Choppin Mall

In an era where artificial intelligence is transforming the world and, for pessimists, threatens to render humans obsolete, one could say that Chopping Mall finds a surprising freshness.
Of course, the entire experience is filtered through the unmistakable hand of Jim Wynorski, with production by the Corman family (Julie as producer and Roger as executive producer). As expected, we’re dealing with a B-movie that wastes no time and gets straight to the point.

Chopping Mall, a brilliant second-distribution title replacing the dull Killbots, is built on an idea so absurd it’s amusing.
A group of security robots in a large shopping mall is knocked out of control by a lightning storm, transforming into killing machines. The unlucky protagonists? A group of young people who stayed behind after hours for a clandestine party. What follows is a race against time as the deranged technology unleashes chaos in a setting perfectly primed for… chopping.

If it hadn’t been released a year earlier, one might think this was some sort of Robocop parody. Instead, it’s simply the twisted genius of Wynorski. However, a major flaw compared to his other films is the lack of topless scenes—limited to just Suzee Slater and Barbara Crampton.

There’s not much more to say about Chopping Mall. We barely get a glimpse of the crafty company that produces and sells the robots to the mall before the war against the teens begins.
Raw effects, speed, and minimal dialogue: that’s Chopping Mall. And that’s perfectly fine, especially as the film reflects a recurring theme of the decade—one that’s even more relevant today—the dangers and fears of unbridled technology.

Shot at the Sherman Oaks Galleria in Los Angeles, a cult location for films of that era, the movie finds its ideal setting for an adventure that’s as bizarre as it is irresistible. In short, Chopping Mall is a small B-movie gem that doesn’t try to be anything more than what it is: pure, irresistible fun for those who appreciate the trashy side of cinema.