#11 - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)
(dir. Brian De Palma)
This movie is pretty awesome - a modern (well, relatively) version of Phantom of the Opera told as a rock opera, directed by the great Brian De Palma. Winslow, a talented but geeky composer, has his masterpiece ("Faust: A Rock Cantata") stolen by an evil record producer, who wants to premiere it at the opening of his new club called The Paradise. After being disfigured and presumed dead, Winslow returns to haunt the Paradise, and makes a bargain with the very same producer in order to have it performed by the woman he loves (played by Jessica Harper, best known for Suspiria).
De Palma is a fantastic director, and his talent is in full force here. He uses his signature split-screen technique (most famously used in the prom scene in Carrie) in two different scenes to great effect, creating suspense that rivals Hitchcock. He also visually references various classic horror films throughout this movie, including a shower scene that plays on the famous one from Psycho, and a finale concert with scenery straight out of James Whale's Frankenstein. The music is great too, ranging from doo-wop to surf music to heavy metal.
Even though it isn't particularly horrific, this is probably the best film I've watched so far this year. An absolute classic that I can't recommend enough.
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