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4.6/10
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KISS, a rock band made up of superheroes, battles an evil inventor who has plans for destruction at a California amusement park.KISS, a rock band made up of superheroes, battles an evil inventor who has plans for destruction at a California amusement park.KISS, a rock band made up of superheroes, battles an evil inventor who has plans for destruction at a California amusement park.
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Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaPeter Criss was dubbed because he wouldn't show up to do looping (re-recording lines in post-production). His voice was dubbed by voiceover artist Michael Bell, who did a lot of work for Hanna-Barbera. Bell appeared in Rollercoaster (1977) which has a main filming location in common with this one: Magic Mountain.
- GoofsWhen Gene sets the mummy on fire, the flames apparently spread much faster than intended. The stunt man playing the mummy says "Shit!" as he stumbles backwards. It's a made-for-TV movie aimed at children, so the language was not intentional.
- Alternate versionsThe Spanish version of "KISS Meets The Phantom of the Park" (usually known as "Attack of the Phantoms") has totally different editing. Many various scenes/elements not in the US version (while many in the US version are not in the Spanish version). Among of the differences are:
- Devereaux's Civil War robots are seen attacking the security guard's office.
- Calvin and Devereaux have a discussion on the Magic Mountain monorail and continue it as they get off the ride.
- There are additional live shots of KISS, including some from overhead, including one where you can clearly see a cameraman on stage.
- KISS' promotional videos from 1979, "I Was Made For Loving You" and "Sure Know Something," from their "Dynasty" album, are inserted in the movie as live concert performances, despite the completely different costumes and staging from the previous shot before the songs begin.
- The entire movie uses different music, especially a lot of KISS solo album music, and even a little bit of an instrumental of KISS' "Almost Human."
- Paul Stanley shoots Sam's remote control with his eye laser. In the US version, he simply takes it out of Sam's skin with his hand.
- There are additional shots during most of the KISS fight scenes, as well as many quick scenes throughout the film. Just one example of many, the guy staring at Melissa at the snack bar wipes the table with his hand, while in the US version he does not.
- This version ends with a shot of Devereaux walking in the park (the scene after Calvin fired him) and then going into the credits which scroll, while the US version ends with KISS performing "God of Thunder."
- ConnectionsFeatured in Kissology: The Ultimate Kiss Collection Vol. 2 1978-1991 (2007)
- SoundtracksRadioactive
Composed by Gene Simmons
Featured review
Uh, maybe this wasn't the best career move guys...
I'm no KISS lover, nor am I a KISS hater; I suppose I'm a bit of a casual fan. I am however, a lover of movies of the genre that is sometimes called "Inexplicable." KISS Meets The Phantom (Of the Park) is such a movie. A real head-scratcher. You'll be scratching your head so damn much your scalp will start to flake. I think this movie keeps Head and Shoulders in business.
KISS star as themselves (Sort of, they are the band KISS, but they only refer to themselves as "The Demon" or "Space Ace" and so on), in a, well, really, a TV movie, but even then, that doesn't explain how poor the quality is. TV movies look better than this, heck, most after school specials have this beat. Anyway, KISS is playing 3 days of concerts at an unamed amusement park (In reality, Magic Mountain in California), and in between their 2-song concerts (That's as much as we see anyway), they fight the evil shenanigans of an evil inventor who works in a secret lab underneath the park.
Although I can't recall him ever being referred to in the film as "The Phantom" I have to assume he is the titular character. He certainly doesn't wear pink tights and fire pistols; though that probably would have pepped up the plot, which is droll and inane to say the least.
Here's the main problem. Amongst the opening credits you will prominently see displayed as Executive Producer one Joseph Barberra, famous for the Hanna Barberra cartoons. You will also notice a lot of musical cues and story elements that seem plucked right out of bad episodes of Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, Josie and the Pussycats and others. I'm not reaching here, a lot of sounds and music are exactly the same. Basically, the film is a live action Hanna Barberra cartoon, complete with terrible laser beam eye blasts and fire breath (One time you can see the physical edges of the effect, not a proud moment for Gene). This movie could have worked as a cartoon, or as a KISS movie about, I dunno, a concert. Instead its A Hard Days Scooby, and a poor one at that.
KISS certainly don't help their cause, Gene is really the only one who seems comfortable in his non-performance scenes, and he's hindered by a weird reverb effect on his voice that makes him almost impossible to understand. Ace and Paul are both more wooden than George Washington's teeth, and "The Cat" sounds an awful lot like Duke from GI Joe (His voice having been redubbed in post because, well, it was bad). In one scene, Ace is also clearly a stunt double, who's...well, black. In another, he's Asian. Oops.
I know I've made it sound awful but...well, okay so it's awful. But KISS Meets The Phantom often achieves that rare goofy quality of a movie that isn't so much bad, as it is completely insane and way off base. It's not as funny as a Plan 9, or a Gymkata, but it is worthy of at least one viewing with a big crowd of rowdy friends.
KISS star as themselves (Sort of, they are the band KISS, but they only refer to themselves as "The Demon" or "Space Ace" and so on), in a, well, really, a TV movie, but even then, that doesn't explain how poor the quality is. TV movies look better than this, heck, most after school specials have this beat. Anyway, KISS is playing 3 days of concerts at an unamed amusement park (In reality, Magic Mountain in California), and in between their 2-song concerts (That's as much as we see anyway), they fight the evil shenanigans of an evil inventor who works in a secret lab underneath the park.
Although I can't recall him ever being referred to in the film as "The Phantom" I have to assume he is the titular character. He certainly doesn't wear pink tights and fire pistols; though that probably would have pepped up the plot, which is droll and inane to say the least.
Here's the main problem. Amongst the opening credits you will prominently see displayed as Executive Producer one Joseph Barberra, famous for the Hanna Barberra cartoons. You will also notice a lot of musical cues and story elements that seem plucked right out of bad episodes of Scooby-Doo, Super Friends, Josie and the Pussycats and others. I'm not reaching here, a lot of sounds and music are exactly the same. Basically, the film is a live action Hanna Barberra cartoon, complete with terrible laser beam eye blasts and fire breath (One time you can see the physical edges of the effect, not a proud moment for Gene). This movie could have worked as a cartoon, or as a KISS movie about, I dunno, a concert. Instead its A Hard Days Scooby, and a poor one at that.
KISS certainly don't help their cause, Gene is really the only one who seems comfortable in his non-performance scenes, and he's hindered by a weird reverb effect on his voice that makes him almost impossible to understand. Ace and Paul are both more wooden than George Washington's teeth, and "The Cat" sounds an awful lot like Duke from GI Joe (His voice having been redubbed in post because, well, it was bad). In one scene, Ace is also clearly a stunt double, who's...well, black. In another, he's Asian. Oops.
I know I've made it sound awful but...well, okay so it's awful. But KISS Meets The Phantom often achieves that rare goofy quality of a movie that isn't so much bad, as it is completely insane and way off base. It's not as funny as a Plan 9, or a Gymkata, but it is worthy of at least one viewing with a big crowd of rowdy friends.
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- Mr. Pulse
- Jul 7, 2001
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What is the Japanese language plot outline for Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park (1978)?
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