This is a cult horror classic and I too regard it as a classic. I've seen "Phantasm" a number of times but truthfully its not a very good film. It makes no sense whatsoever. To this day I don't know if Mike dreamed the whole thing or not. I've never been able to figure it out (just like the majority of people who have seen it). The Tall Man and the Silver Sphere are what I think people enjoy about the movie. The characters of Mike Jody and Reggie do the stupidest things throughout the entire run time...and just where again did the mine shaft come from?!? There are some pretty decent ideas sprinkled here and there but I think my fondness of "Phantasm" is rooted in its goofy confusing charm.
Wow, this new transfer is gorgeous. The film itself feels disjointed, as does pretty much everything Coscarelli does. Either you like his style or you don't. The film boasts some great imagery and themes, but it's marred by a couple wonky performances. It's got enough originally though to give it a go if you haven't checked it out.
The 7th film in Peacock's curated by Jamie Lee Curtis/history of Slashers Halloween playlist. Great movie! The soundtrack itself is a 10/10 like some cod zombie type music and very very groovy and calming in a way.
What a strange film this one is. Still not sure how I really feel about it, definitely didn’t see the ending coming.
With now 40 years of age, Phantasm is a rather old movie, and given its $300k budget, it's a movie that is pretty low budget, leading to amateurs and aspiring actors, this movie was reviewed rather negatively during its time, which to me is rather incomprehensible. Not only did this movie inspire a lot of other movies, such as "A Nightmare on Elm Street" or "One Dark Night", it also is surprisingly entertaining to watch, even today.
The story is a bit strange, and incoherent, which is probably one of the main reason people have problems with it - however this incoherence is part of the plot and makes sense if you watch it till the end, and think about the meaning this movie could have, and the point of view we get to experience the story. It is also quite inventive - tell me any other horror movie that has a never-dying undertaker that steals corpses to revive them, shrink them and kidnap them to another realm, and hunts his enemies with small chrome balls that drill into their brains? Phantasm is iconic for so many things, such as these chrome balls, which even lead to the naming of Phasma in Star Wars (a storm trooper captain in chrome armor). One of these iconic symbols is the Tall Man, the evil antagonist, depicted by Angus Scrimm, and Scrimm is one of the examples for the really great acting, that Phantasm shows - there is no other actor who could walk so scary as Angus Scrimm does. Also the child actor, Michael Baldwin, and the family friend Reggie Bannister do their job good - only Billy Thornbury is a bit weak. Also on the down side are some of the dialogues, that are somehow a bit off, and there is one dialogue that really makes me bust out in laughter, because it's so strange and unfitting.
However, for a low budget film, the effects are pretty good: The finger in the box, the chrome ball, even the fly, though clearly fake, does mange to be rather scary instead of beeing to cheesy. That shows some real skill, both on the filmmakers side, as well as the actors.
Also iconic for this movie is the soundtrack, that in my opinion is on the same level as the famous Halloween-theme. And it adds to the overall atmosphere of the movie, that is really spooky, and really great. It's unfortunately - at least for today's standards - not scary overall. But at least the atmosphere is rather scary.
And last but not least, this movie does have another level and a deeper meaning that becomes apparent at the end, which I actually like.
All in all this is a unjustly overlooked must-watch horror classic that is most definitely worth your time!
I'm a horror movie fan and Phantasm is one of the most unusual I have ever seen. The plot is strange, and feels disjointed at times, yet it comes together in the end and works. The Tall Man makes a cool, scary villain and there are some great sets. The director is able to create an unsettling atmosphere, even when the movie is bonkers. Worth checking out for fans of 70s horror.
Watched the Joe Bob episode!
I'm glad Joe Bob Briggs tried to explain the plot a bit, it's kinda like a weird dream but very atmospheric and with such a damn good soundtrack! All I knew beforehand about Phantasm was the sphere and the Tall Man. The Sphere is brutal, that thing sucks the blood out of you quicker than a vampire! And Angus Scrimm looks great as the Tall Man. I'm happy I have 4 more movies to enjoy him in! My expectations for those are high because I heard Phantasm is one of the great horror franchises!
But I don't know if I've said this before, Phantasm is bonkers! Those little dwarfs, The Tall Man transforming into a blonde girl, that car crash! An Ice-cream truck! People returning from the dead! A final jump-scare! And still loads and loads to figure out. This dreamy nightmarish movie is one of a kind! Well done Don Coscarelli!
Ps. This Last-Drive In also added a lot of Christmas horror to my watchlist! Thanks Joe!
Tends to be slow moving at times, especially in the beginning, but does have some great scenes and effects - especially for 1979. The flying ball thingy is really cool. I love the ending - perfect set up for the rest of the series.
This one has a sort of slasher style to it, considering it's from the late 70s. It has some nice shots of the set and environments. Much of the film was shot at night. The boy character is one to follow, and does a swell job of keeping me interested. Some of the female characters are attractive but are dumbfounded. I really like the music though. It definitely has that typical creepy tone with the simple loop and deep synth bassline. For a horror, it's a pretty neat concept, original, and well put together.
I'm getting to watch the Phantasm films from the beginning as I read that there's a new one on the way soon, which will be the final installment starring Angus Scrimm as the original Tall Man.
Watched it for the first time since seeing it in theaters back in '79. Pretty goofy movie with the kid always going back to the funeral home and yes the poor(typical '79) acting but the soundtrack really helps it out a ton to keep it going forward to wtf ending!
I sure wish i owned that cuda though!
the atmosphere and music are well done but the plot makes no sense, it's tense enough but the rhythm always feels strange. If you like Sci-fi then watch it, for horror fans i wouldn't say it's a good watch
What's with the Ewok?
This is a cult horror classic and I too regard it as a classic. I've seen "Phantasm" a number of times but truthfully its not a very good film. It makes no sense whatsoever. To this day I don't know if Mike dreamed the whole thing or not. I've never been able to figure it out (just like the majority of people who have seen it). The Tall Man and the Silver Sphere are what I think people enjoy about the movie. The characters of Mike Jody and Reggie do the stupidest things throughout the entire run time...and just where again did the mine shaft come from?!? There are some pretty decent ideas sprinkled here and there but I think my fondness of "Phantasm" is rooted in its goofy confusing charm.
This film is a classic, a classic mistake. Sure, it was low budget 70s horror which explains the cheap practical effects but that doesn't excuse the poor script, ridiculous WTFs and abysmal acting.
This is such a fun movie. It's all over the place and every part is great. Monsters, hot rods, futuristic devices, handguns, 70s score, etc. The list goes on and on. A must for fans of the genre.
I don't get the hype. It didn't succeed on any level.
Great movies!!! I love all four if them.
Shout by DeletedBlockedParentSpoilers2013-10-30T00:12:41Z— updated 2022-10-26T12:34:40Z
BOY! This was a little bit weird, but it was a great horror film! I had a lot of fun watching it!
An alien that transforms into a woman to abduct people, then turn them into creepy dwarfs to be used as slaves in his home planet is weird but surely it is an original story.
The acting, a little bit forced sometimes, and the special effects might not be the greatest things but the atmosphere is great and the plot make it be a fantastic classic horror!
spoiler ahead
We all have bizarre nightmares... The film looks a little messy sometimes but at the end everything makes sense. Sometimes things in our dreams are confused and don't make a lot of sense. All of our fears and frustations are always present in our mind when we dream about something bad and I think that's what this film is trying to pass through.