Phantasm dvd movie.|
Phantasm dvd videos, dvd movies reviews |
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Features • PAL In Theaters : 28 March, 1979 |
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Phantasm description Jody is the kind of guy that every 1970s teen looked up to. He's in his early 20s, has a cool car, splendid '70s hair, leather jacket, plays guitar and (naturally) snags all the girls. His little brother, Mike, in particular, admires him and emulates him at every turn. Things start to go astray, however, when the two brothers and their friend Reggi ... review details |
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| ♥♥♥♥♥ | DRIPS WITH SURREALISM AND ATMOSPHERE |
| Phasntasm, a little-known (outside of fans) horror fasntasy from 1979 is, simply stated, one of the most effective, atmospheric and genuinely scary movies to come out in a long long time. Even after 27 years, it still holds up as a truly unsettling and thoughtful horror movie and, believe me, it WILL scare the bejesus out of you. The thing I remember most about Phantasm was the normal, suburban culdesac surroundings where the film takes place. I swear, it will remind you of the neighborhood you grew up in. If you thought Spielberg's Americana neighborhoods seem real, wait til you check out the settings here. The fact that the 2 boys live alone in this big Brady Bunch-type house makes the whole thing kind of dreamlike. (Their parents died recently with little explanation). The acting is spot-on. The guy that plays the little brother is completely realistic. You will swear you know this kid! Likewise his cool brother and Reggie the ice cream man. These 3 genuinely seem like they have been friends for years. The acting seems very spontaneous and natural. You totally buy into these characters.
Basically, Phantasm is a series of increasingly bizarre events surrounding the local funeral home. You can get plot details from other reviews, but for me the power of this film is in the way it gradually builds dread and suspense. It is obvious that it was made on a shoe-string budget but that only adds to the realism and charm. There is one scene with a fortune teller that doesn't seem to make much sense but it is totally creepy and very unsettling. Is the lady even alive? And what's the story with the black box? The viewer is left to decide but these moments only ratchet up the unnerving dreamlike quality that permeates the whole movie. Personally, I think the FX stand the test of the time (the insect monster in the kitchen notwithstanding.) Remember, this movie is pre-CGI and the effects are all animatronics and makeup. And the infamous silver sphere scene is, to this day, one of the most original, horrific and effective scare moments ever to come out of late twentiweth century American horror. Just watch it with somebody who has never seen it and watch them cringe. All in all, a great little horror flick that positively exudes atmosphere and foreboding. You can almost cut the dread with a knife. I compare it to Argento's Suspiria, Carpenter's The Thing and Craven's original Nightmare on Elm Street in its ability to just make you feel anxious and uneasy. DVD comes with excellent commentary tracks (amazing input from director Don Coscarelli on how he got certain things done) and some cool deleted scenes. HIGHLY recommended for any horror movie fan or just someone who likes being scared by a great movie! |
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