Phantasm is a series of five horror films written and directed by Don Coscarelli. In 1979, the series premier “Phantasm” began as an independent film, that has now grown to harbor a sizeable cult following. The Phantasm franchise also includes novels, comic books, and other forms of transmedia. Now for the first time, all 5 Phantasm films can be purchased in one 5-disc DVD collection.
In the original, we are introduced to a quiet town where people are dying in strange ways. Mike, an average teenage boy, is our main investigator in the story. The town mortician, known as “The Tall Man” is the villain of this series. The Tall Man is really what sets this series apart. Fitting for a mortician, the Tall Man is found to be bringing the dead back to life as shrunken zombies. It should be noted, that many critics have this film in a category along the lines of: Bad movies that are awesome. This is true for Phantasm, along with many other movies in the horror genre; but the Phantasm series does deserve some serious credit.
Notably, the “Tall Man” is seriously creepy. Played by Angus Scrimm in all 5 films, the Tall Man is truly someone I would not like to meet, especially in a cemetery at night. From the dark three-piece suit to the Tall Man’s voice, everything about this character is memorably spooky. If you’ve seen the film, you can almost hear the Tall Man’s voice reading: “You play a good game boy, but the game is finished… now you DIE!” I thought Phantasm did an excellent job creating this character, and fans appreciate that the villain remains consistent throughout the series.
The Phantasm 5 movie DVD collection features:
Phantasm – Remastered
Phantasm II – The Ball is Back
Phantasm III – Lord of the Dead
Phantasm IV – Oblivion
Phantasm V – Ravager
Packed full of special features, trailers, deleted scenes, interviews, bloopers, and more, this set is really everything a fan of the series could as for. Whether you are familiar with the Phantasm series or not, this set is the perfect excuse to shut off the lights, pop some corn, and set the mood for a Halloween season.
