"You play a good game, boy. But the game is finished. And now you die!"
-The Tall Man
I remember when a friend of mine reccomended Don Coscarelli's "Phantasm" to me. I was familiar with the title, but had never seen the actual film. I felt that I had been missing out on something great, and after a week, I finally watched this 1979 horror flick. And great wasn't even the right word to describe it. "Phantasm" is an extremely creepy flick that introduced one of the most disturbing, eerie, and frightening icons of the modern horror film...The Tall Man.
The film is about a 13-year-old boy named Michael Pearson, his brother Jody, and their friend Reggie, an ice cream vendor. After the death of his parents, Mike lives a life that is sometimes quiet and sad and the other time exciting and fantastic. When a close friend dies, Mike sneaks into the funeral at Morningside Cemetery. And that is when he sees a tall, thin man in a tuxedo grab the coffin, throw it in his hearse and drive away. Mike is clueless to what is going on, but he knows that it's not good. This is only the beginning of a living nightmare filled with murderous dwarves, flying spheres of doom, and a sultry but mysterious lady in a lavender dress, and as Mike comes closer to discovering what is happening, he is joined by Jody and Reggie in a fight against The Tall Man.
At times, "Phantasm" doesn't make sense. But it's not supposed to. The film is like one big dream, a fantasy beyond comprehension. Surrealism is key in several horror films, and "Phantasm" sticks to the idea like glue.
This film is, without a doubt, very creepy and frightening. In the end, we don't even know if The Tall Man is real or a figment of our imagination. When you think about it, the whole world to Mike, Jody, and Reggie could be a phantasm, an illusion. And next to that, there is a certain symbolism found in the film. It raises the question of what happens or where we go when we die. Is there a Heaven or Hell? Does The Tall Man represent the grim reaper? While many horror films are about people dying, death is a strong underlying message in this movie.
Another important component in the story is the relationship between Mike and Jody. Jody feels there's nothing he can do to help Mike after their parents' death. And he's thinking about sending him away to another relative. Like Mike, none of us want to be left alone with nothing. To Mike, Jody is the only big thing he has left.
The acting isn't the greatest point of the film, but Angus Scrimm's outstanding performance inspires many other boogeymen in the modern horror genre, ranging from Michael Myers to Freddy Krueger. His presence immediately brings out fear in the viewer, as well as his gut-wrenching stare and his voice. Scrimm remains an icon of the genre, and his performance as The Tall Man is simply untouchable.
When all is said and done, "Phantasm" is a classic and has a spot well-earned in my list of countless horror favorites. It has been followed by three sequels, and The Tall Man is one of the greatest boogeymen of all time. If you haven't seen "Phantasm," isn't about time you did? There is no reason why a horror fan like you should miss this masterpiece. "BOOOOOOOOOYYYY!!!!"
