Review of Phantasm

Introduction

There are many horror movies that have achieved cult status since their release. Alongside classics such as "The Omen", "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and "Driller Killer", this movie is just as popular and reveared.

But do these horrors-of-yesteryear still have the pulling power for today`s fans of CGI digital effects? I mean, when these movies were made all they had to work with were lengths of fishing line and latex rubber moulds. And that`s before they`ve gushed gallons of red fluid from every available orrifice.

So it was with some interest that I sat down to enjoy some classic late 70`s horror.

Video

Think 1970`s film stock and that really is what you get with this full screen 1.33 presentation. Digital techniques have cleaned up the image a bit, but there is some noticeable grain and noise, although nothing that will spoil the overall movie. Just don`t expect an pixel-perfect anamorphic image.

The colours are reasonably clean and the film`s various dimly-lit scenes are well presented with good blacks and nice contrast levels.

Audio

The audio is cleanly transferred with the added clarity of DD2.0 sound adds enormously to the overall experience. The soundtrack is suitably erie with some stereotypical plinkety-plonk musical moments. Vocals come across very well with a good depth to the soundstage.

Features

There are some added features, but unfortunately are pretty throwaway. Alongside the usual scene access, there is a behind-the-scenes documentary that was filmed alongside the original movie on Super 8 video by one of the sound engineers. This shows some of the techniques used during filming including some great footage of how some of the special visual effects were shot. Also, there is an introduction by "The Tall Man" (Angus Scrimm) who shares some of his thoughts on the movie and sets the scene for the main feature. We are also treated to some TV spots, a collection of smallish screenshots, deleted scenes and a theatrical trailer.

Conclusion

To be honest, I kind of enjoyed this movie. It has some incredibly bad acting (if you can call it that), some great stereotypes and a plot so full of holes that you can see through it. But it draws you in and keeps your interest until the last. It`s never going to win any Academy Awards (and didn`t when it was first released), but for fans of the horror genre, it is probably already well known and loved (especially when the classic sequence involving the flying silver ball appears on screen...)