KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978) (TV)

User Rating:

4.0/10   

Director:

Gordon Hessler

Writers:

Jan Michael Sherman (written by) and
Don Buday (written by)

Release Date:

28 October 1978 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Music | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Plot:

The tale of rock band KISS and their efforts to thwart a diabolical plan by mad scientist Abner Devereaux...

Plot Keywords:

Robot | Clone | Band | Rock Band | Amusement Park

Cast

Peter Criss	...	Cat Man
Ace Frehley	...	Space Ace
Gene Simmons	...	The Demon
Paul Stanley	...	Star Child
Anthony Zerbe	...	Abner Devereaux
Carmine Caridi	...	Calvin Richards
Deborah Ryan	...	Melissa
John Dennis Johnston	...	Chopper
John Lisbon Wood	...	Slime
Lisa Jane Persky	...	Dirty Dee
John Chappell	...	Sneed
Terry Lester	...	Sam Farrell
Don Steele	...	Himself (as The Real Don Steele)
Richard Hein	...	Guard
Brion James	...	Guard

Also Known As:

Attack of the Phantoms
KISS in Attack of the Phantoms

Runtime:

96 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Finland:K-14 | UK:15 | West Germany:16

Filming Locations:

Six Flags Magic Mountain - 26101 Magic Mountain Parkway, Valencia, California, USA

Company:

Hanna-Barbera Productions

Trivia:

The cartoon-style music that appears during fight sequences was added after the production team realized that the film needed a lower certificate to enable younger 'KISS' fans (the majority) to see the film.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The black male stunt double of Ace Frehley 'Space Ace' is sometimes clearly seen from upfront.

Quotes:

Abner Devereaux: Armageddon is coming to this park tonight.
Cat Man: We don't work with a second act, Deveroux, besides, Armageddon is a lame group.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Kiss: Beyond the Makeup (2001) (TV)

The "Citizen Kane" of Generation X

I'm going to assume that you, the reader, have already been privileged enough to view this masterpiece. Most likely, like most of the world's population, you have seen it multiple times and probably own your own copy, as I do. I will also go out on a limb and assume that you are aware of Gene Simmons' acting chops. They speak for themselves. Here we see a master thespian at the peak of his craft, eliciting emotions and feelings as only one as trained and skilled as he can do. Assuming you already know these things, I will spare you intricate plot details and my hypothesis on all of the metaphors and double-entendres that exist in this cinematic celluloid achievement. What we've got here is a cultural landmark the likes of which may not be fully understood for centuries to come. Like "Riding With Death" and Steven Speilberg's "2001: A Space Odyssey" before it, "KISS Meets a Phantom in a Park (1978) (TV)" asks questions of the mind, heart, body and soul. Where Speilberg failed, George Lucas succeeds with this film, his directorial debut. And what a stellar debut it is. Originally titled "KISS in Attack of the Phantom", Lucas wisely retitled the film due to his imminent release 20 years later of the similarly titled films "Attack of the Clones" and "The Phantom Menace". Whatever title he chose, "KISS Meets the Phantom in a Park (1978) (TV)" surpasses those two films by leaps and bounds, and indeed is even vastly superior to the 1982 original "Star Wars". Though released in (1978) for (TV), the special effects and brilliant stunt work were far ahead of their time and truly belonged on the big screen. Only with `The Star Wars Holiday Special' and perhaps "Corvette Summer" would Lucas come close to the greatness he ultimately captured in "KISS in KISS Meets a Phantom in a Park Who Attacks Them (1978) (TV)". Sadly, he would never approach that level of mastery again, though some (myself included) would argue that his Executive Producer credit on "Glitter" should have earned him an Oscar. To sum up, an overall brilliant film, utterly bereft of flaws. A timeless and intriguing piece of work that to this day does not fail to frighten, educate, thrill, and provoke thought. This is the quintessential Rock and/or Roll film that writer/director/star Kevin Costner tried to bring to fruition in his half-baked, ill-fated, ill-received 1984 film `Pink Floyd: The Wall'. Costner failed, and failed miserably. Of course he would go on to make some of the best short films of all time, including `Waterworld' and `The Postman', but neither he, nor anyone else would ever attempt again to match the glory, mystique and power of the film that is `KISS Star in a Phantom Meeting In The Park (TV) (1978)'.