Phantasm (1979) Movie Info
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Movie Name | Phantasm (1979) |
| Director | Don Coscarelli |
| Screenplay Writer | Don Coscarelli |
| Based on Novel by | — (Original screenplay) |
| Lead Actors | A. Michael Baldwin |
| Cast | A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Angus Scrimm |
| Genre | Horror, Sci-Fi, Fantasy |
| Release Date | March 28, 1979 (United States) |
| Duration | 1h 29m (89 minutes) |
| Budget | ~$300,000 |
| Language | English |
| Country | United States |
| Box Office (Worldwide) | ~$12 million |
| IMDb Rating | ~6.6/10 |
| Notable For | The Tall Man villain, deadly flying silver spheres, surreal nightmare atmosphere |
| Cult Status | Major cult horror classic |
| Franchise | Spawned multiple sequels in the Phantasm series |
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After witnessing the death of a family friend, young Mike Pearson stumbles onto a horrible scene while visiting the gravesite on a dark night. Mike watches as a tall man exhumes the body and takes it away. Following the hearse, Mike learns of the sinister doings of the elderly undertaker. Mike quickly tells his older brother Jody what he saw, together with their friend Reggie the three try and stop the plans of the “Tall Man” and his evil minions.
Written and directed by Don Coscarelli, Phantasm is a unique film and idea to say the least. The focal point of the film is Angus Scrimm who plays the menacing Tall Man, who is a combination of demented undertaker spliced together with the Wizard of Oz.
The Tall Man takes the exhumed bodies of the recently deceased and turns them into bizarre, evil, little munchkin-like critters that exist in a parallel world of some kind waiting to do the Tall Man’s bidding. Although the Tall Man himself is very formidable with his physical abilities he also carries twin silver chrome balls that he can control that fly around and impale or slice open victims with various little weapons. Scrimm is an underrated icon in the horror world, and Phantasm may be one as well.
The cast is pretty good but other than Scrimm, only Reggie Bannister is a standout. As the guitar playing, pony tail wearing ice cream man is a bane to all evil doers, so beware. The film becomes lost in itself at times as you’re never sure whether it is trying to be a monster movie or some kind of alien movie, but the film is an original idea and has a very original villain. Lots of creepy atmosphere, a little sex, and some decent gore make Phantasm a must see and perhaps a classic.
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