Phantasm (1979) Revisited – Horror Movie Review

It’s time for a new episode of our Deconstructing… video series, and with this one we’re looking back at one of the all-time greats of the horror genre: writer/director Don Coscarelli’s 1979 classic Phantasm (watch it HERE). To watch Phantasm get the Deconstructing… treatment, check out the video embedded above!

Phantasm has the following synopsis:

The residents of a small town have begun dying under strange circumstances, leading young Mike to investigate. After discovering that the Tall Man, the town’s mortician, is killing and reanimating the dead as misshapen zombies, Mike seeks help from his older brother, Jody, and local ice cream man Reggie. Working together, they try to lure out and kill the Tall Man, all the while avoiding his minions and a deadly silver sphere.

The film stars Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Bill Cone, Mary Ellen Shaw, Terrie Kalbus, and Lynn Eastman, with Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man.

Deconstructing… is a web series in which we choose one of your favorite horror movies and take it apart piece by piece (lovingly, of course) to see what makes it a classic. Each episode examines the origins, legacy and mysteries behind our beloved genre’s most iconic titles… but we play fast and loose with the rules, so expect the unexpected!

The Phantasm episode was Written, Edited, and Narrated by Gregory Burkart, Produced by Tyler Nichols and John Fallon, and Executive Produced by Berge Garabedian.

A couple of the previous episodes of Deconstructing… can be seen below,. To see more episodes, and to check out our other shows, head over to the JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channel – and subscribe while you’re there!

Are you a fan of Phantasm? Let us know by leaving a comment below! The movie ranks highly as one of my favorites.

Source: Arrow in the Head

About the Author

Cody is a news editor and film critic, focused on the horror arm of JoBlo.com, and writes scripts for videos that are released through the JoBlo Originals and JoBlo Horror Originals YouTube channels. In his spare time, he's a globe-trotting digital nomad, runs a personal blog called Life Between Frames, and writes novels and screenplays.