On March 21st, 1986, a film was released by legendary
producer Roger Corman that today still is recognized as a genre classic.
“Chopping Mall” produced by Julie Corman and helmed by exploitation
wunderkind, Jim Wynorski was released during the VHS/home video
explosion and would change the way the business perceived the place of
genre titles within this emerging market place.

The film tells the story of killer security robots taking over a
shopping mall and systematically murdering a group of trespassing
teenagers who have broken into the mall for an all night party. Four
couples decide to have a party in one of the furniture stores where
three of them work. They all stay after hours at the mall, drinking,
partying, and make-out, while the fourth couple watch old science
fiction films on TV.

Outside, a lightning storm strikes the mall several times and damages
the computer controlling the security robots. The robots kill two
technicians and a janitor, before going on regular patrol in the now
empty mall. Two of the teens leave the furniture store and are
subsequently killed by the robots The surviving teens witness the robots
kill a girl in still talked about head explosion, and the men and women
are forced to separate, the men into the mall and the women into the
air ducts, when the robots begin their final attack.

Directed by Wynorski who co wrote it with long time friend Steve
Mitchell. Chopping Mall was filmed primarily at the infamous Sherman
Oaks Galleria famous for appearing in Fast Times At Ridgemont High. The
movie stars Kelli Maroney ( Night of the Comet, Fast Times At Ridgemont
High, Ryan’s Hope) and Tony O’Dell. B Movie icons Paul Bartel ,Mary
Woronov and Dick Miller , fixtures in the Corman stable have cameo’s in
the film.

While the film did moderate theatrical business, where it really made
an impact was in the burgeoning home video marketplace. Released through
Lightning video, the B Movie label owned by Vestron, Chopping Mall
equipped with compelling box art created by artist Corey Wolfe. Chopping
Mall proved to rental outlet that B Movies coupled with great box art
could easily out perform mainstream studio produced fare and could have
longer shelf lives. The title coupled with the artwork screamed “rent
me” to America’s VHS hungry public, and they consumed it hungrily. It
could be argue that lying within the success of Chopping Mall laid the
foundation for the next decades video rental industry.

Fast forward to 2013, Jim Wynorski and producer Bill Dever decided that
with the transition to digital delivery now employed by ninety percent
of movies theaters it was time to re-introduce Chopping Mall to North
American Theaters. “ I was always amazed that every recent showing of
Chopping Mall always turned into an event” says Jim Wynorski “ People
really love the movie and for me the guy who directed the film, that’s
just great”.

With the kind support of Roger and Julie Corman, Wynorski and Dever
obtained the original film elements and under the careful eye of Jim
Wynorski brought the film back to its original glory. “ This is a dream
come true, to play a small part in the restoration of a piece of classic
American cinema is just amazing” tells Bill Dever “ Not only is
Chopping Mall pure movie fun, its also in many ways an important film”.

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