Phantasm (1979)
A teenage boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave robber, known only as the Tall Man, who employs a lethal arsenal of unearthly weapons. (IMDb synopsis) NB. This summary fails to capture the essence of Phantasm and does not do it justice. However, to delineate the plot in greater detail is difficult and counterproductive. Phantasm is not only a film to be watched but one to be experienced.
There is a bizarre, dreamlike quality to Phantasm. After watching it for the first time, you may not remember the specifics of the story, but certain scenes will linger in the memory, in the same way you may recollect snatches of a nightmare following a disturbed night’s sleep. Like so many independent films, made on small budgets by aspiring professionals, it is filled with creativity and innovative ideas that more than make up for its modest production values. Phantasm revels in its surreal imagery and grotesque set pieces and avoids the trappings of a traditional linear and logical narrative. It is a horror film that eschews the genre conventions of the time, in the same way that Dark Star (1974) flew in the face of traditional science fiction films. Although now part of a curious franchise, this original works perfectly well as a standalone film and has developed a substantial cult following among both film fans and high-profile film makers.
Told predominantly from the perspective of 13-year-old Mike, Phantasm is a film about grief, the mortality of friends and family and coming to terms with our own existential dread. The film starts with the funeral of a family’s oldest brother, Tommy. Mike has also been raised by his two brothers since the death of his parents. Hence loss is very much a key theme in Phantasm. Because of Mike’s age, it can be argued that Phantasm also alludes to transitioning from a child to an adult. Mike frequently checks on his older brother Jody and observes his activities such as his drinking in a bar and his sexual dalliances with a woman he meets there. This seems to both intrigue and shock Mike. Is the Tall Man’s transformation of the dead into malignant dwarf slaves, a metaphor for Mike’s concerns about becoming an adult? Such ideas and themes are present to ponder, should the viewer see fit to do so.
Alternatively, one can focus on the film’s visual imagery which is vivid. The briefly glimpsed hooded dwarves that scuttle in the shadows. The sleek but deadly silver spheres that patrol the marbled lined corridors of the Morningside Funeral Home. Then there is the imposing and esoteric presence of Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man. One of the cinema's most incongruous but memorable villains. Phantasm, ostensibly a horror film, also has a wealth of interesting ideas and concepts that hail more from the science fiction genre. The Tall Man appears to be an interdimensional traveller, using the corpses of the recently deceased to create homunculus that can survive and work in the extreme heat and increased gravity of his own world. Furthermore, the interdimensional gateway seems to work via sound and vibration. The Tall Man also appears to have transformative abilities, appearing alternatively as the Lady in Lavender.
The 2016 restoration and 4K remaster of Phantasm is quite a revelation. All previous copies that I have viewed have been too dark and terribly pan and scanned, thus greatly diminishing the film’s visual flair. The current Blu-ray release offers a clear image at the correct aspect ratio, as well as the original mono sound mix and a new 5.1 remix. The soundtrack by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave greatly adds to the film’s atmosphere with its haunting electronic music. The resulting franchise that has followed in the wake of Phantasm is a curious beast. None of the films quite match the innovation of the original or recapture its haunting quality. They are mainly a showcase for the director, Don Coscarelli, to experiment with his respective ideas about the Tall Man’s origins and the silver spheres. Hence, I recommend curious viewers to initially content themselves with the original, as it offers more than enough to reflect upon.
