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Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, Russell Todd, Karrie Emerson, Barbara Crampton ... see more see more... , Nick Segal , John Terlesky , Suzee Slater , Dick Miller , Angela Aames , Paul Coufos , Gerrit Graham , Lenny Juliano , Ace Mask , Toni Naples , Mel Welles , Ernst R. von Theumer , Arthur Roberts , Morgan Douglas , Maurie Gallagher , Will Gill Jr. , Robert Greenberg , Larence Guy

This high-tech spin on the slasher genre pits a group of sex-obsessed teens spending the night in a shopping mall against the mall's marauding robotic security guards -- whose programming turns homici... read more read more...dal after a bolt of lightning scrambles their control circuits. Director Jim Wynorski cut his exploitation teeth working for Roger Corman's legendary "B"-movie factory New World Pictures in the '70s and '80s, and this film's comic early scenes contain homages to that outfit's heyday -- with humorous cameos from Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov (reprising their characters Paul and Mary Bland from Bartel's Eating Raoul) and the ubiquitous Dick Miller. The majority of the film, however, is essentially a teens-in-jeopardy story, with the lethal bots unleashing their amped-up arsenal and bringing the victims to nasty ends amid buckets of gore -- such as the unforgettable moment when one woman's head is targeted by one of the droids and blown up like an overripe melon. (The shot is repeated during the end credits.) ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Flixster Users

36% liked it

5,845 ratings

Critics

50% liked it

6 critics

R, 1 hr. 17 min.

Directed by: Jim Wynorski

Release Date: March 21, 1986

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DVD Release Date: August 17, 2004

Stats: 393 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (393)


  • December 23, 2011
    Silly, cheesy fun that's sure to raise a smile among 80s b-movie horror fans. The plot has three new security robots go on a manhunt around a shopping mall after malfunctioning during a lightning storm. Very 80s stuff with the typical cliched cannon fodderof horny teens. It's act... read moreually more action that horror as the would-be heroes amass a sizeable arsenal to defeat the crazed Killbots... but that doesn't stop some of them meeting a bloody end. It's laughably bad but entertaining for sure.
  • fb500439213
    October 19, 2011
    fb500439213
    After a 'Robocop'-esque infomercial satirizing the "neutralization" of a criminal, 'Chopping Mall' is a wacky B-movie that exudes a jovially fun attitude that removes the drive-in idiocy of the high-concept. Like the Universal classic 'Frankenstein' and, to a lesser extent, 'Frid... read moreay the 13th: Jason Lives', lightning is the catalyst for the robot's blood-soaked carnage. The mall setting is perfect for eclectic locales and weapons to duel against the robots such as gasoline cans, a paint store and automatic machineguns in a hunting store. The film is concise, explosively self-effacing in it's humor (with a cameo from Joe Dante regular Dick Miller who scolds the robot for spilling his mop bucket) and truculently aware of it's absurdist plotline ("It's alright. I guess I'm not used to being stuck in a mall, chased by killer robots.").
  • June 8, 2011
    A pretty silly 80's horror movie...or any decade, for that matter. It does have several things going for it though. The yummy Barbara Crampton for one, Dick Miller for another and a really horrible 80's cheese synthesizer score. Other than the head-exploding scene, there isn't re... read moreally that much horror on display. It's a fun movie though. The terrible dialogue will keep you smiling. :)
  • January 24, 2011
    This is another great machines gone crazy movie, this time taking place at a mall after hours, which is always scary. I loved this techno terror film.
  • December 29, 2010
    Chopping Mall is a fun, cheesy ride and is an underrated gem of a horror film. The films story is simple, Security robots at a mall malfunction after the main computer gets struck by lightning, and the robots go on a rampage on a group of teens partying after hours inside the mal... read morel. Simple, yet effective story, Chopping Mall originally titled Killbots is a prime example of why 80's horror were so great and amusing to watch. Definitely not a perfect film, the film could have been better, but in many ways as well, I wouldn't have changed a single thing. The film is pure gold. The acting leaves a lot to be desired, but with awesome on screen kills, you really don't care in the end. In a movie titled Chopping Mall you can only expect murder and mayhem in a mall. Thats exactly what you get. The thing thats so great about the bots themselves is that there seems no way to kill them off, and they just keep killing. Chopping Mall is a fun film to watch and has many scenes that will appeal to horror fans. The film is silly, but what 80's horror film isn't? The end result is something thats very amusing to watch, and Chopping Mall is a very underrated gem of 80's horror. Killer robots+horny teens, how can no one like that combination? Chopping Mall is the perfect definition of a guilty pleasure, this is one of the better cheesy horror films of the 80's, as a few have missed the mark. But Chopping Mall will definitely appeal to horror fans who enjoy a silly horror film. Theres plenty to enjoy in this film, and the film succeeds at providing a good hour and 15 minutes worth of silly entertainment. My only problem with the film is that it's too short, other than that, it's a terrific, underrated gem of horror sleaze. Don't take this film too seriously, and you'll enjoy it.
  • fb100000185301014
    December 23, 2011
    fb100000185301014
    Cliche 80s slasher, the robots looked harmless... stereotypical characters that are expandable, the explosion-of-the-head scene was marvellous, but everything else was crap.
  • January 15, 2010
    Can you say "awesome"? This movie has everything in it to be absolutely fantastic: 1980s idiocy and killer robots.
  • October 22, 2008
    Low budget Corman film about 30 year old teenagers locked in a mall overnight with killbots that look a lot like Johnny 5. A Cheesefest worth a look for some laughs... with lines like "We're gonna send these robots a Rambo-gram", you have to give it a little credit...
  • August 27, 2007
    I cannot beleive this is on here. Brilliant movie and so silly.
  • October 11, 2010
    A film I re-watched recently for the To-Watch Pile, this remains one of my favorite corny 80's horror flicks. It's got all the earmarks of the era, casual sex, bad fashion and a goofy fucking premise that I just can't get enough of.

    Well worth a look if you've not seen it, or w... read moreorth a re-visit if it's been awhile.

Critic Reviews


Tim Brayton
July 31, 2011
Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy

Disreputably fun... just about the best low-budget movie about killer robots destroying a shopping mall that can ever be produced. Full Review

David Nusair
November 26, 2003
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews

...the film features horny teens being chased around a shopping mall by clunky robots that shoot lasers. What more do you need to know? Full Review

Alex Sandell
May 13, 2003
Alex Sandell, Juicy Cerebellum

Robot killers in a mall. Like 'Dawn of the Dead' done by dorks.

Scott Weinberg
July 27, 2002
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com

Goofball horror flick is salvaged by a quick pace and diverting sense of humor.

Emanuel Levy
August 16, 2005
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com

No review available.

Spence D.
January 24, 2004
Spence D., IGN Movies

No review available.

Leo Goldsmith
October 21, 2008
Leo Goldsmith, Not Coming to a Theater Near You

Click to read the article Full Review

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