"Chopping Mall"

The Beverly Center gets some new robots to patrol the place and detain intruders in "Chopping Mall" (Concorde Pictures, 1986). In the mall, called the Park Plaza for the film, things go awry one dark night when the mall is hit by repeated lightning strikes that affect some of the rooftop electronics equipment and scramble the robots brains. They become killing machines that go after the staff and a group of young store employees staying late in one of the stores to party. 

While we're at the Beverly Center for several exterior shots, most of the mall interior scenes were shot either at Sherman Oaks Galleria or on sets. See the page about the Beverly Center Cinemas on the Los Angeles Theatres site. They opened in the mall in 1982 and closed in 2010.  

Jim Wynorski directed. The cinematography was by Tom Richmond. The cast includes Kelli Maroney, Tony O'Dell, Russell Todd, Kerri Emerson, Barbara Crampton, Nick Segal, John Terlesky, Paul Bartel, Mary Woronov and Gerrit Graham. The survival statistics aren't good.    

 

Late in the film we get a look at the boxoffice for the Pacific 4 on the top floor of the Sherman Oaks Galleria. "Krush Groove" was an October 1985 release. To the right it says "Remo." The film "Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins" was also out in October. 

 

A wider boxoffice view.  Note the "CIFICAP" reflection in the window. The theatre entrance is just off to the left with "Pacific 4 Theatres" signage above the doors. No, we don't see the theatre entrance nor go to an after-hours movie. 

 

A killer robot on patrol. Who will be next?  

 

A POV robot closeup. We're looking through the railing because by this time our leading lady is dangling there by her fingertips to escape detection by the robot. 

See the page about the Pacific 4 and later theatres in the mall on the Sherman Oaks Galleria page on the Los Angeles Theatres site.  

On IMDb: "Chopping Mall"  The full movie is on YouTube. 

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"Commando"

 

We get a look at the Pacific 4 Theatres in the Sherman Oaks Galleria in a brawl scene in Mark Lester's film "Commando" (20th Century Fox, 1985). 

 

The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rae Dawn Chong. Also featured are Dan Hedaya, Vernon Wells, Alyssa Milano, David Patrick Kelly, James Olson and Sharon Wyatt. The cinematography was by Matthew F. Leonetti. This was familiar terrain for Leonetti as he had shot "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" here in 1981. 

 

 

Heading to get Arnold, who's going to throw a telephone booth at them.

See the page about the Pacific 4 Theatres on the Los Angeles Theatres site. There's also information on the replacement 16 screen complex that opened in the mall in 2001. It was later rebranded as an ArcLight and in 2021 became the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria. 

There's a two-and-a-half minute clip of the mall brawl scene on YouTube. Thanks to Whiteberry for sharing it as part of his great post on Blu-ray.com that gives a rundown of the mall's appearances in various movies and TV shows.  

On IMDb: "Commando" 

"Fast Times at Ridgemont High"

During the opening credits of Amy Heckerling's "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" (Universal, 1982) we see ticket taker Mark 'Rat' Ratner, played by Brian Backer, at the Pacific 4 Theatres in the Sherman Oaks Galleria.

The film also features Sean Penn, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Judge Reinhold, Phoebe Cates, Ray Walston, Kelli Maroney, Eric Stoltz and Forest Whitaker. Cameron Crowe did the screenplay based on his book. The cinematography was by Matthew F. Leonetti. Marty Glassman comments: 

"I was in there watching 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High' with a friend, when they showed the scene of the inside of the mall. Everyone started laughing in the theater, and then they showed the kid taking tickets in the theater that we were watching the movie, and then we really started laughing."

 

"Smoking is upstairs and to your left." 

 

Local scalper Mike Damone, played by Robert Romanus, comes by for a chat.

 

 The kids want Van Halen tickets. They're not happy but they pay $20 for the $12 tickets. 

 

 

 

Stacey, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh, works at Perry's Pizza. Rat gets brave and asks for her number. 

 

 

 

A look across from Perry's. On the theatre's readerboard: "The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas." Thanks to Whiteberry for this screenshot he shared in a great post on Blu-ray.com that gives a rundown of the mall's appearances in various movies and TV shows.

 

 

 

At the end of the film we see Rat closing doors after a show. A new year has begun.

 

Stacy and her co-worker, Phoebe Cates, are on duty at Perry's Pizza. Stacy waves.  

 

 

Rat waves back. Stacy beckons him over and they kiss. The end credits advise that they're in a passionate romatic relationship but they haven't yet gone all the way.

See the page about the Pacific 4 Theatres on the Los Angeles Theatres site. There's also information on the replacement 16 screen complex that opened in the mall in 2001. It was later rebranded as an ArcLight and in 2021 became the Regal Sherman Oaks Galleria.  

Todd Tarpley analyzes the mall layout and has a number of shots from the film in a post on his site The Tarp Report. The mall exterior we see in the opening credits was shot at Santa Monica Place. The school they used was located in Van Nuys. 

On IMDb: "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" 

A production shot of Brian Backer at the theatre entrance. Thanks to Whiteberry for sharing this image in his superb 2021 post about the mall's movie appearances on Blu-ray.com.