This really isn't much of a review since this just arrived yesterday from the UK, but I wanted to just write a few things about how fucking cool it is. Phantasm was one of those movies that I originally missed out on somehow. Luckily in 1988, Writer/Director Don Coscarelli got the chance to come out with Phantasm II, and at that point I was a full fledged horror maniac. I was curious that there was a sequel coming out to a movie I had only heard of, but it was really kind of difficult to find on video at the time. My best friend, Joel told me that Phantasm was one of his favorite horror movies, and that me of all people needed to see it. Now. So we tracked a copy down and sure enough I was a "Phan". Sure it was low budget and the acting was cheesy, but there was something utterly unique about it. The sci-fi elements intrigued me. The mix of Sci-Fi and horror is always tricky, but somehow this odd mix of the two worked. And I think it had more of an effect on Joel because he saw it at the same age as the main character. So we went to see the sequel, and it was very much different in that it had a budget this time out and was really a fun movie, if not perfect. I loved how it ended with a cliffhanger like the original and although it got crushed at the box office, they did make 2 more sequels, all of which are in this set from Anchor Bay UK. And a bonus disc with a feature length documentary and all sorts of goodies.
Phantasm II and III have never been available in this country on DVD. So its very cool to finally see them in widescreen for the first time and all four films are anamorphic widescreen transfers, and all have 5.1 and DTS soundtracks. I watched the feature length documentary Phantasmagoria last night and it's great. The other docs on the Bonus disc are great too. I want to sit down and watch all four films together. When that will ever happen I don't really know. Looking back its a real shame that more horror fimmakers don't take a cue from Phantasm and make something unique again. Use you heads!!! Don Coscarelli created a whole new universe with these four films. It was recently reported that New Line had bought the Phantasm rights to make this huge Lord of t Rings style horror trilogy out of it. But Don Coscarelli says this has since fallen apart, and he may be left to make P5 himself. And you know what that's fine by me if it prevents another remake from being made.
Now, you can only get this in England. And there are only a limited number of the Sphere sets available. No word on a US release, but if you have a multi-region DVD player with PAL you can play these just fine. In fact you can pick one up at CompUSA for 60 bux. I have the Philips 642 and it plays every format out there except for Blu-Ray. Back to Phantasm, the sphere set is fucking cool when you hold it in your hands. The inside package design leaves a bit to be desired as far as how the discs set in there. Click here for a more extensive review at the Phantasm website.
Also as a side note, I love the Tall Man character. I quote him all the time. In fact one time in Arlington at a horror convention Joel and I went to meet Angus Scrimm aka the Tall Man, and he was the nicest guy ever. We talked for over an hour it seemed about everything but horror. He was one of the nicest actors I've ever met. But on screen he freaks me the fuck out. Have I used the f word enough today? Fuck it, its my blog! Watching the Phantasm films again made me remember why I liked horror in the first place. It's Imaginative, its fun, its a ride, its an experience like no other. I picked this set up at Amazon.uk. They have several different versions to choose from, but if your a true Phan pick up that wicked sphere set. It's the best box set since the Alien Quad set came out.
"You think that when you die you go to heaven...You come to us."
-The Tall Man
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