Phantasm

Synopsis: In 1979 Terror stalked the screen in the image of the Tall Man, His Demonic cloaked & hooded Dwarves, The lady in Lavender, The Morningside Mortuary and that Silver sphere of death. Well, 20 years later, the terror has returned! In the Phantasm Special Edition DVD we are, reintroduced to this cast & the mayhem that they bring. The first scenes of the film set the pace for our eerie journey into the unknown & the supernatural. Morningside Cemetery, peaceful, restful, certainly a place for the mourning but for the lovelorn? A woman & her "boyfriend"(Tommy) are caught in the clutches of passion amidst the gravemarkers & tombstones. As the act reaches its climax, the boyfriend basks in the glow & begins to extol his thankfulness for her ample favors. Not to be undone, this woman…in Lavender plunges a butcher knife into her lover and in an instant, changes from the Woman in Lavender to The dark & foreboding Tall Man (Angus Scrimm)! The terror you see is just beginning. A funeral is held for Tommy & all of his friends turn out to pay their last respects. 13-Year-old Mike Pearson (Michael Baldwin) is kept from attending the funeral due to that fact that his parents were recently (2 Years ago) killed in an auto accident. However, since that time, Michael has taken to following his brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) wherever he goes. The funeral is no exception. After, roughly 8 men place the casket at the grave, the service is concluded & everyone goes there separate ways. Mike spy's on the gravesite & sees the Tall Man pick up the casket…by himself & place it back in the hearse & drive away. It is also here that Mike sees glimpses of the dwarves & hears their chilling grunts, groans & howlings. All it seems is not well at Morningside Mortuary. If I tell you anymore, you won't need to watch the film. Needless to say its, chilling entertainment that hasn't lost it's touch.

Audio: The 5.1 Digital soundtrack is quite impressive. It uses the medium very well & provides the perfect atmosphere for a frightful night at the Home Theater.

Video: Easily the best rendering of the film, this picture really shines. It does however show its age with flecks, black markings up & down the image & white outs. While these go to make an imperfect presentation, they do not take away from the overall watchability of the film.

Extras: Way to go MGM! With the release of the Bond Special Editions MGM outdid itself with incredible menus screens, extras & unparalleled clarity of the digital imagery, clearly a leader on the cutting edge of interactive media. With Phantasm, they do it all over again! The interactive menus are hauntingly well done. Each one adds another dimension to an already spooky film. A director's commentary track, 10 Minutes of deleted scenes not included in the original release of the film, an interview with Don Coscarelli & Angus Scrimm conducted in 1979, The original theatrical trailer, Television & radio spots, Behind the scenes footage, a still gallery of photos, lobby cards & international promotional materials, An Australian TV ad for the film's Australian premiere & a whole lot more. As an added bonus, Angus Scrimm introduces the film & provides quite a feeling of ill that prepares you for what you are about to experience. There's also a Cool Fangoria magazine ad featuring the Tall Man.

Overall: I have to admit, I wasn't scared watching the film this time, and I did however keep all the lights on though! If you are at all a fan of the series & this film in particular, you need to pick up this disc. As Special Editions go, they don't get any better than this. The Tall Man is just as terrifying as I remember & the ending still made me squirm.


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42...Level 42


[This message has been edited by buckee1 (edited 11-09-1999).]

Thanks for the great in-depth review (we could use more of those around here).

--Heather

watched my copy last night. the movie is approx 90 minutes & the extras took me another 2 hours to go thru. did not listen to the commentary yet but it has the director & all the major actors on it.

if you like this movie, this is a great special edition. pretty cheesy horror film but if you like flicks like this, this is a great dvd to add to your collection. it did make me want to check out the 3 other sequels which i have never seen.

my favorite extra....the complete disco version of the film's theme. ultimate 70's cheese. (complete rip-off of the Halloween theme but it does have its own charm.

enjoy! by the way, does anyone know where the '79 interview took place at? he mentions Florida, Bay County, & it says that he is the U.M. film professor. anyone have a clue? does not match up to anywhere around me & i was trying to figure it out.

Hey brianluvdvd, if you are tempted to see the sequels, just be sure and set your expectations very low. I love the first one, and watching the same characters in the rest of the series hurts pretty bad. I wince a lot when Reggie hits on every hot babe he meets in every town. Then I have to go back and watch the first again to cleanse myself. It really is a fantastic example to other filmakers what can be achieved on a low budget and some original ideas.

MGM should also be congratulated for actually putting MORE extras on the DVD than were on the laserdisc. That's rare.

listened to the commentary the other day. it has the director & 3 of the actors. thought it was pretty interesting. would give it a 4 out of 5 for holding you interest.

alas...i decided to trade the movie though. trying to clean out flicks that i dont see myself watching over & over again & i just dont see repeated viewings of this movie in my future.

i still want to check out the others though for fun.