DVD Pick of the Week - Phantasm
DVD Pick of the Week: - Phantasm
Horror joy! A scant two weeks after Anchor Bay’s spectacular re-issue of Re-Animator, we get another rare justification for double-dipping from the company with this brand new package of Don Coscarelli’s 1979 horror classic. It’s quite remarkable how, given the many permutations of the horror genre that have developed over the nearly thirty years since Phantasm’s release, that the film remains such a singular creation – so freaky, so surreal, and yet so effective at scaring the pants of virtually everyone. Coscarelli would go on to create some fine work, including the marvelous Bubba Ho-Tep, but his debut wonderwork – a terrific fever dream from a young and ambitious director – remains his best-known achievement.
Following the apparent suicide of their friend, teenaged boys Mike (Michael Baldwin) and Jody (Bill Thornbury) have their curiosities piqued by some strange goings-on that they witness at the dead boy’s funeral. Enter The Tall Man (the mighty Angus Scrimm), an elegantly sinister funeral parlor director who seems to be up to no-good with the bodies of the dead. Things get outright weird at a fast clip, including monumentally disturbing dreams, dwarf henchmen running around and murders committed by, among others, a succubus-like woman in a lavender dress. The more Mike and Jody investigate, the closer they get to the insidious truth about The Tall Man, at which point the film launches into a really remarkable scifi-horror hybrid that captures the imagination as well as chills the bone. Chock full of shocking imagery and damn gnarly special effects for a low-budget production (the film was originally delivered with an X-rating until Coscarelli successfully lobbied for an R).
Phantasm isn’t without its flaws, yet its unique nature and visceral power hold strong even today. Anchor Bay’s new edition sounds grand, including a new commentary with Coscarelli and cast which includes Scrimm himself. (In the previous MGM Video release, we only got a Scrimm introduction. Score!) Deleted scenes, trailers, TV spots and behind the scenes round out the package.
Other recommended titles for March 20th: The Batman: Season 3; Doris Day Collection, Vol. 2
—Nicole Campos
