Chopping Mall
Jim Wynorski
(1986)
High-tech robots equipped with state-of-the-art security devices have been recruited as the new mechanical "night watchmen" for the Park Plaza Mall. When a jolting bolt of lightning short-circuits the main computer control, the robots turn into "killbots" on the loose after unsuspecting shoppers!
Cast
Crew
Overview and Horror Legacy
Chopping Mall received mixed reviews upon release but has since gained a cult following. The security robots were real, modified machines used for practical effects rather than being entirely created through visual tricks. A genuine touchstone of the slasher genre.
Collector Market and Memorabilia
Security robots hunting teens through a mall — the practical robot designs and the Sherman Oaks Galleria setting function as both location and social document. The film's high-concept 80s horror premise and its cheerful exploitation of a contemporary architecture of consumption give it genuine period character.
Cult Status
Directed by Jim Wynorski, the film was produced on a modest budget and shot primarily at night in an actual shopping mall. Chopping Mall received mixed reviews upon release but has since gained a cult following.
