Phantasm

      I remember "Phantasm" being very scary as a kid.  I hadn't seen it since about '83 or '84, so I decided to give it a whirl recently.  While not being near as scary as I remembered, there are still some definitely creepy moments waiting in "Phantasm".  It' such a strange scary movie- and actually kinda silly in parts.  But I can see how it's gained it's reputation as a bona fide cult classic.  

     "Phantasm" goes something like this.  Mike, a  young boy who recently lost his parents, suffers from vivid and terrifying nightmares.  Amidst all this, he uncovers a plot at the local Morningside Cemetery and Funeral Home by a mysteriously tall mortuary worker (Angus Scrimm), who steals corpses and turns them into dwarf-like servants for an alien world.  I'm serious here. That's really is the plot of "Phantasm"...  It sounds ludicrous, but director Don Coscarelli makes it all work somehow.  There are some great, eerie scenes in this movie, and Angus Scrimm makes an unforgettable horror icon with the Tall Man.  The mortuary itself is creepy, and so are the scenes involving the little robed creatures that resemble evil Jawas from "Star Wars".  "Phantasm" borders on high camp at times, especially the blond lady in the cemetery and the infamous flying sphere.  But silliness aside, "Phantasm" has gained a tremendous amount of fan support and is considered a legendary horror movie.  The movie does venture into all-out hallucinatory weirdness after a certain point, and it's kind of off-putting for some.  But there's lots to enjoy about this movie.  It's a surprisingly artful and imaginative little thriller with more than enough genuine shocks.

     It's a definite cult classic, very much like "The Evil Dead" cult, with fans taking "Phantasm" very seriously.  It is a fun movie to watch, especially with the right group of people.  Once again, it's a testament to what you can do with a very low budget and lots of imagination.  If only half the movies released today had this much imagination... "Phantasm" came from that last, great rush of classic 70's horror cinema- the likes of which may never be seen again...  The 70's produced some of the greatest horror movies evah, you know....