Phantasm (film)
| Phantasm | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Don Coscarelli |
| Produced by | Don Coscarelli |
| Written by | Don Coscarelli |
| Starring |
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| Music by |
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| Cinematography | Don Coscarelli |
| Edited by | Don Coscarelli |
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Production
company |
New Breed Productions
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| Distributed by | AVCO Embassy Pictures |
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Release date
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Running time
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89 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $300,000 |
| Box office | $12 million |
Phantasm is a 1979 American horror film directed, written, photographed, co-produced, and edited by Don Coscarelli. It introduces the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker who turns the dead into dwarf zombies to do his bidding and take over the world. He is opposed by a young boy, Mike (Michael Baldwin), who tries to convince his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) and family friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) of the threat.
Phantasm was a locally financed independent film; the cast and crew were mostly amateurs and aspiring professionals. Though initial reviews were mixed in regards to the dream-like, surreal narrative and imagery, later reception was more positive and the film became a cult classic. It has appeared on several critics' lists of best horror films, and it has been cited as an influence on later horror series. It was followed by four sequels: Phantasm II (1988), Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) and Phantasm: Ravager (2016).
Following the deaths of his parents, 24-year-old musician Jody Pearson raises his 13-year-old brother, Mike, in a small Oregon town disturbed by the mysterious deaths of its citizens. Reggie, a family man and ice cream vendor, joins the brothers in their suspicions that the local mortician, dubbed the Tall Man, is responsible for the deaths. Mike relays his fears to a fortune teller and her granddaughter about the possibility of Jody departing and leaving him in the care of his aunt, along with his suspicions about the Tall Man. Mike is shown a small black box and told to put his hand into it. After the box grips his hand, Mike is told not to be afraid, and, as the panic subsides, the box relaxes its grip. The notion of fear itself as the killer is established, propelling Mike toward his final confrontation with the Tall Man.
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Wikipedia