayal of Beef and Tim Curry's portrayal of Frank. "RHPS" and "POTP" also both make use of corny, time-worn cinematic techniques (those "wipes" between scenes, for example). In both "ST" and "POTP" the line between "reality" and "entertainment" is severely blurred, yet the audience couldn't care less! Oh, I could go on and on... END QUOTE
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