Okay, get ready to dive into a world of
killer robots and cheesy eighties goodness.
Because today we're tackling chopping mall.
A surprisingly relevant time capsule, wouldn't you say? We're not just talking
about a cheesy horror flick. We're gonna uncover how this
movie reflects bigger ideas. Oh, yeah.
About consumerism, race. Wow. And even the
birth of viral trends. Really all hiding beneath the surface
of this movie classic. I love that. It's like those cheesy horror movies your older
brother made you watch. But now we get to feel smart about it, right?
Okay, so to set the stage, let's talk about malls. I mean, they were like
the place to be in the eighties, right? Absolutely. Malls were booming,
a symbol of american consumerism and prosperity. But what's interesting
is how quickly they went from these bustling centers of commerce
to these almost post apocalyptic landscapes,
which chopping malls so effectively captures, by the way.
Okay, so eerie foreshadowing. I'm into it. But you
mentioned something in your notes about how malls weren't always these inclusive spaces,
which is kind of mind blowing given their image as these public gathering places.
Yeah, it's a fascinating paradox. Okay, on the surface, malls projected an
image of open access. But the reality, particularly for
black Americans, was often shaped by systemic racism. Think about
the timing. The post world War two era when malls began to flourish.
This coincided with the rise of suburbs. Right, but these suburbs were often
designed to be exclusionary, okay? With practices like redlining,
limiting housing opportunities for black families. So malls are basically
built into this pre existing system of segregation.
Exactly. And it goes beyond just location. Oh, wow.
We have studies from Gallup showing significantly higher rates of black
and hispanic shoppers reporting racial profiling by
security guards in malls compared to their white
counterparts. That's unsettling. It's like this underlying tension
bubbling beneath the surface of what's supposed to be a carefree shopping
experience. And this tension came to a head during the Black Lives Matter protests
in 2015. Oh, wow. One of the main protest sites.
Can you guess? Don't tell me. The Mall of America.
Bingo. This massive symbol of consumerism became a
stage for demanding racial justice. It makes you rethink the role of malls,
right? Not just places of commerce, but battlegrounds for
social change. Its like chopping mall accidentally tapped into this.
Even with its killer robots and campy humor. Suddenly the robots seem
like they could represent something more. You know, this fear
of being controlled, of systems meant to protect us, turning against
us. Thats the beauty of revisiting these films with a critical lens.
Yeah. Whats fascinating is how they can reflect deeper
anxieties, even if unintentionally. Yeah, but before we get
too deep into killer robot symbolism,
I think we need to talk about the allure of the mall experience. Especially for
teenagers. Cause that's something. Chopping mall
nails, wouldn't you say? Oh, absolutely. Yeah. For those of us who grew up pre
Internet, the mall was like this strange, self contained universe.
It was the place to see and be seen. Yeah, first loves
were found amongst the food court, pizza and bad eighties fashion
choices. It was a social incubator. Yeah, a petri dish of teenage angst
and awkward encounters. And for a few hours you could escape.
You could be someone else, someone cooler, bolder.
It was a freedom most kids today glued to their devices
can't even imagine. That's so true. But even this teenage utopia
couldn't last forever. I mean, what happened? Why did the music stop? So to speak?
The rise of online shopping, my friend. The convenience of a thousand stores at
your fingertips. No need to brave the crowds or the
elements. It was a slow burn, but by the late two thousands,
the writing was on the wall. Anchor stores closed, malls fell
into disrepair, becoming these eerie, echoing reminders of their
former glory. Okay, but before we descend into full on mall
apocalypse mode, I think it's time we fire up the laser cannons and finally get
to the main event. Chopping mall.
The movie itself. Okay, so the mall is set, the teenagers are restless,
and the robots are charged. Let's talk chopping the movie.
And let's start with a behind the scenes nugget that blew my mind.
Okay, chopping mall was filmed on location at the Sherman Oaks Galleria
in California. Wait, hold up. That's like totally iconic eighties real
estate. Yeah, isn't that the same mall from fast times at Ridgemont High?
The very same. Oh wow. Talk about a double dose of teenage
angst and aquanet hairspray. Right?
The filmmakers literally shut down sections of this working mall after
hours, transforming it into a robot infested battleground.
Okay, that image is both hilarious and kind of terrifying.
I can just picture the crew dodging shoppers while setting up laser cannons and
fake blood. Speaking of laser cannons and fake blood, let's talk
about the stars of the show. The robots themselves. Okay, the Protector
101 killbot series 2000. Not exactly the sleek,
sophisticated killing machines we're used to in our modern AI nightmares.
Oh, totally. These are like the roomba's evil
cousins. Clunky, prone to malfunctions, and with a
voice that's more likely to lull you to sleep than strike fear into
your heart. Do you remember any of their iconic lines?
Um. Stop right there and surrender your weapon. Oh my
gosh. Yeah, delivered with all the menace of a bored telemarketer.
Perfect. But hey, they get the job done, even if it involves a lot of
accidental electrocutions and property damage. It's that low budget
charm that makes chopping malls so much fun. Yeah, the director,
Jim Winorski, was a master of taking these outlandish premises
and injecting them with just enough humor and gore to keep you entertained.
It's like they knew they weren't making high art, so they just went for it,
embracing the absurdity of it all. And let's be honest,
it worked. I mean, that scene where the Killbot encounters a lingerie clad mannequin,
pure comedic gold. Even robots have their limits when it
comes to distinguishing reality from, well, retail displays.
But beyond the laughs, theres a certain self awareness to the films
humor. Its not trying to be a profound statement about artificial intelligence or the
dangers of technology. Its just a good old fashioned romp through a
familiar setting with a few killer robots thrown in for good measure.
And its packed with eighties nostalgia. Oh yeah, from the
big hair and neon clothes to the cheesy synth music
and endless rambo references, its like a time capsule of
a very specific erade. Even the name kill bots screams eighties arcade
game, right? It's like they took all the tropes of eighties pop culture,
threw them into a blender, and out popped chopping mall.
And yet, despite its campiness, the film does raise some interesting
questions. Even if unintentionally. The idea of these robots,
designed to protect a mall, turning against the people they're supposed to safeguard.
It reflects an underlying anxiety about technology gone
wrong, a theme that's even more relevant today as we grapple
with the rise of automation and Aihdenhe. Its true, those killbots
might be clumsy and ridiculous, but they do tap into this primal fear of
being controlled by machines of our creations. Turning against us
and chopping maul, while not delving into those themes with any great depth,
serves as a reminder that even the most outlandish b movies can reflect
real world anxieties. Okay, before we spiral into a full blown AI
uprising, I need to know more about those hilariously inept robots you mentioned.
They were made on a shoestring budget. Oh, absolutely. It's a testament
to the ingenuity and DIy spirit of eighties filmmaking.
Those robots were cobbled together using whatever the crew could find
one of them was even controlled by a guy inside pushing it around on a
skateboard. No way. Yeah, and I thought the special effects
were convincing. It just goes to show that sometimes the most memorable movie moments
come from creative problem solving and a healthy dose of
duct tape. Speaking of memorable, didn't chopping mall have a different title?
Originally it did. It was first called Kill Bots.
Really catchy, right? Yeah, but apparently during test screenings,
audiences didn't connect with it, so they brainstormed some alternatives
and chopping mall was born. And the rest, as they say, is cinematic
history. But seriously, chopping mall just has that ring to it. It perfectly captures
the movie's blend of horror and absurdity. Yeah, it's the kind of title that sticks
with you, just like the movie itself. But we've got killer robots, cheesy eighties
nostalgia, and some surprisingly insightful social commentary.
What else could you ask for in a b movie? Okay, so we've got
killer robots on skateboards, teenagers partying amongst discount
furniture, and enough eighties nostalgia to last a lifetime.
But chopping mall isn't just a cheesy bee movie relic,
right? It's achieved this weird cult classic status.
What do you think it is about bee movies like this that keep us coming
back for more? Its like comfort food for the brain. B movies
tap into this primal love of storytelling, but with a wink and a nod.
Theyre not afraid to be silly, to embrace the low budget, to make us laugh
at the things that might actually scare us. Its like that so bad. Its good
phenomenon. You know, you should look away, but you just cant help but be entertained.
And chopping mall is a perfect example. The clunking robots,
the over the top death scenes, even the cheesy dialogue,
it all adds to the charm. Totally. And you cant deny the nostalgia factor.
Chopping mall is like a love letter to the 1980s. Remember when malls were the
place to be before the Internet, before cell phones, the mall was a
teenagers domain. Its true. The mall was this strange, self contained
universe full of potential for both freedom and danger.
Kind of like chopping mall itself. The teenagers in the movie,
theyre just looking for a little unsupervised fun. But then things take a
hilariously dark turn. It makes you wonder, though. What if chopping mall
is more than just a fun, nostalgic romp? Weve talked about
those anxieties, about technology, about systems meant to protect us,
turning against us. Those themes feel oddly relevant today, don't they?
Absolutely. Remember those kill bots, those clunky protectors
turned rogue. They're a product of that eighties fascination
with technology, but also this underlying fear of what happens
when we lose control. It's a theme that echoes in our modern anxieties
about AI, about automation, about the unintended consequences
of our creations. It's like chopping mall is holding up a funhouse mirror
to our own technological anxieties. We can laugh at the absurdity
of it all, those robots on skateboards, those laser beams that seem to miss their
targets more often than not. But beneath the surface, there's this unsettling
feeling that maybe, just maybe, the future might be a little more complicated than
we imagine. And that's the beauty of revisiting these films, isn't it?
They offer a glimpse into our past, a reflection of our anxieties,
and sometimes a surprisingly relevant commentary on our presenters.
Who knew a cheesy eighties horror flick could make us think so much?
So, as we power down the killbots and turn off the mall lights for good,
what's the takeaway for our listeners? What lasting thought do you want to leave
them with? I'd say don't underestimate the power
of a good b movie. They can be entertaining,
nostalgic, and, yes, even thought provoking. Chopping mall reminds
us that sometimes the best way to confront our fears is to laugh at
them, to embrace the absurdity and to find joy in the unexpected. And maybe
to think twice about trusting robots with lasers, no matter how catchy
their slogans might be. You've been listening to the deepest dive. Thanks for
joining us.