Phantasm
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Movie Reviews of Phantasm
Movie Review: Seventies Horror Classic
Summary: 4 Stars
This is an extremely hard movie to rate, given it's core audience is relatively exclusive. Instead of rating it against all other movies, let's just say I'm giving it four stars in the horror genre, and even that comes with some caveats.
First of all, if you aren't a horror fan already, then this is probably not the place to start. If you are a horror junkie, but haven't seen this movie, I wouldn't get my expectations up. There's a very specific reason that this movie spawned so many sequels and so many fans - and that's because, like the first Friday the Thirteenth, at the time it was made, it was frightening and original. It's still original, but maybe not so scary anymore. There are some very specific scenes I remember seeing twenty years ago that really got to me, but watching it again recently, I just shrugged my shoulders.
Horror films that rely on a lot of special effects tend to date themselves very quickly (the only exception I can think of off the top of my head is Alien: 20th Anniversary Edition [Award Series]), and Phantasm is obviously set right at the tail end of the seventies. Not that there is anything wrong with that in and of itself, but if someone was thinking about getting this movie, they should be aware that, despite all the glowing reviews here, Phantasm is definitly a product of its time.
That doesn't mean I didn't like it, though. Maybe I have a soft spot for movies like this because they're from my era, or maybe I just like cheesy horror movies. Either way, Phantasm fits both criteria, and I still enjoyed it, all these years later. I also enjoyed the featurette in the DVD extras, "Phantasmagoria". All the principle players were interviewed in 2005 about their memories of the original production, and learning how they went about making the movie on such a shoe-string budget tipped me over from giving this three stars to giving it four. I don't always watch the extras, especially if they come on the second disc of a 'two disc directer's cut special grand high poobah edition'. I'd like to kick these movie companies right in the shins when they rerelease a more expensive version of the same movie and all they've added is a second disc full of bogus extras. But enough of my soapbox. Phantasm comes on one disc, and Anchor Bay did a great job on the transfer. I watched it on an up-convertor, and it probably looked better than when it was released and playing in drive-ins across the country.
If your thinking about buying because Phantasm scared you silly thirty years ago, don't expect the same today. My fiance eventually just rolled her eyes and trundled off to bed about halfway through, and she even made it through Sukiyaki Western Django till the bitter end. But Phantasm is a better horror movie than all these home invasion/kidnapping/torture movies they've made lately, and a lot more fun. As they say - if this one doesn't scare you, then you're already dead!
Movie Review: Unique and Different Yet Bizarre.
Summary: 4 Stars
Viewed: 6/03, 10/07
Rate: 7
10/07: Phantasm is an excellently directed horror picture but suffers from being minimalist in an abstract way. If what had happened through Phantasm was a dream, then what I saw must be either a waste of time, or the boy has an overstretched imagination. I thought Phantasm had the elements right on in order to make an effective horror picture, and sometimes it was frightening. But much of the time, Phantasm was tedious. The brotherly relationship between Jody and Mike was one of the best parts of Phantasm. Then, there is the Tall Man, played by Angus Scrimm, who is widely considered the most memorable of the Phantasm series. But to me, the more memorable villain of the picture is the steel ball. I could never forget the steel ball's impact on Phantasm. One scene is especially unforgettable is when the steel ball flies in the air and stings a greenskeeper in the head before drilling through his forehead and pumping blood out. When I think of that, the special effects work has to be first rate in Phantasm. However, the story is almost nonexistent. It's also a bizarre movie to watch (which is probably not a negative), and Phantasm worked well with very minimal story. Sometimes, I couldn't help but feel that if some meat was added to Phantasm, it would have been a great picture. Of course, I am not going to see any film that starts off with two young adults having sex in a cemetery. Why would anyone do that? As far as the series goes, there is very, very little clarification what does Phantasm all mean. I hope there will be Phantasm V sometime in the future that will explain it all. Regardless, Phantasm belongs on the list of great horror films. Different, unique, and odd, Phantasm manages to impress me in different ways yet I can't explain what the movie is all about. Now, cue in the Tall Man, B-O-O-O-O-Y-Y-Y!
Movie Review: Great movie and nice extras
Summary: 4 Stars
It had been a long time since I'd seen these movies, so I pre-ordered Phantasm and III (along with the older DVD release of IV). I enjoyed the commentary on this almost as much as the movie. Great to have it out with such sharp image and colors -- check out the scene when they enter the white room and you'll see what a terrific job was done with this release.
It looks like there wasn't a US DVD release of Phantasm II? Was it that bad, I really don't remember? I hope part V comes along and wraps this series someday...
Movie Review: "One Of Horror's Best!"
Summary: 4 Stars
A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister and
Angus Scrimm star in this 1979 horror film. Two brothers
discover that an evil mortician is enslaving dead people.
This is one of horror's best and Angus is so creepy as
the Tall Man. This dvd has nice picture and sound plus
cool extras. I highly recommend this for your collection.
Movie Review: great for classic horror
Summary: 4 Stars
This is one movie I was excited to get when I found it in a used DVD shop. It wasn't too scary, but was definitely a cult classic in the truest sense of the word.
It is off the wall at times, and the Tall Man is just freaky but excellent movie over-all for a cult classic, horror, and old sci-fi at same time