Cast
Kelli Maroney
Tony O’Dell
Russell Todd
Karrie Emerson
Barbara Crampton
Nick Segal
John Terlesky
Suzee Slater
Dick Miller
Gerrit Graham
Mel Welles
Angela Aames
Paul Coufos
Arthur Roberts

Crew
Director:Jim Wynorski
Writer:Steve Mitchell/Jim Wynorski
Producers:Julie Corman /Roger Corman
Music: Chuck Cirino

Release Date:21 Mar 1986
MPAA Rating:R
Studio:Concorde Pictures
Genre:Horror

CHOPPING MALL

These bargains are to die for! High-tech robots with state-of-the-art firepower have been employed as night watchmen at the Park Plaza Mall. But when an errant bolt of lightning short-circuits the computer switchboard that controls the robots, the mechanical security men turn into rampaging “killbots.” Meanwhile, four horny couples are checking out the mattresses after-hours. Little do they know they’re about to go from bed to bath … and beyond!

Okay everyone has seen Chopping Mall. Directed by Jim Wynorski and produced by Julie Corman, Chopping Mall is the archetypal cinematic B Movie opus. Chopping Mall has everything you need in an 80’s camp classic. The cast, led by the effervescent Kelli Maroney, brings solid performances and frequent tongue in cheek moments into play. There’s a parade of B Movies cameos by a who’s who of genre cinema including Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov, Dick Miller and perennial favorite Gerritt Grahama. Being a Wynorski film there is a smattering of female nudity. The film is a solid 77 minute ride into the thick of the 80’s B Movie greatness.

But it is so much more than that.

What Van Halen was to 80’s rock , Chopping Mall is to B Cinema in the 80’s. It is one of the purest expression of the B art form the 80’s produced. Wynorski masterfully weaves a tapestry of formula and whimsy into a very satisfying cinematic confection. Aided by a soundtrack put out by long time Wynorski collaborator Chuck Cirino, Chopping Mall is a fast paced, non-stop visual roller coaster adventure that must be seen several times to be truly appreciated. It truly is a trip to the B Movie Holy Mountain.

But that is not where Chopping Mall made its greatest impact.

In 1986, the VHS revolution was about to go into full swing. VHS players were in 70% of homes, in fact Vestron had approached Roger Corman to come up with a film set in a shopping mall that could feed this expanding market. Corman , with his eye for talent unleashed a chomping at the bit Jim Wynorski to go make a film entitled at that time Killbots. The film had a small release and it was quickly decide to re-title the film “CHOPPING MALL”.

The film was released with its now classic shopping bag of body parts artwork and it took off. Some thing odd happened. This small low budget Corman quickie started to enjoy significant sales and then rentals in the home video market. A study was undertaken because of “CHOPPING MALL” to see the true impact B Movies had in the video rental market. The results were staggering.

They compared the revenue received from two films “RAMBO 2” and “CHOPPING MALL”, one a major studio action release, the other well a B Movie. Here is what they discovered;

Rambo 2 sold 600,000 units at $78.00 a piece and the film rented steadily for 31 days it dropped off

Chopping Mall sold 280,000 at $49.00 a piece the the film rented steadily for 180 days before it dropped off

CHOPPING MALL prompted the B Movie bonanza that was the late 80’s . A glorious time for B Movie fans…all due to the fervent
imagination of Jim Wynorski.

With its lack of pretense, its pure entertainment value and considering it was the spark that gave rise to a revitalized B cinema, “CHOPPING MALL” is an important movie.

Thanks Jim, we owe you