Hell to the freakin’ yes! I love this movie. It’s one I saw not too long ago, but is definitely one I wish I’d seen earlier during those nights of staying up late during those early days of me discovering satellite TV. It’s simple and moves quickly, and makes for a good time that I know I would’ve loved even as a little kid.
Why? Two words: killer robots! That’s right ladies and gentlemen… this is Chopping Mall.
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Originally released under the title of Killbots, Chopping Mall came out in 1986 and was directed by Jim Wynorski. It was also produced by Julie Corman (wife of b-movie legend Roger Corman and excellent producer in her own right). Julie teamed with Vestron and was given the simple task of working on a movie that would take place in a mall. Jim and his friend/co-writer Steve Mitchell then came up with a story, and gave it to Julie, who sent it to Vestron. The concept was approved and Steve & Jim wrote the script in about a month.
The end result is, in hindsight, a simple but really fun movie. The fact that it takes place in a mall already makes it enjoyable, and it’s not hard to see why. When you have an 80’s horror movie set in a shopping mall, you know you’re in for a special treat. Plus, Chopping Mall was actually filmed in the same mall that was used in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (the movie even features Kelli Maroney, who had a role in Fast Times as well as the cult-classic Night of the Comet).
As far as the story goes, there’s not a whole lot going on. The basic gist is that these security bots go haywire and start killing horny teens. It takes a very simple premise and just rolls with it without adding a lot of filler. I mean… there’s some scenes where the characters sex each other up, but that’s to be expected and it’s pretty brief. It makes the film feel a lot like a slasher movie in that sense, so if you’re anxious to see horny dolts get their comeuppance, you’ll love this.
The human characters aren’t really all that important, but that’s okay because the movie is meant to have fun with its premise and it does a damn fine job with it. You got these cool looking robots that go around a mall killing people who have nothing better to do than get their kinky sex stuff on. And for a movie that runs just under an hour and twenty minutes, you really don’t have a lot to lose.
Also, this movie has Barbara Crampton, best known for having appeared in Re-Animator (among other numerous horror film appearances), and she definitely adds to the movie’s fun factor. When Barbara Crampton is in a horror movie, you know it’s good.
The robots are pretty cool too. Their straight-forward take-no-crap vibe reminds me of ED-209 from Robocop. There’s no actual chopping, as the robots more tend to shoot at their victims, but it’s still very entertaining and the effects are solid.
And since I mentioned Robocop, the start of the movie actually feels like Robocop in that there’s a faux commercial advertising the usefulness of the security bots. The opening also includes a cool mall montage that really sells the 80’s setting and is very reminiscent of the intro to Fast Times at Ridgemont High.
The whole film is an interesting mixture for sure, and that’s one of the reasons I love it. Its short length is nice and makes for a quick way to pass the time. You’ll enjoy the ride and probably wish it were a bit longer, but then you’ll realize it was a fun quick ride.
Although the human characters aren’t really memorable, the actors do a fine job and move the film along pretty nicely without coming off as annoying. They do have fun little moments here and there, such as a scene where a couple of them are watching Roger Corman’s classic film Attack of the Crab Monsters. There’s even a brief appearance of the always-beloved Dick Miller! Like many Dick Miller cameos in horror and sci-fi movies, it’s brief but will bring a smile to your face. It’s always great seeing him in these kind of movies even when he does get short screen time.
So… now’s the part where I talk about the controversial attempted remake that was announced a while back. In 2018, there were rumblings of there being a potential remake of Chopping Mall, albeit with a supernatural twist and without the killer robots. And ya know something? I actually wouldn’t mind a remake with supernatural elements.
BUT it would have to keep the killer robots. That’s what makes Chopping Mall unique, and the fans know this. Jim Wynorski, director of the original, also knows it (I mean, he wrote & directed it) and he blasted the concept on social media. In this Facebook post, he mentions that the director who was trying to get the remake going doesn’t even have the rights and only wanted to take advantage of the title.
Honestly though, it’s been a while since there’s been any kind of news on the matter and that’s for the best. But I have to admit, I still feel that it could be really fun to see a remake or even a sequel where either a new director (preferably one who respects the original) or Jim himself could breathe more life into this and use a variety of security bots, maybe even modernize it just enough and include drones that go haywire too.
A supernatural element for killer robots is admittedly odd and unneeded, but for some reason I just really like the idea of bots going haywire through a supernatural cause because that would add to the oddness. I mean, the premise is already off-the-wall, so why not make it more off-the-wall and ramp up the fun? I’m just curious how it would look and feel, especially if it were more violent and with a bigger budget.
Well anyway, the original Chopping Mall is here forever and I love it. So what’re you waiting for? It’s available on Shudder if you’re a subscriber and is even on TubiTv for you freeloaders. Either way, you’re going to check it out if you haven’t seen it, and you’re going to love it like I do.
Until next time…
Kasey Lewis - Actor, Writer, Creator 