phantasm

THE FLICKS: As a movie Phantasm is almost impossibly hard to describe. Yet that didn’t stop it from entering the pantheon of must-see ‘70s horror films right alongside Halloween, The Hills Have Eyes and other drive-in ready shockers. Yet unlike his fellow filmmakers, Phantasm­’s director Don Coscarelli never turned that success into much of a career (unless you count endless repeats of his Conan knock-off The Beastmaster on TNT). And watching this new special edition from Anchor Bay it’s pretty clear why. Phantasm is a home movie at heart. Its flaws are obvious but endearing. The cast of amateur actors don’t even approach the normal level of professionalism in a B-movie. They look and dress like authentic hippies working for free beer and a bag of weed. Not to mention the script, which skips scenes and adds characters with the kind of free-form surrealism borne from budget constraints rather than artistic choice. Still...Phantasm has an unpredictable imagination. And Coscarelli bravely leaves the motivations of his central villain almost completely unexplained. The end result is a film that exists in its own dimension, a mirror-world to our own in which the rules of reality do not apply. That’s quite an accomplishment. But, I’d argue, it’s a completely accidental one...and not something Coscarelli was able to repeat in the rigidly controlled studio era that hit right after his film’s release. In the “grindhouse” world of filmmaking you really only needed one hook to market your product and Phantasm had a doozy: the ball. A shiny silver, self-propelled orb that sprouted sharp utensils and drilled in your brain, it is the signature icon of Coscarelli’s film, even overshadowing Angus Scrimm’s performance as the “Tall Man,” a sinister mortician who squashes corpses into “Jawa”-size slaves and shoots them into another dimension. The ball is what people talked about on their way from the theater, and its entrance is still just as jaw-dropping today as it was back then. The rest of the film is a series of car chases, dream sequences and bizarre jam sessions. For all its faults, Phantasm encapsulates everything that made ‘70s filmmaking so exciting. And like so much of the movie product from that decade, a sequel was eventually in the making (although it took nearly ten years, switched the emphasis to humor rather than horror, and recast the lead character). Phantasm II, though, knew which side to butter its bread, loudly proclaiming “The Ball Is Back!” Coscarelli delivered a fun film, despite a lack of creative control. That control was back in his hands with Phantasm 3 (also available now from Anchor Bay), which meant the original cast could return (although Bruce Campbell wannabe Reggie Bannister never left) and the franchise was free to be as ambiguous as it liked. Curiously, the tone stuck close to the first sequel, emphasizing action once again and introducing a pair of marketable side-kicks. The film however does admirably stretch the “Tall Man” mythology, revealing actual brains controlling the flying spheres and a family history behind his ongoing pursuit. Coscarelli proved he could make “real movies” but still couldn’t recreate that magic of the first film. THE FEATURES: Most of the extras on Anchor Bay’s Phantasm special edition are appearing for the second time on the format. So if you own the old MGM disc or sprung for the overseas box set, you’ve got a decision to make. However, this should make your decision easier: All-New Anamorphic Transfer! The film really does look incredibly good. Add that to the 30-minute Phantasmagoria documentary with interviews from the cast and crew and there should be no hesitation. But just in case you don’t own one of the older releases, here’s a rundown of the full specs: audio commentary, deleted scenes, behind-the-scenes “home movies,” interviews, TV spots, trailers and a horror convention appearance by Angus Scrimm. Very good stuff. Phantasm 3 includes another brief behind-the-scenes feature, a very brief deleted scene and audio commentary with Scrimm and returning star A. Michael Baldwin.