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''Phantasm'' is an American
horror film Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit physical or psychological fear in its viewers. Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with Transgressive art, transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements of the genre include Mo ...
series consisting of five films, as well as novels, comic books and merchandise. The first film, titled '' Phantasm'', was released in 1979, received generally positive reviews and has garnered a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
. It is mainly about the Tall Man (played by
Angus Scrimm Angus Scrimm (born Lawrence Rory Guy; August 19, 1926 – January 9, 2016) was an American actor, author, and journalist, known for his portrayal of the Tall Man in the 1979 horror film '' Phantasm'' and its sequels. Early life Scrimm was born ...
), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker and the main antagonist who turns the dead into dwarf
zombies A zombie (Haitian French: ; ; Kikongo: ''zumbi'') is a mythological undead corporeal revenant created through the reanimation of a corpse. In modern popular culture, zombies appear in horror genre works. The term comes from Haitian folklore ...
to do his bidding and take over the world. He is opposed by a young boy, Mike Pearson ( A. Michael Baldwin), who tries to convince his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) and family friend Reggie ( Reggie Bannister) of the threat.


Films


''Phantasm'' (1979)

The residents of a small town have begun dying under strange circumstances, leading young Mike Pearson to investigate. After discovering that the town's mortician, only known as the Tall Man, is killing and reanimating the dead as misshapen zombies, Mike seeks help from his older brother, Jody, and their friend Reggie, a local ice cream man. Working together, they try to lure out and destroy the Tall Man, all the while avoiding his minions and a deadly silver sphere.


''Phantasm II'' (1988)

In ''Phantasm II,'' picking up exactly where the previous film leaves off, the Tall Man and his minions attempt to take Mike, but Reggie manages to save him by blowing up the house. Eight years later, Mike, now a mental patient, still has nightmares about the evil mortician, and is the only person to recall that dreadful night. Upon being released from the institution Mike, who's had a premonition about Reggie’s family, tries to warn his friend of the ensuing danger before an explosion murders the entire family. Convinced by Mike's futile warning, the two men set out to track the mysterious mortician down and rescue Liz Reynolds, a young woman, who has a psychic connection to both Mike and the Tall Man.


''Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead'' (1994)

In ''Lord of the Dead'', once more picking up exactly where the previous film leaves off, the Tall Man has infiltrated the minds of Mike and Reggie. The two friends embark on a journey to find and kill him, only to discover that he has destroyed town after town, leaving zombies in place of the living. Along the way, Mike and Reggie meet several characters who share their goal, including a murderous boy named Tim, and Rocky and Tanesha, two young women who are excellent fighters.


''Phantasm IV: Oblivion'' (1998)

Taking off immediately where the last one ended, in this episode, Mike travels across dimensions and time fleeing from the Tall Man, at the same time he tries to find the origins of his enemy, and what happened the night that Jody died. Meanwhile, Reggie (accompanied by Jennifer, a beauty he picked up on the road) battles the spheres and the undead in a quest to find Mike before the Tall Man can complete his transformation.


''Phantasm: Ravager'' (2016)

In the series finale, Reggie continues in his quest to stop the evil, dimension-hopping schemes of The Tall Man and his armada of killer Sentinel Spheres. This time, the fight becomes a multi-dimensional battle across an alien planet, multiple timelines, and altered realities, where the fate of Earth is on the line.


Cast and crew


Cast


Characters

* Mike Pearson (played by A. Michael Baldwin in the first, third, fourth and fifth films, and by James Le Gros in the second) is the main protagonist of the series. He is an ordinary boy, who notices suspicious activities in the Morningside funeral home where the Tall Man operates. After he discovers the truth, the Tall Man pursues him relentlessly. In the later films, the Tall Man tries to convert Mike into one of his own kind. *Jody Pearson (played by Bill Thornbury in all the films except the second) is Mike's older brother and guardian. Mike is very attached to his only remaining family member and afraid that he'll leave, a fear that becomes reality when the Tall Man murders Jody. In ''Phantasm III'', Jody reappears as one of the Tall Man's Sentinels gone rogue. He helps Mike and the others on a number of occasions, but is enigmatic about what really happened to him. * Reggie (played by Reggie Bannister) is the Pearsons' best friend, and joins Mike's quest to kill the Tall Man after his wife and daughter are killed in a rigged explosion. He is an ice cream man by trade, and is rarely seen without his trusty quadruple-barrelled shotgun, which he uses to mow down any of his enemies. A running gag in the series involves Reggie's hopeless attempts at having sex with a beautiful woman. * The Tall Man (played by
Angus Scrimm Angus Scrimm (born Lawrence Rory Guy; August 19, 1926 – January 9, 2016) was an American actor, author, and journalist, known for his portrayal of the Tall Man in the 1979 horror film '' Phantasm'' and its sequels. Early life Scrimm was born ...
) is an alien undertaker, who is building an army of the living dead by sending corpses to his home planet for conversion. The Tall Man was once a 19th century human named Jebediah Morningside, who invented a dimensional portal that sent him to unknown places before bringing him back to Earth as the monster he is now. His true objective remains a mystery, but it involves the conquest and occupation of Earth. * The Lady In Lavender (played by Kathy Lester in the first and fifth films) is the Tall Man's feminine alter ego, used to seduce hapless males before killing them. * Rocky (played by Gloria Lynne Henry in the third and fifth films) is a nunchuck-wielding martial artist who helps Reggie save Mike after her best friend Tanesha is killed in front of her eyes. She has a love-hate relationship with Reggie due to his obvious attraction towards her. Later in ''Phantasm V'', she is seen as a member of the resistance fighting for Earth.


Production


Development

The story idea for the original ''Phantasm'' film came to
Don Coscarelli Don Coscarelli Jr. (born February 17, 1954) is an American film director, film producer, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his work in horror films. His directing credits include the first four films in the Phantasm (franchise), '' ...
in a dream; one night, in his late teens, he dreamed of fleeing down endlessly long marble corridors, pursued by a chrome sphere intent on penetrating his skull with a wicked needle. There was also a quite futuristic "sphere dispenser" out of which the orbs would emerge and begin chasing him. Originally writer-director Don Coscarelli considered the first film's ending to be conclusive and did not feel knowledgeable about writing a sequel, but Coscarelli had what he described as a breakthrough when he realized that he could start the film immediately after the previous film's final scene. He also added a
road movie A road movie is a film genre, genre of film in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the the ...
element in how Reggie and Mike combat the Tall Man, after which he described the process as straightforward. Coscarelli has later revealed that some elements of this movie were influenced by
Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...
, especially a few aspects of his novel '''Salem's Lot''. For instance, the end of the novel, when the characters Ben Mears and Mark Petrie go out on the road chasing down vampires, gave him the "
road movie A road movie is a film genre, genre of film in which the main characters leave home on a road trip, typically altering the perspective from their everyday lives. Road movies often depict travel in the hinterlands, with the films exploring the the ...
" idea of Mike and Reggie chasing The Tall Man.
Universal Studios Universal Studios may refer to: * Universal Studios, Inc., an American media and entertainment conglomerate ** Universal Pictures, an American film studio ** Universal Studios Lot, a film and television studio complex * Various theme parks operat ...
, who took an interest in the series because they wanted a horror series, allocated three million dollars for ''Phantasm II'''s budget; this was the lowest budget of any of their films in the 1980s, but it was the highest budget of any ''Phantasm'' film.
Greg Nicotero Gregory Nicotero (born March 15, 1963) is an American Prosthetic makeup, special make-up effects creator, television producer, and director. His first major job in special effects makeup was on the George A. Romero film ''Day of the Dead (1985 fi ...
and
Robert Kurtzman Robert Kurtzman (born November 25, 1964) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and special effects makeup artist. During his time at KNB EFX Group, which he co-founded, it would win a 2001 Emmy Award. He would then start his o ...
, later of KNB EFX, were recruited for special effects. The studio exerted much control over the film, and they did not allow Coscarelli to include any dream sequences or ambiguity. The executives also wanted to recast both A. Michael Baldwin and Reggie Bannister because they were unknown and had been out of the movie business since the release of the first movie. Don Coscarelli resisted their efforts and was forced to audition A. Michael Baldwin and Reggie Bannister for the opportunity to reprise their roles. In the end, his efforts won him a concession: he was allowed to keep one of the two, but had to replace the other; Coscarelli chose to keep Bannister and cast James Le Gros in Baldwin's place. After the mild box-office results of ''Phantasm II'' (1988), Universal Studios chose not to personally pursue a sequel but did offer to distribute it should Don Coscarelli and associates make it themselves. With no casting restrictions this time, Coscarelli offered the role of Mike to his original performer, A. Michael Baldwin, who returned to the role after almost 16 years in ''Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead'' (1994).
Roger Avary Roger Roberts Avary (born August 23, 1965) is a Canadian-American film director, screenwriter and producer. He is best known for his work with Quentin Tarantino on the script for ''Pulp Fiction'' (1994), for which they won Best Original Screenpla ...
, a self-confessed hardcore fan of the ''Phantasm'' series, wrote an epic screenplay originally called ''Phantasm 1999 A.D.'' as a follow-up to ''Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead''. It was set in a post-apocalyptic near future, featuring
Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is known best for his role as Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' horror series, beginning with the short movie '' Within the Woods'' (1978). He has also f ...
as a co-star. As the time passed and they couldn't get the budget needed (around $10 million) Don Coscarelli wrote and directed a fourth installment titled ''Phantasm IV: Oblivion'' as a precursor to the project, that was conveniently re-titled ''Phantasm 2012 A.D.'' before renaming the planned film as ''Phantasm's End''. Ultimately, when the financing for such an ambitious sequel couldn't be secured, the idea was scrapped altogether. In 2004, six years after the release of ''Phantasm IV: Oblivion'', series director Don Coscarelli told ''
Fangoria ''Fangoria'' is an internationally distributed American horror film fan magazine, in publication since 1979. It is published four times a year by Fangoria Publishing, LLC and is edited by Phil Nobile Jr. The magazine was originally released i ...
'', "I'd also still like to do another ''Phantasm'' film. Reggie Bannister and Angus Scrimm are still in great shape and raring to go." In March 2005, Coscarelli was in the final stages of talks with
New Line Cinema New Line Productions, Inc., Trade name, doing business as New Line Cinema, is an American film production, film and television production company that is a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, a division of the Major film studios, ...
to produce a new entry. Reportedly, the new film was "being developed as a relaunch and as a possible trilogy about Mike's coming of age." This version never came to fruition. Rumors about a sequel were reignited in June 2007 by footage contained in Don Coscarelli's ''Farewell to the Alamo Drafthouse'', featuring Angus Scrimm and A. Michael Baldwin in their roles. In an interview, Reggie Bannister stated there was no activity or development of a fifth film but that anything was possible in the future. In June 2012, rumors again surfaced that Coscarelli would begin a new ''Phantasm'' sequel. According to a report on
Dread Central Dread Central is an American website founded in 2006 that is dedicated to horror news, interviews, and reviews. It covers horror films, comics, novels, and toys. Dread Central has won the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Award for Best Website f ...
, the script was completed and filming would begin later in the year. Coscarelli disputed this claim, publicly stating, "I have no solid news to report on a new project now." The director, however, was being coy with film news sites. According to what Coscarelli and new co-writer-director David Hartman told ''
Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'', the film ''Phantasm: Ravager'' was shot secretly in and around
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
during 2012 and 2013. On March 26, 2014, news of ''Ravager''s completion was released via various film news sites. The next day, a trailer debuted on the film's official site. In a 2014 "sneak peek" video preview on the official ''Phantasm'' website, director Hartman mentioned in quick passing, "This thing is going to be in the can 2015... for sure." By October 2015, ''Ravager'' was completed and it was released the following year.


Reception


Box office performance

When comparing ''Phantasm'' films to other major horror franchises such as ''
Halloween Halloween, or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve), is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christianity, Western Christian f ...
'', ''
A Nightmare on Elm Street ''A Nightmare on Elm Street'' is a 1984 American Supernatural horror film, supernatural slasher film written and directed by Wes Craven and produced by Robert Shaye. It is the first installment in the A Nightmare on Elm Street (franchise), ''A ...
'', ''Child's Play'', ''
Hellraiser ''Hellraiser'' is a 1987 British supernatural horror film written and directed by Clive Barker in his directorial debut. Based on Barker's 1986 novella ''The Hellbound Heart'', the film's plot concerns a mystical puzzle box that summons the ...
'', '' Scream'', '' Friday the 13th'', ''
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre ''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American independent horror film produced, co-composed, and directed by Tobe Hooper, who co-wrote it with Kim Henkel. The film stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow, an ...
'', and ''
Saw A saw is a tool consisting of a tough blade, Wire saw, wire, or Chainsaw, chain with a hard toothed edge used to cut through material. Various terms are used to describe toothed and abrasive saws. Saws began as serrated materials, and when man ...
'', it is one of the lowest grossing horror films but has gained a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
.


In popular culture

A phantasm similar in design to the Tall Man is featured as the main antagonist of the 2017 ''
Mike Tyson Mysteries ''Mike Tyson Mysteries'' is an American adult animated television series, and is the first collaboration between Warner Bros. Animation and Williams Street. It premiered on October 27, 2014 on Cartoon Network's nighttime programming block Adult S ...
'' episode "Mystery on Wall Street", voiced by
Jeff Bergman Jeffrey Bergman (born July 10, 1960) is an American voice actor who has provided the modern-day voices of various classic cartoon characters, most notably with ''Looney Tunes'' and Hanna-Barbera. Bergman was the first to replace Mel Blanc as th ...
.


References

{{Phantasm Film series introduced in 1979 Action film franchises English-language films Horror film franchises