Search - Phantasm on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Brief Nudity, Nudity, Adult Situations, Not For Children, Adult Language, Gore Movie Release: 1979 DVD Release: 09/28/1999 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV Edition: Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 28 mins Studio: MGM Members Wishing: 9 Genres: Horror See Also: Phantasm

Phantasm is a surprisingly artful and imaginative horror film, an impressive film for 23-year-old director Don Coscarelli who worked with a miniscule budget to create a small masterpiece. When Mike (Michael Baldwin) spies some sinister Jawa-like creatures stealing corpses from the local cemetery, he and his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) explore the mausoleum, where they find that the mortician (Angus Scrimm), a towering, emaciated figure with superhuman strength, has somehow bridged the gap between Earth and the afterworld and needs fresh corpses. Among the tools of his trade is a flying Swiss army pinball that bores into the skulls of its hapless victims then extracts their brains. Their allies die off one by one, until only the brothers are left to defend humankind against the nefarious "Tall Man" and his army of shrouded dwarves. While the film does contain a fair amount of graphic violence, the gore is never gratuitous and, relative to other movies of its day, is used rather sparingly. The effects are fantastic as is the highly stylized direction; the result is a memorable chiller with more than its share of genuine shocks. ~ Jeremy Beday, All Movie Guide

Michael Baldwin - Mike
Bill Thornbury - Jody
Reggie Bannister - Reggie
Kathy Lester - Lady in Lavender
Angus Scrimm - Tall Man

One of the highlights of late-'70s horror, Don Coscarelli's Phantasm is given a much-deserved special edition treatment by MGM. For the first time, the film is presented in a flawless, digital telecine transfer print with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and a newly mastered Dolby Digital Sound mix (the original mono track is included as well). There is a new introduction to the film by actor Angus Scrimm, who plays the evil "Tall Man" in the film. The scene-specific audio commentary is by director Coscarelli and principal actors Scrimm, Michael Baldwin, and Bill Thornbury. It's informal and relaxed, with the participants obviously enjoying each other's company. The disc also includes ten minutes of deleted scenes with sound, the theatrical trailer, three TV spots, and audio extras (radio spots, a disco version of the main title theme, and Thornbury's studio version of the song "Sittin Here at Midnight," which is heard briefly in the movie). A stills gallery features U.S. and international lobby cards, press material, merchandising, posters, original props, and fan art. Scrimm hams it up in a rather silly Australian promo, a Fangoria Magazine TV commercial, and at a Fangoria fan convention. The supplemental material is rounded out by a 28-minute TV interview with Scrimm and Coscarelli that was shot in 1979. All in all, this is an essential addition to any horrophile's collection. ~ A.R. Ferguson, All Movie Guide