In recent years, Kiss’s public statements concerning the movie have been a mixture of bemusement and disgust. On VH1's When Kiss Ruled the World program, Gene Simmons stated that, "It’s a classic movie… Classic movie if you’re on drugs, " while Ace Frehley pejoratively said that «It’s the funniest shit I’ve ever seen.» In an early-1990s Sterling-McFadden magazine interview, Simmons compared the film to the infamous B-movie classic Plan 9 from Outer Space, joking that the two movies would make a perfect drive-in double feature.

In the years since its initial airing, Kiss Meets the Phantom of the Park has achieved cult status, mainly among Kiss fans. It is currently available on DVD as part of Kissology Volume Two: 1978-1991, a collection of concerts and television appearances. (However this is the edited version, which contains hardly any of Ace Frehley’s lines.) Previously, availability was limited to two brief VHS releases in the 1980s and a laserdisc release in 1991. In 2005, Cheezy Flicks attempted to release the film on DVD, but due to legal issues, the disc was quickly pulled. -->

Развитие

Коммерческая популярность Kiss достигла пика к 1978. Доход группы в 1977 в сумме составил $10.2 миллионов.Lendt, C.K. Kiss and Sell: The Making of a Supergroup, Billboard Books, 1997. ISBN 0-8230-7551-6 Креативный менеджер Bill Aucoin тем не менее чувствовал, что Kiss целиком ушли в замкнутый круг из новых альбомов и концертных туров, и давно пора вывести её на новый уровень. Он запланировал показать Kiss как супергероев, что началось ещё в 1977 с выпуском книги комиксов Kiss. Группа согласилась, и Билл разработал план по съемке фильма Kiss.

Чтобы укрепить образ Kiss как супергероев, каждый член группы получил индивидуальные суперспособности в соответствии с их образами — Джин Симмонс (Демон) мог дышать огнем и имел суперсилу; Пол Стэнли (Звездоносец) испускал лучи из глаз, которые могли контролировать сознание людей и позволял ему слышать их мысли; Эйс Фрэйли (Космический Туз) мог телепортировать себя и/или группу и стрелять лазерными лучами из глаз; Питер Крисс (Кот) был очень проворным и мог прыгать на большое расстояние и делать удивительные кошачьи каламбуры. . The KISSFAQ. Retrieved June 30, 2006., and it was produced by Hanna-Barbera, known primarily for cartoons such as Scooby-Doo and Yogi Bear (in the late '60s, they filmed and produced the live action series The Banana Splits). Most of the movie was filmed at Six Flags Magic Mountain in California, with additional filming taking place in the Hollywood Hills. Much of the production was rushed, and the script underwent numerous rewrites. All four members of Kiss were given crash courses on acting.

Prior to completing the script, screenwriters Jan Michael Sherman and Don Buday spent time with each Kiss member, in an effort to get a feel for how they each acted and spoke. Frehley, known for his eccentric behavior, said little to the pair but «Ack!» As a result, Frehley was not originally given any lines, except to interject «Ack!» at various points. In the first draft of the script, Frehley was described as «monosyllabic and super-friendly. Communicating largely through gestures and sounds, Ace might be best described as an other-galactic Harpo Marx.»Hicks, L. Wayne. . TVparty. Retrieved July 27, 2006. Upon learning of his lack of dialogue, Frehley threatened to leave the project — soon after, lines were written for him.Leaf, David and Ken Sharp. KISS: Behind the Mask: The Official Authorized Biography, Warner Books, 2003. ISBN 0-446-53073-5

The band, none of whom had any prior acting experience, had difficulty adjusting to the demands of filming. Frehley and Criss, in particular, became increasingly frustrated with the long periods of downtime normally associated with movie-making. They were both also dealing with increasing levels of substance abuse. Criss’s dialogue in the film had to be over-dubbed by well-known voice actor Michael BellAlbanese, Ron. March 5, 2002. RonAlbanese.com. Retrieved June 30, 2006. (who had worked with producer Joseph Barbera on a number of past projects), as he refused to participate in post-production. Criss has denied this, stating that he «went to all the looping.» The only time Criss’s actual voice is heard in the movie is during an acoustic performance of «Beth.» On May 27, the last day of filming, Criss and tour manager Fritz Postlethwaite were involved in a serious car accident. Postlethwaite suffered burns but soon returned to work for Kiss. Criss’s injuries were minor.Gooch, Curt and Jeff Suhs. KISS Alive Forever: The Complete Touring History. Billboard Books, 2002. ISBN 0-8230-8322-5

On a few occasions, Frehley left the set during filming due to arguments with the film’s director. In one scene that Frehley abandoned, his African American stunt double can be clearly seen instead.

The concert depicted in the film was recorded in the parking lot of Magic Mountain on May 19, 1978, in front of a crowd of 8,000 people. Tickets for the concert were given out by local radio station KMET. The group performed a full concert, which was followed by lip-synched performances of some songs. "Rip and Destroy, " an altered version of «Hotter than Hell» that was featured in the movie, was not performed during the concert. -->