Phantasm

What if the line between nightmare and reality were completely blurred? What if the inability to interpret fact from fiction is what leads to one's own demise? Before Wes Craven created the monster that mercilessly slaughtered teens in their sleep, Don Coscarelli created a nightmarish world about death with 1979's Phantasm. Phantasm has got to be one of the creepiest movies I have ever seen! I am not easily frightened but there were a few moments in the film where I almost pulled the sheets up over my head. Coscarelli certainly knew how to use ominous appearing corridors and darkness to his advantage to create an intense and eerie atmosphere. Phantasm is definitely a dark masterpiece that will have your skin crawling by the time the end credits start rolling.



Mike Pearson (played by A. Michael Baldwin) is an unlucky teenage boy who is having a hard time in coping with the death of his parents. Mike's older brother Jodi (played by Bill Thornbury) has taken Mike under his wing and took on the duties of raising him. Both brothers are hit with another blow when their other brother Tommy dies of "apparent suicide." Fearing that Mike would not be able to cope with the loss, Jodi leaves Mike to attend Tommy's funeral.

Mike decides to follow Jodi to the cemetery and view the funeral from behind the scenes. After the funeral ends, Mike witnesses something very strange. A tall gangly older man is seen lifting up Tommy's casket all by himself and driving off... then all hell breaks loose!





Mike, alongside Jodi and Jodi's best friend Reggie (played by Reggie Bannister), are thrusted into a world of bizarre hallucinations, a floating sphere that drills holes in peoples heads and midget zombies in hoods that try to kill them. Within the eye of this chaos stands the gangly older man known as The Tall Man.



The Tall Man has got to be the creepiest villain I have ever seen. This man does not need eclectic weaponry and catchy one liners to make you hide your eyes. The Tall Man embeds fear in people's eyes just by his slow saunter and horrifying gaze. Freddy Kruger I can handle but I would not want to run into The Tall Man in a dark alley... or more like a corridor of a mausoleum.



Fending off the demonic beings; Mike, Jody and Reggie must ban together to defeat the forces of evil that surround them. Despite an incoherent plot and acting that's a little below par, Phantasm is quite an entertaining movie. What I especially love about this movie is the deep bond between the three protagonists. Mike,Jodi and Reggie have a strong connection with each other. Jodi would do anything to protect his little brother. Mike would gladly put his life on the line for his heroic older counterpart and Reggie considers both boys to be his family. Think of Stand By Me meets Hellraiser.

I would highly recommend putting Phantasm on your "Must watch," list on Halloween. It is definitely worth the watch... oh and did I mention that the theme to Phantasm is epic!

7/10