Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park
02-01-04 | 06:10 PM
#5
DVD Talk Special Edition
Rip and Destroy!
29 things you probably didn’t know (or need to know) about "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park"
compiled by Alison and Thorgrim
1) The movie premiered on NBC on Saturday, October 28, 1978, at 8:00 p.m., a month or so after the KISS solo albums were released.
2) KISS sold more than $200 million in merchandise that year.
3) It was the second-most-watched television production of the year, trailing only the "Shogun" mini-series.
4) The home video was released in the ’80s.
5) On TV it was also known as ‘Attack of the Phantoms,’ ‘KISS in Attack of the Phantoms’ and in Sweden (where incredibly, the movie actually made it to the big screen), ‘KISS Och Fantomen På Tivolit.’
6) Gordon Hessler directed the movie. He also directed ‘The Money Pit’ and several episodes of ‘Kolchak: the Night Stalker.’
7) It was produced by Hanna-Barbera.
8) The titular Phantom of the Park, Abner Devereaux, is played by Anthony Zerbe. He also starred alongside Charleton Heston in ‘The Omega Man.’
9) The hooligans’ names are Slime, Chopper and Dirty Dee (the girl).
10) Sneed, the mustachioed security guard who gets his ass kicked by the Gene Simmons robot, is played by late, great B-movie star Brion James of ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Frogtown II’ and ‘Corvette Summer’ fame.
11) Gene can blow fire, Paul can shoot laser beams from his eyes, Ace can do backflips and Peter can’t get his lines right.
12) This required voice actor Norman Alden to overdub them during post-production.
13) Peter’s excuse? "I was still married and I was having an affair and, jesus christ, I had all my energies into this beautiful centerfolder."
14) This plot was supposed to be part three of the KISS superhero comic-book story.
15) Sam, the Phantom’s zombie-like robot accomplice, is played by Terry Lester, who is also known for his work in "The Young and the Restless," "Santa Barbara" and "As the World Turns."
16) Filming took about five weeks. It began at Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. but also took place at the former ‘Gone with the Wind’ set in Culver City as well as in the Hollywood Hills.
17) Although one highlight of the film is an acoustic version of "Beth," Peter says he has no memory of being involved with it.
18) Frustrated with the filmmaking process, Ace would disappear from the set for entire days to "do his own thing."
19) Speaking of Ace, his stunt double was black.
20) Filming was often miserable for KISS because it was often very cold outside. Apparently the sparkly bodysuits didn’t provide a lot of warmth.
21) On May 19 KISS played a free concert at Magic Mountain to 10,000 fans, and the show was filmed for the concert sequences.
22) For the movie, KISS transformed "Hotter than Hell" into the hastily penned (in five minutes, by Paul, in his trailer) "Rip and Destroy."
23) He came up with: It’s time for everyone to listen good / We’re taking all we can stand / You’ve got the power to rip down these walls / It’s in the palm of your hand... / Rip, rip, rip and destroy / You know the hour’s getting late / Rip, rip, rip and destroy / Break it down and seal your fate
24) The live show for the movie marked KISS’ last live performance for more than a year, until the Dynasty Tour.
25) In 1978 KISS was the first group to be offered the role of Future Villain Band in the movie ‘. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (a flop) but they turned down the role. It was given to Aerosmith instead.
26) The LA Times review called it "a four-star abomination, a five-minute cartoon posing as a two-hour movie."
27) The members of KISS hated the film after it was made, and for years members of the KISS organization and entourage were forbidden to mention it.
28) KISS’ had planned to do a "real" feature film in February of the following year, and saw their TV movie as a way to prepare a wider audience for it. Gene expounded, "I think it’s going to be in the same kind of league as ‘Superman’ and ‘Star Wars,’ that kind of taste. But I think it’s going to be on a huge scale. You’re going to be talking about millions upon millions of people going to see these movies."
29) This did not happen.
29 things you probably didn’t know (or need to know) about "KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park"
compiled by Alison and Thorgrim
1) The movie premiered on NBC on Saturday, October 28, 1978, at 8:00 p.m., a month or so after the KISS solo albums were released.
2) KISS sold more than $200 million in merchandise that year.
3) It was the second-most-watched television production of the year, trailing only the "Shogun" mini-series.
4) The home video was released in the ’80s.
5) On TV it was also known as ‘Attack of the Phantoms,’ ‘KISS in Attack of the Phantoms’ and in Sweden (where incredibly, the movie actually made it to the big screen), ‘KISS Och Fantomen På Tivolit.’
6) Gordon Hessler directed the movie. He also directed ‘The Money Pit’ and several episodes of ‘Kolchak: the Night Stalker.’
7) It was produced by Hanna-Barbera.
8) The titular Phantom of the Park, Abner Devereaux, is played by Anthony Zerbe. He also starred alongside Charleton Heston in ‘The Omega Man.’
9) The hooligans’ names are Slime, Chopper and Dirty Dee (the girl).
10) Sneed, the mustachioed security guard who gets his ass kicked by the Gene Simmons robot, is played by late, great B-movie star Brion James of ‘Blade Runner,’ ‘Frogtown II’ and ‘Corvette Summer’ fame.
11) Gene can blow fire, Paul can shoot laser beams from his eyes, Ace can do backflips and Peter can’t get his lines right.
12) This required voice actor Norman Alden to overdub them during post-production.
13) Peter’s excuse? "I was still married and I was having an affair and, jesus christ, I had all my energies into this beautiful centerfolder."
14) This plot was supposed to be part three of the KISS superhero comic-book story.
15) Sam, the Phantom’s zombie-like robot accomplice, is played by Terry Lester, who is also known for his work in "The Young and the Restless," "Santa Barbara" and "As the World Turns."
16) Filming took about five weeks. It began at Magic Mountain in Valencia, Calif. but also took place at the former ‘Gone with the Wind’ set in Culver City as well as in the Hollywood Hills.
17) Although one highlight of the film is an acoustic version of "Beth," Peter says he has no memory of being involved with it.
18) Frustrated with the filmmaking process, Ace would disappear from the set for entire days to "do his own thing."
19) Speaking of Ace, his stunt double was black.
20) Filming was often miserable for KISS because it was often very cold outside. Apparently the sparkly bodysuits didn’t provide a lot of warmth.
21) On May 19 KISS played a free concert at Magic Mountain to 10,000 fans, and the show was filmed for the concert sequences.
22) For the movie, KISS transformed "Hotter than Hell" into the hastily penned (in five minutes, by Paul, in his trailer) "Rip and Destroy."
23) He came up with: It’s time for everyone to listen good / We’re taking all we can stand / You’ve got the power to rip down these walls / It’s in the palm of your hand... / Rip, rip, rip and destroy / You know the hour’s getting late / Rip, rip, rip and destroy / Break it down and seal your fate
24) The live show for the movie marked KISS’ last live performance for more than a year, until the Dynasty Tour.
25) In 1978 KISS was the first group to be offered the role of Future Villain Band in the movie ‘. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ (a flop) but they turned down the role. It was given to Aerosmith instead.
26) The LA Times review called it "a four-star abomination, a five-minute cartoon posing as a two-hour movie."
27) The members of KISS hated the film after it was made, and for years members of the KISS organization and entourage were forbidden to mention it.
28) KISS’ had planned to do a "real" feature film in February of the following year, and saw their TV movie as a way to prepare a wider audience for it. Gene expounded, "I think it’s going to be in the same kind of league as ‘Superman’ and ‘Star Wars,’ that kind of taste. But I think it’s going to be on a huge scale. You’re going to be talking about millions upon millions of people going to see these movies."
29) This did not happen.
02-02-04 | 06:04 PM
#6
DVD Talk Reviewer & TOAT Winner
Shogun wasn't on until 1980.
