So I want to talk a little about the Bland couple who appeared at the beginning of this movie. I started doing some digging and ended up watching Eating Raoul immediately after finishing Chopping Mall.
The first thing I completely wasn't expecting is that Eating Raoul is actually IN the CRITERION COLLECTION! I was not expecting to see that watching a film with characters from Chopping Mall in it.
The 2nd thing I think needs mentioning is that if you watch Eating Raoul before you watch Chopping Mall it actually answers a question that was brought up during the episode. Why is it that this mall feels the need to use these robots to defend the mall? Well, assuming it takes place in the same Los Angeles depicted in Eating Raoul it makes sense...
The movie defines Hollywood as "a place where "instant gratification is endlessly pursued" and a "center for casual violence" It poses that "Prolonged exposure to just such a psychopathic environment will eventually warp even the most normal and decent among us." So it makes sense that a mall in the same neighborhood that The Blands live in would probably have a need for these kill bots.
and lastly, I think it's important to note that the movie these characters come from was later adapted into a broadway musical, that starred Adrian Zmed as Raoul, who of course played Johnny Nogerelli in Grease 2.
Comedyblasca