Tag Archives: I Sold My Soul for Rock 'n Roll

Phantom of the Paradise Is the ’70s Rock Musical You Need to See

William Finley and T.O.N.T.O. in a scene from Phantom of the Paradise (1974) directed by Brian De Palma with music by Paul Williams
William Finley as Winslow Leach and T.O.N.T.O. in Phantom of the Paradise

On its surface, Phantom of the Paradise, the 1974 sold-my-soul-for-rock-n-roll musical, may not seem like it’s a Brian De Palma film. It’s, essentially, a retelling of The Phantom of the Opera with a meta-dose of Faustian legend, along with touches of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s campy, drawing plenty of comparisons to Rocky Horror, the film adaptation of which came out the following year. But, if you stick around to the movie’s final concert scene— and you should— you might have the same reaction that I did, which is, “OMG, Carrie!

Continue reading Phantom of the Paradise Is the ’70s Rock Musical You Need to See