Phantasm
Phantasm is the 1978 horror classic that introduces the Tall Man into the pantheon of horror icons. From the very opening scene of the movie, you will know that this movie has something that most horror movies are lacking. The surprises in this movie are genuinely shocking. I have seen this movie several times and it just seems to get better each time I watch it.
The chemistry of the three main characters is what makes this movie great. Michael Baldwin stars as the character Mike. I usually hate child actors in movies and Mike was no exception, at first. His performance gets stronger and progresses nicely throughout the movie. The only drawback to his performance is that he has a somewhat annoying voice until you get used to it. Also, the first time I watched this movie, it took me about fifteen minutes to figure out whether he was a boy or a girl. Bill Thornbury also gives a quality performance as Jody, at least, quality for a low budget movie like Phantasm. The standouts of the cast are Reggie Bannister, as Reggie, and the creepy Angus Scrimm, as the Tall Man. Bannister delivers a great performance as the energetic but spacy Reggie. Angus Scrimm delivers a classic performance; his gravelly voice and stoic face are wonderful and fit perfectly with the character that he creates.
There are so many elements to this movie that elevate it from the trash heap that the horror genre has become. The Jawa looking midgets that run around are great. They provide significant amounts of tension throughout the film. The Tall Man has a plethora of powers that he demonstrates throughout the movie such as: super strength, telekinesis, telepathy, shapeshifting, regeneration, and the power to bleed mustard. I certainly wouldn’t fuck with the Tall Man. The true star of this movie might be the silver sphere that guards the mausoleum where much of the action takes place. The scene where the ball sticks into one of the Tall Man’s minions and bores a hole in his head is a classic. It becomes legendary when it starts shooting a stream of blood onto the floor.
The directing and the set production are somewhat average but they don’t distract from the movie experience. The mausoleum design was great. The marble walls were perfect for providing a cold foreboding feeling to the film, while also lending it a stark futuristic feel. The only problem with the marble walls is the uniform pattern on the walls that lets you know that, yes, that is just wallpaper. What else would you expect from a low budget film? I especially liked the score of the movie. It wasn’t used excessively, had an eerie quality to it, and heightened the tension in just the right places.
There were only a few things that kept this movie from being a 10 on the millimeter scale. The first of these is the sometimes poor acting. Generally, the main actors are quite serviceable, however; the supporting cast is more distracting than an asshole that plays with their cell-phone in a movie theater. Also, the scenes with the “bug” were horrible. It’s never fun to watch actors throw themselves around while pretending that they are fighting a toy bug.
Final Synopsis: A horror classic worth viewing several times. The Tall Man and the silver spheres are outstanding. The science fiction elements make this movie great.
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