Chopping Mall (1986)

Eight teenagers are trapped after hours in a high-tech shopping mall and pursued by three murderous security robots out of control.

Director:

Jim Wynorski

Writers:

Jim Wynorski, Steve Mitchell

Stars:

Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, Russell Todd

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kelli Maroney	...	Alison Parks
Tony O'Dell	...	Ferdy Meisel
Russell Todd	...	Rick Stanton
Karrie Emerson	...	Linda Stanton
Barbara Crampton	...	Suzie Lynn
Nick Segal	...	Greg Williams
John Terlesky	...	Mike Brennan
Suzee Slater	...	Leslie Todd
Paul Bartel	...	Paul Bland
Mary Woronov	...	Mary Bland
Dick Miller	...	Walter Paisley
Gerrit Graham	...	Technician Nessler
Mel Welles	...	Cook
Angela Aames	...	Miss Vanders
Paul Coufos	...	Dr. Stan Simon

Storyline

A group of teenagers that work at the mall all get together for a late night party in one of the stores. When the mall goes on lockdown before they can get out, the robot security system malfunctions and goes on a killing spree. One by one, the three bots try to rid the mall of the "intruders." The only weapons the kids can use are the supplies in other stores. Or . . . if they can make it 'til morning when the mall reopens.

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Plot Keywords:

bare breasts | topless female nudity | mall | screaming teenage girl | woman in bikini | 

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Taglines:

Shop til you drop, dead!

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Genres:

Comedy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 1986 (USA)

Also Known As:

Killbots

Filming Locations:

Beverly Center - 8500 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$800,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Concorde Pictures,Trinity Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

77 min 95 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The book Gerrit Graham's character is reading is "They Came from Outer Space" which was edited by the film's director, Jim Wynorski. One of the stories in the collection is "The Racer" which was filmed as Death Race 2000 (1975) featuring Mary Woronov.

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Goofs

Unless incendiary ammunition is used, bullets puncture propane tanks but do not cause them to explode.

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Quotes

Ferdy: Nice shot!
Alison Parks: Dad's a marine.

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Crazy Credits

Robot rolls up to camera and says: "Thank you. Have a nice day." (Movie's plot is that security robots run amuck at a shopping mall and that's what they said after they'd killed somebody).

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Connections

References The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)

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Soundtracks

Streetwalkin'
(uncredited)
Written and Produced by Michael Ender and Odette Springer
Performed by Sylvia St. James

User Reviews

Good B-movie

I caught this one really late at night back in 1995, and I must say, I enjoyed it. It went under it's other name, Killbots, during that showing, and with a name like that, you know it's going to be cheesy and stupid. Cheesy it is, stupid it ain't.

Forget the misleading title or cover art on the box, this movie is very entertaining if you like b-movies. I don't know why, but for once in a long while, especially in an 80's horror flick I was actually feeling for the characters. I can't explain why, but the acting and direction were both well done, and though it's more of a horror spoof than anything, it is quite a frightening concept. Though some of the deaths are stupid and the action scenes unrealistic, I couldn't help but see the similarities between this and Dawn of the Dead. I mean, these kids, once they figure out what's going on (and witness the famous head exloding scene) they wage war with the robots...I mean they break out a freaking arsenal and lay waste to these things (yeah, like Dawn of the Dead, what kind of mall would have firearms in it? I mean, one guy has an M-16 assault rifle!), though I can't remember them ever reloading once...it's all in good b-movie fun. The major complaints I have with this one is that, like I said before, some of the deaths are 'throw away', obvious and without style (most of the movie, they are running from cheesy 80's laser effects shooting all around them, but never hitting them...of course, when they do finally make contact, you never expect it), but it is still a good movie to watch on a boring friday night with friends and a couple cases of beer. I love the quote that the robots say every time that they dispatch one of the teens. It is simply priceless. Also, watch for Barabara Crampton of Re-Animator fame as one of the horny teenagers.

Overall not bad, and when I think of the title and what this movie is, I'm surprising myself in giving it a 8/10.