I saw this broadcast on TV. I was thirteen. My friend Keith Cunningham was a huge KISS fan and halfway through he was trying to tell us "That can't really be them! It's not actually them!" My older brother, when MTV came around, insisted on saying "That's not them!" whenever a KISS video came on.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:20 🎸 *Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park synopsis and reception* - Overview of the film's plot involving Kiss, a theme park, and an evil scientist. - Discussion of Kiss's popularity and transition to film. - Analysis of the film's commercial failure and different versions released. 04:18 🎭 *Critical assessment of Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park* - Evaluation of the film as one of the worst ever seen. - Comparison to other films and standards of quality. - Recognition of the unintended comedic value and viewer experience. 08:13 🎡 *Character and plot analysis* - Discussion of the characters Calvin Richards and Abner Deo. - Critique of the storyline's lack of coherence and payoff. - Examination of specific scenes and their effectiveness in the narrative. 19:09 🎸 *Kiss band members' magical powers and talismans* - Kiss band members derive their magical powers from talismans. - Talismans are central to the plot, providing magical abilities and transforming them into human beings. - The talismans play a significant role in the storyline, leading to pivotal moments in the film. 21:22 🤖 *Abner's creation of Kiss replacement robotics* - Abner creates robotic replacements for the Kiss band members. - Genan Simmons, the demon, is completed and utilized for a test run. - Abner's creation of robotic replacements sets the stage for conflict and confrontation. 23:24 🎤 *Kiss's interaction with Melissa and plot developments* - Kiss interacts with Melissa in a bizarre scene where they sing to her. - Plot developments include conflicts between characters and the unveiling of Abner's plans. - The scene reflects the film's surreal and disjointed narrative style. 26:33 🤖 *Kiss's confrontation with Abner's animatronics* - Kiss engages in a confrontation with Abner's animatronics, leading to their defeat. - Abner's plan to incite a riot with the Kiss robots adds tension to the climax. - The sequence highlights the film's cheesy and over-the-top action scenes. 29:07 🎵 *Conclusion and overall assessment of the film* - The film concludes with a resolution to the main conflict involving Kiss and Abner. - Despite its flaws, the film offers a mix of entertainment and absurdity. - Overall, "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park" is deemed a terrible yet strangely captivating experience. Made with HARPA AI
Makes the movie they did with Scooby Doo and the gang look like Shakespeare. And of course, in that one, Daphne is head over heels for the band, while Fred is obsessed with a barbershop quartet (which is also played by the members of Kiss).
I was hoping you two would get around to this film. I am a KISS fan and I found myself pondering who came up with this idea and thought it was good? I would love to own it because of how bad its good it is but I would only recommend this to lampoon it. I was really hoping you were going to comment on how they had Ace mostly saying "ACK" originally since he's supposed to be an alien/space man but luckily he fought to have more lines though throughout you can hear him say "Ack." He even makes reference to this portrayal in one of his album promos which was great. Also the black stuntman playing Ace in the big fight scene was another point of interest for those who have seen the film. So glad you had fun with this.
I remember seeing this on tv one night back when i was a kid in the either late 70's or early 80's......i thought i might have imagined it, until i saw it on youtube back in the 2010's.
I love Gene Simmons as the Incredible Hulk. Haha. Paul Stanley said this was supposed to be A Hard Days Night meets Star Wars, but as they said in the review, it was written by Drugs and Alcohol. Finally, collaborating on a film together. They also wrote The 1978 Star Special of course. That was quite the year for them:)
I think The part where star child beams the woman and cops was basically a hypnotizism beam referring to his power making them STARstruck. 😂😂😂 Also *Turn up!*
Man, reminds me a lot of the Saturday morning line-up live action shows from the 70's and early 80's. Cheesey flavored schlock even at it's finest never ages well
I was one of the millions of 13-year-olds eagerly tuning in to see this on TV in 1978, and even though I knew it wasn't very good, it was still pretty fun, and pretty much on par with what I'd expected. You guys seem surprised that the movie treated the band as super-heroes, but that was pretty much their image at the time, and the press colluded in the mandate to never show the band out of costume and makeup; as a result, in the 1970s and well into the 80s, we the public had no idea what the guys in the band really looked like. Also, when KISS did the Marvel comic book, they (supposedly) each had blood drawn and added to the ink in the comic book, so when you bought an issue you theoretically had some of KISS's blood in your hands; there were even photographs of each band member (in full costume and make-up, of course) getting his blood drawn by a nurse. Again, I was old enough to know it was all kinda silly, but still young enough to think it was pretty cool, too -- kinda like 'pro wrestling'! It was all definitely FUN, and that's what KISS was all about. Well, fun, and merchandising.
When this premiered on TV in October 1978, it was called KISS Meets the Phantom. I was 11 and a KISS fan at the time (in other words, the target audience), and even I thought it sucked.
Remember kiss members were never seen without makeup and their final reveal in the 80's was a huge deal. And not fun fact...Simmons never drank, screwed around or did any drugs after he took a lie detector for his wife
Is just a bizzare movie, the history behind it is more interesting, but was a time when they were on top of the world and went for everything even a silly movie like this, but in retrospective is a fun part of history for cinema and the band itself
It was 1978. I was 8. You never saw them on tv. We had 3 networks. It was awesome then to a kid. Adults wouldn’t dig it at all! You’re tearing apart a classic part of a lot of our childhoods! Kiss was awesome! Didn’t care about the plot.
I remember when this was on TV when I was little and just getting seriously interested in music. Never cared for Kiss though-and this movie is stupid. I believe it was filmed at Magic Mountain out here in California.
Brilliant review! But, I still stand by my statement that I've seen appalling films and the one that did it for me, Freddy Got Fingered! Which is the nuclear holocaust of cinema!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm not a fan of Kiss, but their music is pretty solid. I didn't even know they had a movie. After seeing this video, I can see why I never heard of it lmao I mean wow. I have no words. I am SO SORRY you guys had to waste your time watching this. Hopefully next weeks movie will be tolerable.
I actually watched the original broadcast in 1978 in the US on NBC. This was an absurd, over the top hot mess...then & now. It qualifies for MST3K / Rifftrax. 😂😂😂. However Anthony Zerbe is a terrific actor...he must have received a nice paycheck.
" I have seen some bad shit in my life." Oh I bet you have never seen Death Hunter: Vampires vs Werewolves? I can remember Marvel putting out a run of comics about the adventures of KISS...and also the adventures of Uri Geller the spoon bender ( which was either DC or Marvel ). Yeah some Marvel and DC comics sucked back in the 70s too.
I've been a fan of KISS since my cousin gave me some KISS albums long ago when I was a kid. I love their music and image and I do consider myself a soldier in the KISS Army, but this movie is absolute garbage. Paul and Gene definitely agree and I can only assume that Peter and Ace also think it's crap.
You’ve actually gotta work hard to make a film that wastes the talents of interesting character actors like Brion James, John Dennis Johnston and Anthony Zerbe. I can’t even say it is a good ‘bad’ film because it is also dull.
Sat in a cinema here in Australia after spending all of my pocket money to watch this really bad movie 😢 I tried and tried but couldn’t find anything to like. 👎
I'm struggling with your review. I normally love your work but I'm wondering if you fell asleep while watching this and had a fever dream. Cause dude........ No....
Watching Gary trying not to lose his stuff while Ian sings the best version of a kiss song ever.. pure gold 🤣
I love it when Gary loses it with films, it’s usually more entertaining than the film.
I saw this broadcast on TV. I was thirteen. My friend Keith Cunningham was a huge KISS fan and halfway through he was trying to tell us "That can't really be them! It's not actually them!"
My older brother, when MTV came around, insisted on saying "That's not them!" whenever a KISS video came on.
There was a movie "Detroit Rock City" I think it was called. That was actually pretty nice.
Great movie , not many people have even heard of it
Detroit rock city is better than this lolo
Omg. I remember seeing this on TV! I was so jealous because my friend saw it on color and we only had a black and white tv. 😂😂😂
Lmao We were at our cabin in northwoods the weekend it aired and same! Black and White tv only up north the picture was always snowy as well.
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:20 🎸 *Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park synopsis and reception*
- Overview of the film's plot involving Kiss, a theme park, and an evil scientist.
- Discussion of Kiss's popularity and transition to film.
- Analysis of the film's commercial failure and different versions released.
04:18 🎭 *Critical assessment of Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park*
- Evaluation of the film as one of the worst ever seen.
- Comparison to other films and standards of quality.
- Recognition of the unintended comedic value and viewer experience.
08:13 🎡 *Character and plot analysis*
- Discussion of the characters Calvin Richards and Abner Deo.
- Critique of the storyline's lack of coherence and payoff.
- Examination of specific scenes and their effectiveness in the narrative.
19:09 🎸 *Kiss band members' magical powers and talismans*
- Kiss band members derive their magical powers from talismans.
- Talismans are central to the plot, providing magical abilities and transforming them into human beings.
- The talismans play a significant role in the storyline, leading to pivotal moments in the film.
21:22 🤖 *Abner's creation of Kiss replacement robotics*
- Abner creates robotic replacements for the Kiss band members.
- Genan Simmons, the demon, is completed and utilized for a test run.
- Abner's creation of robotic replacements sets the stage for conflict and confrontation.
23:24 🎤 *Kiss's interaction with Melissa and plot developments*
- Kiss interacts with Melissa in a bizarre scene where they sing to her.
- Plot developments include conflicts between characters and the unveiling of Abner's plans.
- The scene reflects the film's surreal and disjointed narrative style.
26:33 🤖 *Kiss's confrontation with Abner's animatronics*
- Kiss engages in a confrontation with Abner's animatronics, leading to their defeat.
- Abner's plan to incite a riot with the Kiss robots adds tension to the climax.
- The sequence highlights the film's cheesy and over-the-top action scenes.
29:07 🎵 *Conclusion and overall assessment of the film*
- The film concludes with a resolution to the main conflict involving Kiss and Abner.
- Despite its flaws, the film offers a mix of entertainment and absurdity.
- Overall, "Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park" is deemed a terrible yet strangely captivating experience.
Made with HARPA AI
Damn.
I remember spending actual time putting timestamps for a few of their podcasts videos. Now it'll be robots doing that. 😔 🤖
- Mr. Roboto
Makes the movie they did with Scooby Doo and the gang look like Shakespeare.
And of course, in that one, Daphne is head over heels for the band, while Fred is obsessed with a barbershop quartet (which is also played by the members of Kiss).
I was hoping you two would get around to this film. I am a KISS fan and I found myself pondering who came up with this idea and thought it was good? I would love to own it because of how bad its good it is but I would only recommend this to lampoon it.
I was really hoping you were going to comment on how they had Ace mostly saying "ACK" originally since he's supposed to be an alien/space man but luckily he fought to have more lines though throughout you can hear him say "Ack." He even makes reference to this portrayal in one of his album promos which was great. Also the black stuntman playing Ace in the big fight scene was another point of interest for those who have seen the film. So glad you had fun with this.
Omg I had to click the video to make sure this was the same film I saw as a kid. Yep. I did in fact see this as a kid. Oh god 🤣
Oh shit, my favourite reviewers reviewing me and my dad's favourite movie.
It turns out Devereaux won in the end with The KISS Avatars.
_"It's everything you think is shit.....AND MORE!"_ 🤣
No need to justify reviewing this movie. Ive still not forgiven you for Venom 😂😂😂❤❤❤🎉
I remember seeing this on tv one night back when i was a kid in the either late 70's or early 80's......i thought i might have imagined it, until i saw it on youtube back in the 2010's.
I love Gene Simmons as the Incredible Hulk. Haha. Paul Stanley said this was supposed to be A Hard Days Night meets Star Wars, but as they said in the review, it was written by Drugs and Alcohol. Finally, collaborating on a film together. They also wrote The 1978 Star Special of course. That was quite the year for them:)
I think The part where star child beams the woman and cops was basically a hypnotizism beam referring to his power making them STARstruck. 😂😂😂
Also *Turn up!*
Iain said Tango and Cash! Gary mentioned Bill and Ted! How awesome would it be to get those reviews this year shelfers?
Man, reminds me a lot of the Saturday morning line-up live action shows from the 70's and early 80's. Cheesey flavored schlock even at it's finest never ages well
I remember that Anthony Zerbie was in the Western Tv series The Young Riders in the early 90s
Anthony Zerbe & Brion James is also starring in the mega blockbuster movie "STEEL DAWN" starring Patrick Swayze.
At least it inspired the ending of Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey
I was one of the millions of 13-year-olds eagerly tuning in to see this on TV in 1978, and even though I knew it wasn't very good, it was still pretty fun, and pretty much on par with what I'd expected. You guys seem surprised that the movie treated the band as super-heroes, but that was pretty much their image at the time, and the press colluded in the mandate to never show the band out of costume and makeup; as a result, in the 1970s and well into the 80s, we the public had no idea what the guys in the band really looked like.
Also, when KISS did the Marvel comic book, they (supposedly) each had blood drawn and added to the ink in the comic book, so when you bought an issue you theoretically had some of KISS's blood in your hands; there were even photographs of each band member (in full costume and make-up, of course) getting his blood drawn by a nurse. Again, I was old enough to know it was all kinda silly, but still young enough to think it was pretty cool, too -- kinda like 'pro wrestling'! It was all definitely FUN, and that's what KISS was all about. Well, fun, and merchandising.
I would watch this over and over again as a kid. I still love it!
When this premiered on TV in October 1978, it was called KISS Meets the Phantom. I was 11 and a KISS fan at the time (in other words, the target audience), and even I thought it sucked.
Remember kiss members were never seen without makeup and their final reveal in the 80's was a huge deal. And not fun fact...Simmons never drank, screwed around or did any drugs after he took a lie detector for his wife
Loved this movie in 1978. Still love it in 2024.
If you ever wanna see Gene Simmons try to act you should watch Runaway where he plays the villain.
You've actually made me want to rewatch this 😂 my impending doom is on on you!
Is just a bizzare movie, the history behind it is more interesting, but was a time when they were on top of the world and went for everything even a silly movie like this, but in retrospective is a fun part of history for cinema and the band itself
I got to see kiss in 2022. Finally I've been A Fan of them since I was ten years old
I’m a lifelong KISS fan (only 70s make up era) this honestly made me belly laugh - even a KISS geek like me can admit this movie is godawful 😂
Forget about the film ace frehley is my favourite member of the band that laugh🤘
Will you review the entire KISS Cinematic Universe?
It was 1978. I was 8. You never saw them on tv. We had 3 networks. It was awesome then to a kid. Adults wouldn’t dig it at all! You’re tearing apart a classic part of a lot of our childhoods! Kiss was awesome! Didn’t care about the plot.
What do you mean this was a huge bomb? It was a HUGE ratings hit when it first came out.
"written by drugs and alcohol" lol
Heck yeah....was just thinking how bored I was then I saw this and now I'm happy
So,which do you consider the worst movie between this and The Star Wars Holiday Special?
I remember when this was on TV when I was little and just getting seriously interested in music. Never cared for Kiss though-and this movie is stupid. I believe it was filmed at Magic Mountain out here in California.
22:45 the Gene in this scene is the Android version.....
Huge fan, Got a movie suggestion for you guys, I would love to see you guys review The Faculty.
Voice legend Michael Bell dubbed Peter Criss.
As in Raziel from Legacy of Kain? Cool!
Hi Fellas would you Please do a review on The Relic. I really enjoy watching you two your videos
I'm going to go watch my dvd of KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park after this.....
Brilliant review! But, I still stand by my statement that I've seen appalling films and the one that did it for me, Freddy Got Fingered! Which is the nuclear holocaust of cinema!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I'm not a fan of Kiss, but their music is pretty solid. I didn't even know they had a movie. After seeing this video, I can see why I never heard of it lmao I mean wow. I have no words. I am SO SORRY you guys had to waste your time watching this. Hopefully next weeks movie will be tolerable.
I actually watched the original broadcast in 1978 in the US on NBC. This was an absurd, over the top hot mess...then & now. It qualifies for MST3K / Rifftrax. 😂😂😂. However Anthony Zerbe is a terrific actor...he must have received a nice paycheck.
Detroit Rock City is a fun Kiss film.
Great reviews boys
I bet watching this was worse than watching all the Howling sequels.
there's a movie titled
THE SAND
that you 2 should review
it's low budget
but weird
OMG! 😆 Never taken KISS serious! When they made a movie, made it even worse! 😆 Thank you guys!! 👍 😆
Adam Sandler's looking pretty good right about now ay Gary
Of course Iain would have to bring up wrestling on a review lol
I enjoyed the game Kiss Psycho Circus (a FPP shooter).
Just so you know: This played in MEXICO and .. people had to PAY to see it in theatres !!!!!!! LOL
😮😮😮...Well what can I say apart from I applaud you both for enduring this lads 👊
a Cinematic Masterpiece... rivaled only by Plan 9 from Outer Space.
" I have seen some bad shit in my life."
Oh I bet you have never seen Death Hunter: Vampires vs Werewolves?
I can remember Marvel putting out a run of comics about the adventures of KISS...and also the adventures of Uri Geller the spoon bender ( which was either DC or Marvel ).
Yeah some Marvel and DC comics sucked back in the 70s too.
The Scooby-Doo version of this movie is better than this crap. Lol.
You need to watch the movie when Gene Simmons plays gay !
What a killer !
Lol 😂
I love 80s KISS
God Gave Rock N' Roll To Ya
Kiss clearly came on a Sunday
Pretty sure they came ev-er-y-day!
Best line was officer saying before the pool..rock and rollers don't bathe..lol 🤣🤣 and Armageddon's is a lame group... Peter..
Hey after this to you guys should do a review of Head The Monkees movie it just might be as campy as this kiss movie!
I Saw The Monkees movie one when I was about 9 didn't get but am a huge fan of all three music that aline if worth it
You should have pronounced Devereux ‘Dever-o-o-o.’ 😊
Well I remember watching this in the 70's and I loved the ridiculousness of the band until Peter Criss left
I've been a fan of KISS since my cousin gave me some KISS albums long ago when I was a kid. I love their music and image and I do consider myself a soldier in the KISS Army, but this movie is absolute garbage. Paul and Gene definitely agree and I can only assume that Peter and Ace also think it's crap.
You’ve actually gotta work hard to make a film that wastes the talents of interesting character actors like Brion James, John Dennis Johnston and Anthony Zerbe. I can’t even say it is a good ‘bad’ film because it is also dull.
The KISS band members blood was put into the ink of the comic.
Kiss made this? What a miss. Were they taking the piss?
shelf life! ❤
Oh this movie is horrible trash.. and I LOVE every minute of it. So so fun!
Sat in a cinema here in Australia after spending all of my pocket money to watch this really bad movie 😢 I tried and tried but couldn’t find anything to like. 👎
On the quiet mate, it aged better than the Australian made abba movie….
@@steveOhh68 omg that was a shocker 😂
So Gary, which is worse.
Tekken or this?
This. Easy.
Literally literally litwrally literally literally literally literally literally literally literally
I'm struggling with your review. I normally love your work but I'm wondering if you fell asleep while watching this and had a fever dream. Cause dude........ No....
Terrible film! Bad script & bad acting.
This movie was crap and I thought it was crap when I saw in on TV in '78, even at eight years old.