Phantasm

Yeah, I quite liked Phantasm the second time around. Without any doubt, the best thing about the film is the atmosphere (one of the best horror theme songs ever) and the character of the Tall Man. What is terrible, on the other hand, is the behaviour of the characters (it’s impossible not to root of the Tall Man); Mike, the protagonist, was especially irritating. Yeah, and the performances are also very weak. And yet, for some reason, it worked on me as a nice horror spectacle. Weak four. (21/05/2008)

Two silver bullet attacks, one blood spurt, and a bunch of childish naivety that kills all promising signs of a quality spectacle. Coscarelli has some good ideas at times, but the overall atmosphere still eludes him, mainly due to the plot chaos. The little boy is an obnoxious brat, which makes you root for the demonic Tallman, who deserved more time on screen. The perspective overwhelming the poor logic is perceived rather by a more skilled viewer, so for now I give it 3 ½, and for now goodbye. (20/02/2008)

Phantasm is by no means a perfect film. The screenplay contains a number of gaps and logical errors, which are relatively well patched up by the classic trick of dreamlike visions. Similarly, the performances of the lead actors could be criticized, as they were, understandably, unknown and not very experienced. What elevates Coscarelli's film above the genre average and makes it a kind of cult classic is its originality and ability to cleverly work with traditional horror props, music, and camera techniques to create a suitable horror atmosphere. While Coscarelli may not have had much money, he understands the laws of genre filmmaking much better than many famous directors. Tension and a sense of paranoia literally ooze from some scenes. Overall impression: 60%. Phantasm is a case of a film where a decent added value was created with meager resources. (11/10/2009)

One of the many horror movies that were decent for their time, but today seem downright archaic and more amusing than scary. Just by looking at the hairstyles, it's apparent that it's a contemporary of the original Star Wars, but even its time of creation doesn't excuse the weak story, lack of logic, and rather stiff acting performances. / Lesson learned: If the cemetery is the only real attraction of a small town, it's not just a place where life ends but also a place where new life can be conceived. (14/01/2024)