Phantasm (DVD, 2007, Anchor Bay Collection)

This is one great horror movie. It was written and directed by Don Cascarelli and was released in 1979. It stars Michael Baldwin (as Michael), Bill Thornbury (as Jody), Reggie Bannister (as Reggie), and Angus Scrimm (as The Tall Man). Jody and his younger brother Michael along with their friend Reggie discover strange happenings at the Morningside Cemetary and Funeral Home. Michael is witness to the "The Tall Man" carrying off a casket containing the remains of Jody's friend after grave side services ended and the mourners left. "The Tall Man" notices Michael and soon he begins to show up where ever Michael goes. Now the "fun" begins. We will later learn that the "The Tall Man" is a sinister alien from another dimension who has supernatural powers. He is also accompanied by a gang of demonic dwarves dressed in hooded monk like robes. He is armed with silver spheres or orbs that fly through the air at will. These orbs protrude knife type blades as they attack a victim. The orb embeds itself to the intended victim's forehead. A drill bit pops out of the orb giving the poor sap an instant lobotomy. Lots of blood here. Jody, Michael, and Reggie discover that "The Tall Man" has been collecting bodies from the funeral home and has been crushing them down and storing them in black canister type pods in the mortuary where the portal to his dimension is set up. He is shipping the bodies to his world where they are prepared and used as slaves. "The Tall Man" is seemingly indestructible. He is tall, he wears a poorly fitted two piece suit, he oozes yellow "blood", and he calls Michael "BOOOY". This is the catch phrase for this movie and is used in all it's sequels. This movie also features the "lady in lavender" a rather attractive blond in a lavender dress who totes a stiletto knife and uses her charms to lure guys into the cemetary to help "drum up business" for "The Tall Man". Another nice feature is the fantastic looking 1971 black Hemi Barracuda that our characters drive around in. It is featured in all the other sequels as well. It's a hardtop in this movie and becomes a convertible in the others. There are some rather cool looking hearses of that era that appear from time to time. This movie has a very haunting atmosphere to it, from the Victorian style funeral home straight to the 1970's music and look. (Check out that carpeting in Michael and Jody's house). The special effects in this movie are amazing considering the technology back then was not like it is today. They did a great job on this (except for that rubber fly). This movie contains standard R-rated gore, violence, and nudity. If the funeral home looks familiar to you it was featured in two other movies, "Burn't Offerings" and James Bond's "View to a Kill". This movie is followed by three sequels:

Phantasm II The Ball is Back
Phantasm III Lord of the Dead
Phantasm IV Oblivion


Rated R

The new 2007 DVD of this film features a 30-minute documentary that is excellent and covers all the major interesting points. It's nicely packaged too, the dvd case inside a color cardboard sleeve with foil accents--classy!

Don Coscarelli's "Phantasm" is a very original and startling horror film from the late 70's. A lot of horror classics were produced in the 70's, but this one in particular stands out because it is the only one that does not hearken back in some way to earlier established archetypes. All the details are more or less original, so you are not looking at a retread of the conventional Frankenstein/Dracula/Zombie stories. The main baddie is an exceptionally tall undertaker from another planet, for starters. His dwarf slaves are essentially zombies (reanimated dead people he has crushed "down to half size") but in their behavior and appearance do not really resemble zombies from other myths. This is a movie trying to be as different as possible.

Large amounts of surrealism and humor are mixed in, and the film displays a willingness to throw in very off-the-wall ideas and quirky moments. In the opening scenes, we see that spooky shenanigans are going on over at that Morningside Mortuary, including murder, appearances of strange hooded dwarf creatures, and kid-hero Mike (Michael Baldwin) riding his motorcycle around in the cemetery, apparently for kicks. After just a few minutes have elapsed, "Phantasm" is already a tapestry of weirdness, and it generally gets stranger, scarier and funnier as it goes along. The youthful hero Mike was also a big hit with youngsters when the film came out. He is an unusually energetic character who, to save his older brother and their friend Reggie from the eerie monsters, is ready to jump into the action and fight.

Not surprising that it was a big theatrical hit when it came out originally. It was totally unlike any other movie, and audiences could see clearly that this low-budget oddity was bending over backwards to deliver its rollercoaster-style entertainment.

This has been available for some years now in stereo/surround format, which sounds great and allows the viewer to better appreciate the very atmospheric musical score by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave. In addition to stereo manipulation of the sound effects, director Coscarelli also beefed up the sound effects for the famous "flying silver sphere" scene, adding stereo "whoosh" effects. I think the new additional sound effects are layered on fairly tastefully and you still get to hear the sphere's signature humming whine.

I have always been a big fan of the movie Phantasm. It was the first horror flick I saw by myself. I was 9 years old at the time and this movie scared the hell out of me. When I heard they were releasing a limited edition copy of the movie and the stores in my area did not receive any copies at all my first thought was "Ebay". I love the fact that I have an OOP factory sealed copy of Phantasm these were very limited and one of the more rare OOP movies. I paid what the movie was worth to me and I am very happy and satisfied with my purchase. It is a collectible item as well as an investment since I am sure it is one of the very few unopened.

The first of the series is an excellent film, even as a younger fella, I still remember it to this day, the flying ball, the tall man "boy", still one of the best in my opinion, classic vampire with a twist! It has a large cult following, though the series lacks the same thrills as the first. Sit back, relax and get into the movie!

i love horror movies it the best movies around i love all the phantasm movies this movie keeps you on ege from the begining to the end thats for shure i all ways loved horror movies ever sence i was a kid i loved them between phantasm and halloween and friday the 13th and freddy movies i loved them all scary movies are the best moves around

corny special effects and a bad plot, but it brings back memories of movies at the local drive in with my parents via 1978.

great movie scary old, just writing to get this off of my ebay its a classic dvd must have for the scary movie fan

Low budget but creepy film that has become a cult classic. Very moody and genuinely scary moments put this in the category of Night of the Living Dead and Halloween. Angus Scrimm as the "Tall Man" is a source of nightmares.

I saw this movie when I was young and it freaked me out. I brought it because to me this is a classic horror movie. The Tall Man is the best!! Even though it's an older movie it still gives me the chills. A++++ Movie so glad I brought it for my personal collection.

i have always loved this movie back from 79, and all the sequels. it's a great movie to watch in the dark, and it has its funny moments as well.

Good older horror movie. Saw this originally in a Movie Theater years ago and wanted to see it again. I've only seen it once on TV since it origially was released. Kind of unuual story line that keeps your interest up to the ending.

I purchased this DVD on SEPT 29 and paid extra for expedited shipping. I recevied an e-mail stating that dvd shipped on sept 30. E-mail also stated that it would take 2-6 business days for item to be delivered. THIS IS NOT EXPEDITED SHIPPING. Today is OCT 7 and no DVD. I received no item, no refund, no tracking#. I have been 100% ripped off. To my fellow ebayes, do yourselves a favor and stay far away from this supoosedly POWER SELLER.They are power sellers, but you get ripped off in shipping and you do not get the item.

Good old horror movie fun. Centers around strange happenings at a mortuary: flying metallic spheres that drill into peoples heads, strange jawa type midgets, and of course, the Tall Man (Argus Scrimm). Includes a ton of extras including: making of, commentaries, and deleted scenes. Some of the extras go into so much detail showing how they made certain effects, that its almost like a magician revealing how he peformed his tricks. (Did I want to know that those cool flying spheres were just thrown towards the camera by an extra that used to play baseball?) Kinda interesting, but takes a little bit of the mystery out of the movie.

i saw the movie about 25 years ago. scared the dickens out of me. my son in law thrives on scarry movies so i bought it for him and my daughter, with the promise they would not watch it with me around.

This item was exactly what the seller said it was.I firstseen thismovie when i was in high school. It is a great flick, my kids were scared but loved it. It was delivered fast also. I have looked for this movie for along time and the price was right. It was brand new and in great viewing shape. Thank you emtp26