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Post by Neon Maniac on Nov 30, 2017 2:44:56 GMT
Any fans here? This is by far my favorite Horror series. The first two are my favorites with 2 being the absolute best to me, while 3 and 4 are also very good. Sadly the fifth film, Ravager, wasn't up to par and easily the weakest. The series is basically a Horror/Sci-Fi hybrid (with a significant Action element present in the second) concerning the sinister operations of an otherworldy mortician known only as The Tall Man, who employs a number of minions to help him with his bidding including robed dwarves and flying killer spheres. Sounds weird? It is, but it's so awesome and to reveal any more about the series is pretty much spoiling it. The original four are all excellent but the fifth sadly wasn't up to par.
You can rank them too if you'd like, for me:
2
1
4
3
5
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Post by Marv on Nov 30, 2017 10:54:14 GMT
I've only seen the 2nd film. It was ok but not my fave. I hear the first is better but haven't had the opportunity yet to see it.
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Reynard
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Post by Reynard on Nov 30, 2017 16:16:12 GMT
The original is easily my favorite and a big cult classic for a good reason. Clumsy as hell, but in many ways that only add to its weird, surreal atmosphere. New York Times reviewer that called Phantasm "a ghost story told by a bright, imaginative 8-year-old" really got it right. I love how it looks like something from early to mid 70s, which in a way it is since much of the footage is years older than the completed movie. Film stock is grainy as hell, colors muted and these things only add to its silent movie like mood.
Phantasm II is not really my kind of thing. Far too 80s and jokey in a way that was popular then, but I don't think movies of this style have aged well, or at least they don't keep my interest anymore. Phantasm II also drags quite a bit, since there's over 30 minutes of filler footage between the opening scenes (which are great) and when they finally get around to really fighting The Tall Man.
Phantasm III takes some steps back and also few forward at the same time. Non-linear structure and dream scenes make their return, which I couldn't be happier about, but at the same time the "supporting" monsters have become increasingly goofy, more like something out of a Charles Band production. Like Toasted Cheese already pointed out, different modified spheres get too much attention and feel gimmicky. Phantasm III is also quite inconsistent, like the opening scene and how The Tall Man's midget henchmen have disappeared without any explanation. Still, I prefer this to part 2. The theme song is my favorite of the series.
Phantasm: Oblivion is interesting and in many ways closest in style to the original. I really like what Coscarelli did with leftover footage from Phantasm I. The desert scenes and The Tall Man's origin story work well, as does the strange, melancholic ending. However Reggie Bannister has once again become more like Ashley of the Evil Dead series, with action scenes and lame one-lines that do not fit the story's more serious aspects. Scenes with him just driving around in search of Mike do not really add anything, and focus should have been more on Mike anyway. While not as entertaining as Phantasm III, overall this could be my favorite sequel.
Haven't seen Phantasm: Ravager yet.
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Post by stefancrosscoe on Dec 4, 2017 15:37:58 GMT
Any fans here? This is by far my favorite Horror series. The first two are my favorites with 2 being the absolute best to me, while 3 and 4 are also very good. Sadly the fifth film, Ravager, wasn't up to par and easily the weakest. Big fan of the first film, but as a series/franchise I kind of feel that it lost its magic early on (after the first one), specially with the third one which I found to be the most disappointing one, where as the fourth film I enjoyed almost moret than the second one. Have not seen the fifth film, (not been all updated, I know) but sooner or later I will probably give it a spin. I am bit lazy right now, and so I just am gonna copy what I wrote a few months back: Don Coscarelli's cult-classic Phantasm is probably among one of my 5-10 most treasured horror films and considering it's 250-300,000 $ budget, compared to what horror films is spending today, the 1979 movie has hold up incredible well, specially the special effects/speheres used in this movie, that still look awesome, and no 300 billion dollar budget CGI could come close to those flying monsters, chasing it's unlucy victims in a small and tight hallway that leads to hell.
The Tall man is played brilliantly by the late Angus Scrimm, who just might be one of the coolest looking but also frigthening bad guys in any horror film, and I would rather have the likes of Michael Myers or Jason Vorhees or even Freddy Krueger chasing me, any day or time, than to stand face to face with the wrath of The Tall Man and his army of slaves.
I know that a lot fans seem to favorize the later sequel from 1988, but as much as I like some of the sequels, none of them really come close to the creepy feel/vibe of the first one. And a lot of it has to do with the music/sound effects. The stuff used in the second one, sounds just so god damn random, like it was taken out from any other horror film made in the late 80s/early 90s, while the 1979 film has this "doomsday" nightmarish feel going, and it sets off already before the film has begun and you get this unwelcome and eerie sound greeting you, knowing well that you're in for something very special.
Another thing I did not like was the introduction of a female second lead where Paula Irvine plays Mikes suddenly "love of life" romantic interest, and I felt she offers very little, and it all seemed very rushed, like someone else did push forward his or hers idea of what is a sellable product to the big masses. But what made the Phantasm series so special within the horror genre to begin with, was that it had several male leading characters, instead of the typical and tough scream queen in the slasher genre.
Even though in the later ones we were introduced to some short romances that of Reggie, still it was always about the friendship and special bond between Mike, Reggie and Jody. Now suddenly we have a blond chick who wants to run the show and one that would seem like some big time Hollywood producer thought was a good idea to put in the script, so they could cash in on other 80s horror series such as Hellraiser and Nightmare on Elm Streets film, that featured these similar looking leading babes.
But one the positive side, the updated version of the main theme, kicks serious ass and the chainssaw fight between Reggie and one the Tall Man's slaves, was very cool to watch.
When it came to the third film, I felt the series had to stop, the whole extreme Home Alone part with that annoying little brat, was just too much for me and I went in thinking the fourth one would be another big letdown, instead I kind of liked it, almost more than the second film. I have not, however seen the last from 2016, but I feel I have to do something about that very soon.
By the way, I like your username, and I guess you probably have seen Neon Maniacs (1986) before? |
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Post by James on Mar 4, 2018 18:24:34 GMT
Dug up this old thread to give my thoughts on this series after finished watching them. It's an okay series in my opinion. The first two were really good, then the third was alright, but the fourth was pretty meh and the latest one was a big letdown. They pretty much go in order of their release date, if I were to rank them as in:
1. Phantasm
2. Phantasm II
3. Phantasm III
4. OblIVion
5. RaVager
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Post by masterofallgoons on Mar 4, 2018 20:48:24 GMT
I've seen all of these movies, and I still can't tell you what the he'll happens in any of them. But I do think they're kind of fascinating in their own way. There's a surrealist and strange internal logic in them that I can't claim to fully understand, but I think works within the eerie tone of them.
I like the first one a good bit, and the second one as well. I can't quote remember what happened in the 3rd or 4th. I think there's a road trip and some time travel or flashbacks involved. I know a different actor plays the lead on or both, but I couldn't tell much beyond that.
I saw Ravager and while I think the idea of Reggie having dementia and using that to evoke the disjointed logic and odd tone is a nice touch, the extremely cheap budget clearly does not match the ambition, scale, and scope of the script. It doesn't hold togather and feels like a real missed opportunity considering we've seen the last of the Tall Man.
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