It's
only fitting that the newly remastered Phantasm and what's certainly its final sequel, Phantasm: Ravager, have been simultaneously
released. The original, of course, is a beloved classic and remains a
superlative example of budget-minded creativity. The other,
intentionally or not, serves as a nice coda and love letter to
legions of fans who've embraced this sporadically revisited franchise
over the years.
PHANTASM
Starring
Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm.
Directed by Don Coscarelli. (1979, 90 min).
"If
this one doesn't scare you, you're already dead!”
That
was the tagline used to promote Phantasm back in the summer of 1979.
Coupled with an absolutely stunning trailer, which prominently
featured the flying skull-drilling sphere that became a franchise
trademark, the film was too enticing for a teenage horror fan like me
to pass up.
Perhaps
because I first saw it as a co-feature with Romero's Dawn of the Dead
(which blew me away at the time), Phantasm didn't quite live up to
its own hype (though few horror films ever actually do). The film's
limited budget was obvious, the story sometimes incomprehensible and,
Angus Scrimm notwithstanding, the performances strictly amateur
night. Phantasm's patchwork attempts at surrealism ranged from
suitably creepy to downright goofy. The only real constant was its
inconsistency, and I must have been one of those who were already dead because I never
found it particularly scary.
 |
| The Tall Man's rendition of Goodnight Moon provides little comfort. |
Still,
the dreamlike structure is effective, allowing writer/director Don
Coscarelli and pals to unleash some moments of sheer brilliance that have made
Phantasm a cult classic. The deadly sphere remains a wonderfully
sinister creation. Despite the ad campaign and its prominence in
subsequent sequels, the sphere only shows up a couple of times, but
its arrival ushers in one of the greatest death scenes in modern
horror history. And what more can be said about The Tall Man? As
played with over-the-top gusto by Angus Scrimm, he may not be quite
as iconic as Freddy Krueger or Jason Voorhees, but he's a menacing
villain in the classic boogeyman tradition. His sudden reappearance in
the very final scene is as effective as horror gets; viewed as a
stand-alone film, that scene still manages to induce chills.
Aesthetically,
Phantasm is definitely a product of its time, but like digging out a
high school yearbook to reminisce about the good times preserved on
its pages, this 4K restoration (supervised by J.J. Abrams) makes it
1979 all over again. The film has never looked or sounded this good on
home video, which helps compensate for the surprisingly underwhelming
batch of bonus features. The audio commentary is pretty good and the
vintage interview is interesting, but for such a relatively high
profile re-release, one would think an all-new retrospective feature
would be in order, especially since most of those interested in a
disc like this have probably seen the film many times before (and already own DVD editions with more comprehensive extras).
EXTRA
KIBBLES:
AUDIO
COMMENTARY (with writer/director Don Coscarelli, Michael Baldwin,
Angus Scrimm & Bill Thornbury).
"GRAVEYARD
CARZ” EPISODE
1979
INTERVIEW (featuring Coscarelli & Scrimm...looks like a local
cable access program).
DELETED
SCENES
TRAILERS
(Original and Remastered)
DVD COPY
PHANTASM:
RAVAGER
Starring
Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Angus Scrimm,
Kathy Lester. Directed by David Hartman. (2016, 86 min).
If
Phantasm Remastered is like digging out your high school yearbook,
then Phantasm: Ravager is like hooking up with old friends at your 40
year reunion. You're happy to see them once again, alive and well,
but perhaps a tad melancholy because none of you are getting any
younger and the prospect of never seeing them again afterwards looms
larger with each reunion.
Such
an analogy is fitting regarding the cast, all of whom return for this
fourth sequel. Think about it...aside from occasional minor roles in
other projects, the only time we ever see them onscreen is when they gather
for another Phantasm film. It isn't simply one movie in their
long career...Phantasm is their career. Like your
reunion buddies, everyone's obviously older, heavier and balder, but
other than that, they haven't changed a whit since you last saw them.
Nor
has their situation. By now, it's well established that The Tall Man
is unkillable, yet no one seems at-all aware of the utter futility in
continuing to do battle with him. This time, the primary focus is on
Reggie, a wise decision since Reggie Bannister was always the best
actor of the bunch and is largely responsible for the surprising
amount of humor in this entry. Though it's the only film not directed
by Coscarelli (who co-writes and produces here), it's far more entertaining
than Phantasm III & IV, both of which were downright terrible.
Then again, what do I know? I'm in the extreme minority thinking
Phantasm II remains the best one in the franchise.
 |
| Donald Trump comes to town. |
Ravager
is arguably closest in overall tone to the original, and if you
aren't already a fan of the series, utterly incomprehensible. And that's okay because you weren't invited to the party, anyway. The story, such
as it is, serves only to throw all the beloved Phantasm elements
together one last time...the spheres, Jody's Hemi 'Cuda (now
decked-out like a Mad Max vehicle), Reggie's four-barreled
shotgun...even the Lady in Lavender. And, of course, The Tall
Man looms large. He may not look or sound as menacing as he once did, but the
late Angus Scrimm still gives it his all, his advancing age rendering
this once-malevolent character oddly endearing.
In
fact, despite all the violence, death and apocalyptic implications,
Phantasm: Ravager ultimately becomes a charming feel-good film for
those who grew up on the series. Over the course of 36 years and five
films, no attempt has been made to push boundaries, go in new
directions, clarify the ongoing story or even improve the
sometimes-questionable technical aspects. Despite concluding just as
ambiguously open-ended as the others, Ravager leaves little question
that this reunion will be the last, and now it's time to bid a fond
farewell.
EXTRA
KIBBLES:
AUDIO
COMMENTARY (with director/co-writer David Hartman &
producer/co-writer Don Coscarelli).
BEHIND
THE SCENES FEATURETTE
BLOOPER
REEL
DELETED
SCENES
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS
(from old friends)
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