Winslow Leach (William Finley) has spent his life writing a major cantata of the story of Faust only to see it stolen and bastardized by pop music impresario Swan (Paul Williams). Discredited, disfigured, and disgusted, Leach sets out to sabotage Swan's music palace, The Paradise, only to succumb to the lure of fame and the talent of Phoenix (Jessica Harper), his muse and unrequited love. But when Swan sets his greedy sights on Phoenix, Winslow knows he must destroy the monster once and for all.
There is A LOT to unpack in this movie. It is Faust, Phantom of the Opera, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and a searing satire of Phil Specter and the history of rock-n-roll all tossed in a blender with a fuckload of cocaine and directed by giallo-noir pioneer Brian DePalma with a soundtrack of parody and an actual Faust musical written by the Muppets' "Rainbow Connection" guy who is also the villain of the movie. Somehow it came out a year before Rocky Horror which feels like the fakest part but is true.
In the words of the prophet Stefani, it is B-A-N-A-N-A-S.
This was a major flop that has become kind of a cult classic but still isn't hugely known. It's streaming on Amazon Prime and words truly do not do it justice. If you liked Rocky Horror and its very lesser-known sequel, Shock Treatment, this will feel like a long-lost sister film. If you didn't, stay far away.
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