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1986
Horror Collection 8 Movie pack Lionsgate DVD
Chopping Mall is a film I would always hear about from my friends in school. It seems it was played on one of the various premium movie channels a bunch back in the late 80s. But since the area I grew up in didn't get cable till the end of 1990 I never saw it. I had always wanted to rent it,but never saw the VHS in any video store. So when I got the multipack that had this on it I was pretty happy.
Directed and co-written by Jim Wynorski,Chopping Mall was originally titled Killbots. The film was first released under the Killbots title and did horrible. Then it was released as Chopping Mall and made a nice profit. The cast actually has some semi well known stars for such a low budgeted film. We got Kelli Maroney,Tony O'Dell who is better known for being on the ABC sitcom Head of the class,and cameos from Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov. Even Roger Corman regular Dick Miller shows up in a small part.
Set in the Park Plaza mall,we see that they had just installed a new state of the art security system. Which includes 3 robots that are armed with tasers and tranquilizer guns. A handful of couples decide to throw a party in in the furniture store,where some of them work,after the mall is closed. Most of the couples sneak off to have sex. But Tony O'Dell and Kelli Maroney end up watching old science fiction films on TV. While the party is going on a lightning storm hits the computer that is in control of the security robots,causing them to become killers. One of the couples leaves the store to go get some cigs and is killed by the robots. So the remaining guys go break into the sporting goods store,which is named "Peckinpah's" , to get some guns to protect themselves. At the same time the ladies arm themselves with some road flares and gasoline. After some wild misadventures the only people left alive are Tony and Kelli. And between the two of them they come up with a plan to destroy the robots and hopefully escape the now deadly mall. I have no idea who designed the robots but they did a very good job. They have a unique look,and each one seems to have it's own personality. The movie is a nice blend of horror,science fiction and comedy. And since it came in a pack of 8 films for $5 that means it only cost me about 65 cents. It is more than worth that amount. Now they print they used for the DVD shows some wear and hasn't been remastered. But for the cheap price it is not that big a deal. Chopping Mall gets a C+.
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