In 1979, two films competed to be the biggest horror movie of the year: the original Dawn of the Dead and a little flick called Phantasm. Dawn of the Dead was a pretty straightforward entry into the zombie genre. Phantasm was, well, something completely different. Combining horror and science fiction elements with a low budget and some truly interesting plot devices, Phantasm earns its place as a true classic.
As the movie begins, Jody (Bill Thornbury) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) attend the funeral of their childhood friend, Tommy, who has supposedly killed himself. Jody’s younger brother, Mike (Michael Baldwin), follows Jody to the funeral and, after the ceremony, witnesses the tall, strange-looking funeral director (Angus Scrimm) single-handedly lift the coffin and put it into the hearse.
After discovering some strange beasties in the woods outside the funeral home, Mike decides to enter the building to do some more investigating. What he finds is that the funeral home is definitely not what it appears to be and the tall funeral director is definitely not human.
Phantasm, despite now being severely dated-looking, maintains an odd atmosphere that gives the film a nightmarish quality that serves its story well. The iconic Tall Man (Scrimm) is just as unnerving today as he was in 1979. The musical score is equally effective and memorable.
The film’s low budget origins create some continuity errors and the occasional laugh-out-loud, not-so-special effects moments, but the story is so off-the-wall that these don’t ruin the fun. Even after seeing many of today’s gross-out torture porn “horror” movies, Phantasm can still manage to provoke a jump or two. It’s a true horror film in that it creeps you out instead of simply trying to make you sick to your stomach.
Although Phantasm inspired three sequels, none are as fun or classic as the original. If you haven’t seen it, check it out. If you have, make sure to pick up the new, remastered DVD version which also includes interviews with many of the original cast members and a lot of behind-the-scenes information.
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
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