Shopping

A group of teens(among them lovely Barbara Crampton from "Re-Animator" and "From Beyond")are terrorized in a shopping mall by a bunch of killer security robots."Chopping Mall" is a highly energetic horror film that is perfect for younger horror fans.The film is well-made,delightfully cheesy and it offers some memorable set-pieces(check out a head explosion scene!).The characters are likeable and there are some great one liners.Highly recommended.Director Jim Wynorski made also "Sorority House Massacre 2","976 Evil 2:The Astral Factor" and "Hard to Die".

CHOPPING MALL is one of those cheapies made in the 1980s that was probably green-lighted because of the expanding video market. Even though it was released theatrically, CHOPPING MALL looks more like a direct-to-video movie than anything else. The video I saw had a terrible transfer (out of focus and murky) and the cheesiness of it all could have made this a chore to sit through but even with those things going against it, the film was fun and fast paced. It's totally played for laughs and never takes itself seriously. The upbeat goofiness basically saves CHOPPING MALL from the usually unwatchable Concord/New World junk.

It's a definite minor Cult film.

Security robots at a Los Angeles mall malfunction after a lightning strike and become a deadly threat to a group of youths partying at a furniture store after hours.

"Chopping Mall" (1986) takes the malevolent robot idea of "Westworld" (1973) and places it in the mall setting of "Dawn of the Dead" (1978) with robots that look like malicious versions of "Short Circuit" (1986) and R2D2. "RoboCop" didn't debut until the next year.

Winsome girl-next-door Kelli Maroney is a highlight as protagonist Alison while Russell Todd from "Friday the 13th Part 2" (1981) is stalwart as Rick. Suzee Slater as Leslie is a'right. This is a spirited Grade B flick but at the end of the day it's a throwaway; it's fun and well-executed, but somehow hollow and forgettable.

The movie runs 1 hour, 17 minutes, and was shot in Los Angeles at the Sherman Oaks Galleria, which was also used in "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (1982) and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991).

GRADE: B-/C+

A treasure trove of teen movie clichés and outlandish murders, Chopping Mall is - and I'm as surprised as anyone - a lot of fun! It's well-paced, the action's good and these are likable characters. Not only that, but the Kill Bots themselves are kinda cool. You can tell pretty quickly which of the teens will step in at the last minute and be the hero, yet I was engaged throughout.

Part of the appeal is the setting; They used an actual location during production (the go-to Sherman Oaks Galleria in this case), so the mall culture is legitimate. It's a snapshot as well as the wish-fulfillment of having free rein in a mall after-hours. That can't be just me, right?

The premise is absurd and characteristically naughty, and that's all part of the charm.

I caught this one really late at night back in 1995, and I must say, I enjoyed it. It went under it's other name, Killbots, during that showing, and with a name like that, you know it's going to be cheesy and stupid. Cheesy it is, stupid it ain't.

Forget the misleading title or cover art on the box, this movie is very entertaining if you like b-movies. I don't know why, but for once in a long while, especially in an 80's horror flick I was actually feeling for the characters. I can't explain why, but the acting and direction were both well done, and though it's more of a horror spoof than anything, it is quite a frightening concept. Though some of the deaths are stupid and the action scenes unrealistic, I couldn't help but see the similarities between this and Dawn of the Dead. I mean, these kids, once they figure out what's going on (and witness the famous head exloding scene) they wage war with the robots...I mean they break out a freaking arsenal and lay waste to these things (yeah, like Dawn of the Dead, what kind of mall would have firearms in it? I mean, one guy has an M-16 assault rifle!), though I can't remember them ever reloading once...it's all in good b-movie fun. The major complaints I have with this one is that, like I said before, some of the deaths are 'throw away', obvious and without style (most of the movie, they are running from cheesy 80's laser effects shooting all around them, but never hitting them...of course, when they do finally make contact, you never expect it), but it is still a good movie to watch on a boring friday night with friends and a couple cases of beer. I love the quote that the robots say every time that they dispatch one of the teens. It is simply priceless. Also, watch for Barabara Crampton of Re-Animator fame as one of the horny teenagers.

Overall not bad, and when I think of the title and what this movie is, I'm surprising myself in giving it a 8/10.