Movie Info
Movie Name: Chopping Mall
Studio: Concorde Pictures
Genre(s): Horror/B-Movie
Release Date(s): March 21, 1986
MPAA Rating: R
Exterminate! Exterminate! (oops wrong killer robots)
The Park Plaza Mall has a new security system guaranteed to stop thieves in their tracks. Robots have been issued patrol the mall at night, but when the robots malfunction, they turn into killers. An after-hours party leaves a group of teens trapped in the mall, and the robots see them as intruders. Now, it is a fight for survival…the mall is open for business!
Written and directed by Jim Wynorski (with additional writing credits for Steve Mitchell), Chopping Mall is a low-budget horror film. The movie was released (as Killbots) to poor reviews but gained a cult following over the years.
I remember Chopping Mall primarily because of the cover to the VHS tape…body parts in a shopping bag. Having never seen the movie, checking out Chopping Mall was a fun flashback to mindless (exploitive) ’80s horror films.
Johnny-5 is alive!!!!!
The movie’s plot is typical in that eight horny kids are being pursued by a killer in the dark. It is a bit different in that the killers are robots so it has a bit of a sci-fi feel with lasers and electricity being used by the robots. The basic plot however is really cliché and drawn out.
The cast is a little more distinguished than other low budget horror films of the time…it is more along the lines of SyFy network movies where they get a somewhat known person. Here, you have Kelli Maroney from the cult favorite Night of the Comet and Tony O’Dell from Head of the Class as her love interest. The movie also features cameos by Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov as their characters from Eating Raoul and Roger Corman favorite Dick Miller (once again as Walter Paisley…the name of his character from Buckets of Blood, Hollywood Boulevard, The Howling, and Twilight Zone: The Movie).
“Have a nice day!!!!!”
Corman’s tie to the movie is that it is produced by his wife Julie Corman (and presumably with Corman as well). Corman productions are notoriously cheap, and Chopping Mall is no exception. The robots are pretty goofy looking (like a Dalek from Doctor Who) and the special effects are minimal and cheap. The movie was shot at the popular Sherman Oaks Galleria Mall used for Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Valley Girl, and Commando among others.
Chopping Mall is bad, but fun “bad” ’80s bad. It is short and to the point…sex craved teens get killed and the good boy and girl live. The movie has a lot of blood, gore, robots, and exploding heads and a pulsing generic ’80s soundtrack to keep it going. Check out Chopping Mall for mindless fun…Have a Nice Day!
