Phantasm: The delusion of a disordered mind. A phantom. A ghost.That's the definition given to the title of this 1979 horror masterpiece, and to that I'd like to add: One hell of a scary film. Speaking as a horror fan, I have to make this confession: I am jaded. It takes a lot to frighten me, and I can name the few films that have done so by counting on one hand. Don Coscarelli's Phantasm is on that small list, and with good reason.There is just some otherworldly magic associated with this set of films. There is some type of captured and bottled lightning that keeps the viewer locked in place during even the weakest entries of the franchise. The world of Phantasm is a universe in and of itself, painted with rich characters and a disturbing premise that asks the ever thought-provoking question: What happens to us when we die?
If you listen to The Tall Man, we don't go to Heaven. We go to him. 
Death is a subject that has frightened and compelled us all for years. It can be argued that mankind's greatest fear is death itself. That's one of the keys to this series' success! Phantasm not only explores that phobia, but shoves it right down our throats.
To further make things interesting, the Phantasm tales (beginning of course with this one) are told in a blurry fashion, meaning there is no line separating our reality from that of The Tall Man's. As a result, the film experience ends up feeling as surreal as an out-of-body experience.
Coscarelli makes a point of not spoonfeeding us this pound of flesh, so a lot is left up to the audience in terms of what they think is really happening. The world of Phantasm is vast in its mystery and rife with fan speculation. I'm sure people will be talking about it for many years to come.What do you do if you're Anchor Bay and you land the rights to put out your own edition of this groundbreaking film? The answer for them was simple: Release the best package possible. The good news is? They have truly done so. The bad? Some things got lost in the shuffle along the way. Before we get into the what's what of the supplemental material, I'd be remiss if I didn't start with the video and audio transfers themselves.While the old MGM disc looked really good, I can assure you that you haven't seen anything until you've watched this completely remastered edition. The best part? It's enhanced for 16x9 televisions. Those with widescreen HD TVs can finally kiss goodbye the old black bars and enjoy a screen full of the twisted and macabre. Things look very impressive, even at 480p.
Article comments
1 - Chris Beaumont
Thanks for the review, I was considering upgrading, though I have not watched it in some time. I just may have to take the plunge and revisit the world of Phantasm.
Have you seen the release of PhantasmIII? UI remember liking that one, more than II, was wondering if its release is also a worthy one?
2 - Terabanitoss
Hi
You are The Best!!!
Bye