Chopping Mall: The Novelization

by Brian G. Berry

Some people will kill for a bargain... and at the Park Plaza Mall, they do! Here, you can shop till you drop... dead!

High-tech robots, equipped with state-of-the-art security devices, have been recruited as the new mechanical "night watchmen" for Park Plaza Mall. But when a jolting bolt of lightning short-circuits the main computer control, the robots turn into "killbots," on the loose after unsuspecting shoppers!

Four couples are trying to make it after hours in a mattress store. They make it all right-in the morgue!

At Park Plaza, you can save on everything but your life!

Encyclopocalypse Publications has joined forces with Shout! Factory and acclaimed author Joshua Millican (Deeper Than Hell, Forbidden The Novelization, Circus of the The Novelization) to novelize the cult-classic 1986 film Chopping Mall.

Produced by the legendary Roger Corman, Chopping Mall has been a mainstay of the horror genre. Now, Chopping The Novelization promises to deliver all the laughs and thrills that have made it a beloved fixture in horror cinema, reimagined as a collectible paperback book.

Genres: Horror, Science Fiction, Contemporary Horror, Fiction, Media Tie In, Film

146 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 19, 2024

About the author

a.k.a Brian Berry

Brian G Berry is new to the world of writing. He writes everything from 1980s inspired horror, SCIFI/Action-horror, to the strange. His biggest influences are the writers of the weird including Lovecraft, Howard, Clark Ashton Smith, to the pulp horror authors of the golden age 70s/80s- and a splattering of others. Author of The Pail, A Bloody Christmas, Splatter Fiend Series, Slasherback Series, Campfire Tales Beneath a Pallid Moon, Accursed Ground, Blood Lanes, The Night Mutilator, Thanksgiving Day Massacre, and his newest: SNOW SHARK.

Reviews

[Benji's Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not too different from the film it's based on, but still a lot of cheesy 80s horror fun!

Recommended

[Ga.selle (Semi-hiatus) Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She falls to the ground with her unused gas bombs, gripped by unimaginable pain and new echelons of panic. Her screams become blood curdling."



The title doesn't fit and I was a bit surprised by the plot. I was expecting more of a slasher vibes with lotsa hacking action based on the title and it did mention an elusive Mall Mole so...but it still def had its gory moments! 🤣 Only in the 80s - where mall security robots shoot rockets and exploding head included! 🤣
Also watched the movie for the first time today after finishing the book and it was full of 80s nostalgia and wasn't boring due to its short run time. It was silly, campy, cringe yet fun. Albeit the silliness, got to appreciate the 80s future aesthetic of it.
Joshua Millican was able to capture the spirit of the original movie. The novelization had an extra something that wasn't included in the film. In the epilogue, it was revealed who or what was really controlling the killer bots.

"Did they hope to teach us a lesson about the perils of artificial intelligence and tampering with forces we can’t control? Or were their motives something else entirely?"

"Thank you, have a nice day." 🤖🔫🩸



Big thanks to the publisher, Booksirens for the arc. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.🖤

4.5✨

[Lady MacDeath 🌒🌕🌘 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had heard of the movie Chopping Mall, though I had never seen it, or had a clue what it was about.I thought that maybe, there was a serial killer, who was running riot in a mall, chopping everyone up… wrong!! As soon as I knew that one of my favourite authors, Joshua Millican had written the novelisation, I just knew I had to read it.

As expected, this was gruesome, and a helluva lot of fun, with three robots taking the place of shopping mall security guards, who run riot on a group of kids, which have decided to hold a party in one of the stores.

It’s bonkers, funny, and I had such a great time with this book. There are a few grammatical errors, which I usually balk at, though not enough to drop any stars, and JM is a genius at these novelisations, so who cares… not me!

Thanks to Joshua Millican, Encyclopocalypse Publications, and BookSirens for providing me with this free ARC, with which I leave a voluntary review.

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Release Date: 19th December 2024

[DH_reads_horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chopping Mall is the first book I've read by Joshua Millican, but it won't be the last. Millican's novelisation is very faithful to the film, just enough additional material to keep things interesting for those familiar with the film. It's a well written book and I particularly like that it is written in the present tense - I don't think I've read a novelisation written in the present tense before, and it works very well.

I received an advance review copy for free from Book Sirens, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kelli Krystne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gave ultimate 90s horror vibes. Some mall workers decide to stay and party after work one day in the store. Meanwhile, the mall has just started having robot security guards, this proves to be a terrible idea as the night goes on. I found this book to be very suspenseful and easy to read. The idea of the rouge robots really freaked me out. I did receive this book for free as an ARC but that didn’t change my rating or review of this book.

[Nate Dawg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chopping Mall is quintessential 80’s horror movie that’s a lot of fun! Joshua Millican has done a great job with this novelization. I haven’t watched the movie in a while but the book seems to follow along pretty faithfully while adding some additional details that expand on the story. Recommend for 80’s horror movie fans!

[Mikepottz · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first sentence of this book, "Dr Simon's mouth is dry and his balls are sweaty". The creator of security droids with a head resembling a motorcycle helmet. Laser darts fly out of the droid and send electricity into a robber. The promotion video shows the capability of these droids. You would hope there would be stringent testing and quality control. Well.... This is the future of mall security. These droids have titanium claws that extend, can communicate with other droids. They are known as Protectors. Green lighting sends a invasive signal changing the droids commands to new ones. A technician jerking off is the first kill. The claws grabbing his throat as his erection dies with him. A mention of the awesome movie/book Fast times at ridgemont high and the hottie Phoebe Cates. Yes that pool scene! Another technician gets a claw missile on the back of his skull. The boiling blood percolates out of his mouth. The droid says, " thank you and have a nice day". A janitor has his eyeballs pop out of his head. These droids are busy ripping out larynxes. The best kill in the movie beautifully described with the pink laser beam completely exploding the entire head, a buckets worth of blood, pulverized brain splattering goodiness. Blowing these robots ain't working with their 10 thousand degree heat resistance. Laser to an Achilles. More killing, chasing goodiness. We need more 80s horror put into print. Humans are so much fun to fuck with and off go the aliens.

[Diana | Indie Book Addict · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chopping Mall, the cult classic 80s horror movie, gets a fresh spin with Millican’s novelization, capturing the same campy, gory thrills that made the original so memorable. In the story, high-tech security robots designed to patrol the Park Plaza Mall malfunction after a lightning strike, transforming into deadly killbots on the loose. The story follows several young mall employees looking to party in a store after hours, but they end up fighting for their lives against these rogue bots instead.

Millican captures the chaotic, over-the-top nature of the original film perfectly, delivering a fast-paced narrative and vividly describing the chaos as the characters try to outsmart the robots. One thing that made me laugh is how the author describes Mike’s annoying gum chewing. IYKYK. I find it hilarious because it’s true.

This is my first time reading a novelization by Millican, and I wasn't disappointed. He brings the same engaging writing style and attention to detail that I've enjoyed in his other works. The fast-paced, gory nature of the story is perfect. It’s pure 80s style horror. If you enjoy techno-horror and the campiness of 80s horror films, you should grab this.

[Dana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a blast with this mall slasher gore-fest! As I was reading, I could picture scene by scene. I felt the terror of the victims but also delighted in the bloody mayhem. This is a quick, fun read that is sure to delight fans of 80s horror films.

I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Christina Pfeiffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

**REVIEW**

CHOPPING MALL: The Novelization
By Joshua Millican

Release: 12/19/24
Page count: 146
KU: No
Hoopla: Yes

Synopsis: A group of horny teenagers become trapped in a mall, fighting for their survival from killer robots.

First line: “Dr. Simon’s mouth is dry, and his balls are sweaty.”

Favorite line: “Dr. Simon looks at the face of Mikhail Gorbachev. ‘This sick bastard’s just itching to march millions of rabid communists onto our shores.’”

Thoughts: What a campy, bloody blast! The vivid descriptions of the deaths had me grimacing in horror but turning the next page in this battle royale between human and machine. Another stellar novelization from Millican.

Rating: 5/5

Other recommendations: ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE - the novelization and A CIRCUS OF THE DEAD - the novelization

[Citri · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book that opens up with a sentence about sweaty balls is surely a sign of adventure.

There's two ways of looking at this novelization: either it's a really shallow and silly retelling, or it embraces the ridiculousness of the film by deliberately being shallow and silly. I can't decide which way to feel about the book.

I did enjoy the inclusion of the story of the mall squatter- and the ending was a nice twist.

[Austin Shinn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A classic 80s style book that feels like the novelization we somehow didn’t get at the time. Put this next to Jason Lives and it reads identical. Very stripped down prose. It clings to the movie. It only adds a few scenes. And that’s perfect. The movie was great. Berry just made me relive it. Highly recommended. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my third book and novelization by Joshua Millican and he delivered once again!

We follow a group of friends who wanna have a good time in an impressive mall during closing hours, but they have to deal with some killer robots.

Just like any other novelization, I like to watch the movie along side the book for comparison, and once again, Josh does an amazing job capturing the spirit of the film and expanding on everything!

When I say everything, I truly mean it, because there is extra dialogue, extended scenes, extra scenes not in the film, added gore and violence, and my personal favorite, backstories included with our characters. Not just the main ones, but characters only in the film for a few minutes. There is actually a reason to root for some and not care for others. For example, why did Alison take the flare? Why is Ferdy good with engineering? Why are the guys good with guns? Why does Leslie insist on having a certain cigarette after sex? Why is Suzie afraid of closed spaces? and more. The film doesn't bother to tell us all of this, but this author does an amazing job explaining things missing from the movie, while adding things to the story to make it even better!

Speaking of the story, I absolutely loved the ending! It gives a reason to what is actually going on that is missing from the film. The movie is a campy, cheesy, bloody good time, but the novelization makes it a masterpiece!

Kudos to the author for having so many great ideas to make his novelizations even better than the films. It's clear that he is a huge fan of low-budget horror movies and I hope he will do more in the future!

4/5

I received this book from Booksirens, and I am proud to leave this review for them and the author!

[Caleb J. Pecue · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. I feel like they could have expanded on the story more. A large amount of pages are just pictures from the movie (the book is 150+ pages but the story stops at 127). It would have been nice to get a blurb from one of the actors as well.

There were a few spots where editing is needed: the end of Chapter 27, the font doesn't change for the Protector's voice and there were several issues with dashes where em dashes would be. Also, somewhere in the middle, there is a typo that says "blood cuddling" instead of "blood curdling".

All-in-all, it was fine. I wish Joshua Millican had more time to flesh out the characters and add more descriptions. It still felt like a script with the dialogue pushing the narrative. This could have easily been a novel length book instead of a novelette/novella. The chapters are too short (most average 3 pages). I understand they replaced the original author, but perhaps the book needed delayed a few months instead of being pushed out quickly. (It probably was a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation, though.) That being said, it was easy to read in a day.

Also, the epilogue... I need to rewatch the movie because I don't remember the last few paragraphs being in it and I'm not sure I really like them as they felt silly. That may not be the writer's issue if that was in the movie. I simply don't remember.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an interesting read and review for me.

First, I am aware of the last minute author change on this novelization. It's a bummer because I do like Brian's work, but I was happy to see Joshua Millican take over. I am a huge fan of Millican's other works, especially Teleportasm.

Second, I have never seen Chopping Mall. I know, that's weird, why would I read the novelization of a movie I have never seen? Mostly because I thought the concept for the movie was cool, but probably somewhat poorly done and dated.

The novelization, in light of the above, met all of my expectations. Millican does an awesome job of capturing that corny 80's horror movie vibe. Things move along at a good pace, which seems to be in line with the film's short run time. There is just enough detail and exposition to really get your imagination humming, without weighing down the plot.

Also, it's 150ish pages of robots murdering people inside a mall. That's just a recipe for a good time. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Chopping Mall, and will be watching the film it is based off of tonight. I think that's pretty positive praise.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Jeremy Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gory, campy, and surprisingly smart thriller that delivers exactly what its premise promises: a night of wild mayhem in a mall-turned-death trap. Ideal for readers who love their horror with a wink and a nod to the excesses of the 80s. Brian G. Berry was the best choice to bring this novelization to life. It pulls no punches and delivers a heart-stopping, action-packed adventure to keep you up at night.

Brian G. Berry is a master of tension, blending horror with tongue-in-cheek humor, ensuring that even as the body count rises, the book never takes itself too seriously. Fans of pulpy, fast-paced thrillers with a touch of retro sci-fi will find themselves breezing through the pages, eager to see what new danger awaits in the next shop or corridor.

Grab your copy of this novelization and get ready for a thrilling foray into the gore and guts of the Park Plaza Mall!

[Beau Wasserman (Depression Arc) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brian G. Berry's Chopping Mall is a pulpy, bloody, and thoroughly entertaining throwback to '80s slasher nostalgia, wrapped in a modern twist. The book balances campy horror and over-the-top gore, delivering a thrilling ride through a shopping mall where a routine after-hours hangout turns into a battle for survival.

The characters are intentionally archetypal, a nod to classic horror tropes, yet some moments of genuine humor and relatability sneak through the chaos. The pacing is relentless, with tension ratcheted up in every chapter. While the story leans heavily into its absurdity, it never takes itself too seriously—and that’s part of its charm.

If you're into fast-paced horror that's a little cheesy, a little scary, and a whole lot of fun, Chopping Mall is a perfect read. It's not high literature, but it's a blast—and sometimes, that’s exactly what you need.

[Ali O · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chopping Mall: The Novelization by Brian G Berry
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is such a fun and entertaining horror story! This book is based on a 1986 movie, Chopping Mall. (I have not watched the movie.)
The book definitely does well in making the reader feel the reminiscence of 80’s slashers films.
At Park Plaza mall, robots have been hired to
work night security. After the robots short circuit, no one left in the mall is safe!
This is a really fun and quick read. Lots of killing, gore, suspense and excitement!

Thank you to Joe Hempel & Brian G Berry for an audio copy of this fantastic book! Joe Hempel did an amazing job with the narration and he’s my favorite narrator!

*Paper and ecopies of the book will be out November 19th. However, the audiobook is out now! *
*Grab yours!! *

[Jessi Linne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listened to this through Audible. This was a free ARC from the narrator. Thank you so much!

If you’re only stumbling on this novelization without prior knowledge of the ridiculous movie from the 80’s then buckle up!! What could go wrong with a security team of robots roaming the mall at night? Absolute chaos! These robots are blood thirsty and can’t differentiate between friend and foe. Sucks for the poor teens and young adults that decide to stay late to party in the mall. So much gore, and so much cheese! Just shut your mind off, and drift back into the 80’s for this fun quick listen!

[Ven · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

It has been a long time since I saw the movie, and the memories came flooding back, and this is a faithful novelisation which I kinda wish had fleshed and detailed out more, but regardless it was a blast the doesn't let up when it gets going all the camp 80's gory glory

If you like 80s horror B-movies, you will likely have a blast with this.

[Kalin Stevey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5 stars*

I enjoyed this a lot. I don’t give it 5 full stars simply because there is better mall horror out there but I’ve seen Chopping Mall more than one lol and this was a really good novelization of a fantastic, old horror movie.

[Bobby Stringini · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit of cheesy fun. The writing can be a bit clunky, but it works with the B-movie cheese of it all. Like all good novelizations it also adds a little extra to the story with a few characters given an extra scene or two, and maybe a nice little twist to everything. I had a good time with it!

[ScarlettAnomalyReads]

Retracted

[Blayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don’t know if this was officially sanctioned or if it’s a fan project but the author definitely understood the assignment. Almost as much fun to read as the movie is to watch.

[Brittani Button · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the movie, you'll love this!

[Brian Shevory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big thanks to Encyclopocalypse Publications and BookSirens for allowing me to read an early copy of their latest release in their novelization series Chopping Mall: The Novelization. I was also able to preview the novelization of Plan 9 from Outer Space by Brett Nelson, and I really enjoyed the book. Furthermore, this is the third book from Encyclopocalypse Publications I’ve read, and they have all been fun, high quality reads. The movie Chopping Mall is an underrated 80’s techno-horror film, kinding operating as the antithesis of Short Circuit and building on the fears stoked by such films as Terminator. Although released before Robocop, I felt like the movie has some similarities with Chopping Mall as well since it presents a kind of corporate surveillance state where mindless commercialism and consumerism are intertwined with military technological surveillance and control. Maybe I’m looking too much into the subtext of the film since it’s also a fun and silly movie with some crazy kills and over-the-top gore and roboviolence. I feel like many people don’t know too much about this film, and I was glad to find out more as I researched it. I learned that the film has its DNA in Roger Corman’s productions, which is interesting since one of the couples who stays to party at the mall after closing watches Attack of the Crab Monsters and another character reads a book of short stories that features the basis for another Corman production Death Race 2000 (which also features Mary Woronov, who also has a cameo in this film). One of the stores in the film is also named after Corman’s Little Shop of Horrors and there are posters of Corman films throughout some of the stores. One of the great things about the book is that Berry includes many of these references throughout the novelization, but he also seems to add to some of the detaisl. For example, the janitor, played by the great character actor and Corman star Dick Miller, is, I think, the third person to die in the film. Berry names his colleagues Dick and Miller and kills them off too. I don’t remember their deaths in the film. There were a few other deaths in the novelization that I didn’t remember in the film—it’s been a while since I’ve seen it, and so I didn’t remember if Leslie’s dad was killed by one of the Protector bots—he was in the novelization, trying to spy on Leslie and Mike. Berry also adds some backstory to some of the characters that was entertaining. I loved his descriptions and background about Mike Brennan, explaining his interest in gum chewing that the film doesn’t really bother with. The novelization also has Paul and Mary returning to the mall to do something nefarious with their restaurant, not only a reference to the cameos from Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov, but also a reference to their film Eating Raoul. I loved these little nuggets including the reference to the sporting goods store as Peckinpah’s, which apparently was in the movie as well. I also found it interesting that a mall would have a sporting goods store with guns and other weapons, but this was also a major plot point for Dawn of the Dead so maybe that was something that happened more frequently in the 70s and 80s. The novelization stays true to the film, but in addition to the characterization, I also loved the epilogue. It was a cool twist, that I won’t end here, but it makes the protector robots more nefarious and part of a bigger plot. It also kind of opens the door for future movies or books about this robot program. I’m not sure if that will happen, but this was one of the great additions from the novelization. Beyond the epilogue, Berry’s writing also contributes to creating a fun read for fans of splatter and gore. The robot kills are described in graphic and creative ways. It’s over-the-top, but also kind of provides an imagistic description of what happens on the screen. If anything, his descriptions of the laser violence heightens the gore and splatter, adding a new dimension to this techno-horror gem. I found that Berry is a prolific author, so I will have to check out more of his works. I will definitely look for more Encyclopocalypse Publications. I really appreciate the preview copy, and I loved seeing the film stills and posters from the movie. I didn’t realize that the film had a previous title, Killbots, and was changed after it was unpopular at the time. I definitely think that Chopping Mall is a much better title and not only adds to the anti-capitalist message with other films like Dawn of the Dead and Carpenter’s They Live!, which would follow in a few years. The only thing I wish this book had was another introduction or preface by another author who also loves this film. Plan 9 had a great intro from Dana Gould explaining his love of the film and providing some context. I was hoping for a similar introduction to give some additional context to this film and the novelization. Hopefully, other books in the series will continue this tradition. Regardless, the book is still a fun and entertaining read, whether you’ve seen the film or not.

[PaperbackWarrior · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roger Corman's Concorde Pictures released Chopping Mall in 1986. The origin of the film's production stemmed from Corman's wife Julie negotiating a distribution deal with Vestron to create a horror film with a shopping mall locale. B-movie screenwriter, director, and producer Jim Wynorski joined the project to write the script (with Steve Mitchell) and direct. This was a partnership with the Cormans that would fuel future cult hits like Big Bad Mama II, Deathstalker 2, and Sorority House Massacre II and III (aka Hard to Die or Tower of Terror). Chopping Mall (initially titled Killbots) had a limited theatrical run but became rental store sustenance for millions of VCRs in the 1980s. Very few teenagers could pass up the amazing font and cover art.

In 2013, author, producer, and editor Mark Alan Miller teamed up with Shout! Factory to release the director's cut edition of Clive Barker's Nightbreed. Now, in 2024 Miller is the founder and president of the nostalgically modern publisher Encylopocalypse, which concentrates on horror, science-fiction, and action novels as both original content, reprints of prized vintage fiction, and new, fresh novelizations of cult films. His former collaboration with Shout! Factory inspired Encyclopocalypse to novelize Chopping Mall, which had previously never been novelized. Shout! Factory owns the rights to publish Roger Corman's film library. The marriage is a perfect curtain-jerk into more Corman films hitting the printed page.

Chopping Mall's novelizations is by Brian G. Berry, an author of over fifty novels and the founder of Slaughterhouse Press. His most well-known series titles are Shark Files, Slasherback, and VHS Trash. Berry's experience with horror and his novelizations for SRS Cinema makes him the perfect fit for Chopping Mall: The Novelization (release date Nov. 19, 2024).

Berry's take on Chopping Mall mostly follows the film version, which is how I like my novelizations. After just reading Michael Avalonne's Friday the 13th 3-D novelization, which seemingly was written from a different script completely, I appreciate Berry's artistic integrity to preserve the film's original design.

The book, and film, concerns a technological advancement occurring at Park Plaza Mall. To detract theft and unruly behavior, Park Plaza has installed three robots deemed The Protector. They are armed with deadly, flesh-piercing devices like tasers, lasers, C-4 explosive, and pain-inducing pliers when in a pinch. The exterior of these robots is bulletproof. Why any of this is necessary at an average 80s shopping mall is never explained in the film other than security measures.

One night after the mall closes for business, teenage employees stay late and converge inside one of the mall's furniture stores with their mattress mate. When a lightning storm frays the building's electronics, the robots are glitched and begin hunting the teens in the mall. These mop-headed survivors fight for their lives by stealing firearms, paint supplies (boom!), and other hardware to combat the run-amok robots. Like any 80s horror film there is the proverbial “final girl finale” to keep the faith.

Berry's novel weighs in at 136 pages and presents these horrifying, stomach-clinching scenes of terror with enough descriptive detail to make it a bloody good time without being distasteful. I loved the breezy flow, shorter chapters, and the quick dismissal of the unimportant characters – pop, chop, and tase for (time) savings.

Unlike the film, Berry goes one step further and doesn't rely on the last page's embrace to welcome the credits. Instead, he includes a four page Epilogue titled “Protector 2.0” that explains the U.S. Army Special Weapons Division, funded by the Defense Department, staged this mall annihilation as an exercise to test how the robots would perform in combat. Berry also includes a scene from an undisclosed testing facility in California where the robots have killed a number of people before finally biting the hand that feeds in Dr. Vanders, in this case ripping her scalp from her head and shoving it in her mouth. Brian Berry can be nasty when he wants to be.

Chopping Mall: The Novelization is a delightful retail rampage placing consumer combatants into an arena of oncoming death. Or debt from those monstrous credit card machines fueled on American capitalism and 80s excess. That's the believable horror story.

Note - I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Rutendo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chopping Mall the novelization by Joshua Millican is a sci-fi horror comedy based on the 1986 screenplay “Chopping Mall” directed by Jim Wynorski and Steve Mitchell. The story is about an attempt to technologically, rather ‘robotically’ advance and enhance security at a shopping mall going south as the “Protector Bots’ morph into ‘Kill Bots’ after a strange green lighting strikes the Secure Tronics guidance and relay system, “Gatekeeper Omega Gamma” bolted to the roof of Park Plaza Mall altering the programming that controlled the functioning and duties of the Protector Bots. The code-manipulated androids go on to unleash chaos mainly on a set of four teenage unsuspecting couples namely Suzie Lynn and Greg Williams, Leslie Todd and Michael Brenan, the wedded Rick and Linda Stanton and lastly the ‘blind dates’, Alison Parks and Ferdinand Meisel as they indulge themselves in an orgy party at Ferdinand’s Uncle Sid’s ‘The Furniture King store inside Park Plaza shopping mall.
1985 Century City USA, the story’s sub setting, ‘in a conference room on the top floor of Secure Tronics high -rise building’ Dr Stan Simon, a robotics engineer spearheading the invention of the Protector Bots 101 Series and Project Sanctuary in tandem is summoned by the Secure Tronics three person Board of Directors namely billionaire, financier and Ceo of Secure Tronics Russell Crampton, Retired Admiral P.Frederick Henry and a mysterious Freemason identified only as Mr X for a progress report. The engineer is nervous to stand before his superiors as he has not yet made the expected progress on both projects. Adding to his dilemma he is rather dishonest about it and decides to make his staff work overtime and forgo quality testing to keep his powerful superiors happy.
The story takes a leap, 1986 Los Angeles at the world’s biggest mall that cover four city blocks and stretches three levels up, situated at the corner of Beverly and West Olympic, Park Plaza Mall. A gathering of business owners in Park Plaza Mall are treated to a screenplay of a burglar robbing a jewelry store clean. As he makes his escape a Protector Bot swoops in and ‘saves the night’ by electrocuting the perpetrator with a taser dart and knocking him out, ending the screenplay. The screenplay is met with mixed emotions, such as amazement, skepticism and some were of a complete lack of enthusiasm. For instance, a yuppie couple Paul and Mary Bland who run Paul and Mary’s Country Kitchen share their lack of enthusiasm for the security team with a question voiced by Mary, ‘If they’re called Protectors what do they protect? The tone of this question showcased Mary’s ‘Bland’ nature and how much of a snob she is. Mary’s character immediately disregarded the Protector Bots without even being curious of the androids’ other capabilities and features. Another example is of Dr Clarington; Miss Vanders’ former college Professor who voices his concern over the Protector Bots being violent and potentially lethal to humans both innocent and guilty owing to their weaponry and defense mechanisms. The androids look more like overgrown titanium murder weapons as they are each armed with panels that open to reveal gun barrels and a launching power claw, each with four retractable arms that can extend to impressive lengths, and arms capped with a crippling titanium claw that screamed “better to chop off your limbs with”. To top it of Dr Simon’s cliché phrase ‘Trust me. Absolutely nothing could go wrong’, did nothing to quell the old professor’s concern over the androids.

I would like to express my gratitude to BookSirens and the author for the free review copy.

[Books For Decaying Millennials · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Note: The Following review is for the Chopping Mall Novelization by Joshua Millican
GoodReads is aware that this edition is only edition currently being published, and has thus far refused to update the book info on this site. Do better GoodReads, all this is doing is making things confusing for readers.
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Encyclopocalypse Publishing has come to feel like the reading equivalent of visiting the local video-store back in the latter days of the 20th century. Their Movie Tie-in Series, above all, exemplifies this. For what is brain if not a meaty Video Player, with books as the VHS cassettes? (Don't answer that question). Novelizations of films are a special sub-set of fiction that, when done well, can stand on their own merit as well as be enjoyed along said the same named film.
Prior to penning the novelization of Chopping Mall Joshua Millican , firmly established his ability to bring film to the page, check out my reviews for his adaptations of Circus of The Dead and All Through the House for the most recent examples.
okay, let's stop for a moment..If you have yet to watch Chopping Mall, do yourself a favour and follow these steps:1. go watch it - I recommend the Joe Bob Briggs Last Drive In episode featuring it. 2. Now go read the book. All Done? Good, ok let's continue.
Josh is a master at bypassing one of the major pitfalls in film novelization. Too often writers treat the narrative like a re-hash of the film script itself, perhaps with some moments of world building and character development. With Chopping Mall , Josh fleshes out the scope of the story with lavish strokes, the elements at play reach far beyond the confines of this one mall. The characters and story fans already enjoy are given a fresh boost of life, and still retaining the humor and charm of the film. The mall itself almost becomes a character, inhabited and full of its own stories. Chopping Mall is a fun, fast moving read. A selection of shots of from the film are included in the appendixes. You'll find yourself wanting to give the Jim Wynorski classic a re-watch.

[Ricky]

Note: This review is for Joshua Millican's edition which is a completely different book from Brian G. Berry's book that came out a month ago.

It's impossible to not talk about this adaptation without talking about the cancelled-but-accidentally-released edition that released one month prior. There's no amount of polish that can turn Chopping Mall into anything resembling a great story, but clearly there's still some stuff you can work with. Berry's book was a very trashy read; it was disgusting and nasty, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a lot of fun to share excerpts with my friends. Conversely, this edition is actually a halfway decent novel, but it lacks the horridness that made the previous edition so much fun to rip on.

It might not sound like it, but what I'm trying to say is that this is a fun book. There's a lot of little nice moments that add to the barebones (but fun) characters, and I'm a little more forgiving of some of the clunkier prose since I know that real-life circumstances made this a total rush job that was thrown together in next to no time at all. Considerations aside, you're still left with something that's enjoyable enough to tear through in a day.

The last third or so of this book completely flies by (a bit too fast), but it's really tough because that's the portion of the film that has next to no dialogue and just a bunch of running and shooting. It's a problem that Berry had as well, and quite honestly I preferred a faster tear through the least exciting part of the story. Normally I'd object to the ending being the worst part of the book, but hey... I get it!

It's a lot of fun to compare and contrast the two editions. They both have wildly different epilogues and the little bits of added characterization deviate quite a bit, with this book seeming way less nasty than its predecessor. There's a very clear winner here, and it's a shame that the better version only exists because someone put people through serious pain. I'm never touching another Berry book again, but I might check out some of Millican's other stuff someday.

Josh cut the Rambo-gram line though, and for that, it's unforgivable.