Phantasm : Just watched for the first time

I'm 22 and I just watched Phantasm for the first time. I love horror movies both new and old. Honestly, most of the movie was pretty boring, I felt myself starting to drift my attention elsewhere. It was a little creepy but in a subtle way, nothing that would keep me up at night. Most of the movie I was going "wtf is happening right now?", but the ending cleared it up for me. Actually, the ending was really, really good. I'd give it about a 6, and that's mostly because of the ending. I'm intrigued right now, so I'm going to watch the 2nd one today.

In a nutshell, this film just feels extremely dated, and not only in special effects. The plot kind of lingers for a bit before kicking offwhich is ok depending on the film, but I found myself bored throughout most of it. I liked it as a whole, but if it wasn't for that ending, I'd probably call it a stinker. I can see why this was a cult film though.

Sadly, I think you need to have grown up in the era to appreciate it, which I sorta did (born in 72). It's captured the era beautifully and has a charm to it because of that. I also love that mansion (also featured in Burnt Offerings) and found it different from most run of the mill horrors going around at the time. I love the marble corridors and chrome sphere, nothing else like it!

Yeah I was born in the earyl 70's and have very fond memories as a kid back then my family was conservative and we didn't get into all the stupid 70's 'hoopla' back then. Though I do remember having some bellbottom jeans and 2 different colored pairs of cordoroy jeans. We had a few 'new' toys, but I also got many hand-me-downs that were my brothers. And I played with toys from the 50's & 60's that were WELL made at my grandparents house and still playable in the 70's. Though I remember having a slinky and screwing it up in the little net of the ping pong table we had. We moved up in the world when my brother got an Atari 400 computer for Christmas one year but that was the 80's. But in the 70's the Spanish/Latin look was still 'in' and we had black iron railings, chanadelier, and multiple candlelit sconse, over the piano all in the house. And a White Christmas tree with red lights on it We didn't have handheld electronics really back then well we had little radios that used 9 volt batteries and calculators made out of hard plastic. My radio still works. When riding with your parents up and down the Panama City strip with EVERYBODY'S car air conditioning (windows down) on at the same time and the radio playing Joe Walsh's 'Life is Good' or (pick a Queen or Boston song) for ALL to hear (sigh) fun dumb, cop car chasing movies and big rig movies, Jaws, Grease, Black Hole, Alien, Star Wars, Watership Down, Pete's Dragon, and the Hobbit cartoon fun times.
And Chip Davis started with a series called Fresh Aire BEFORE the Christmas CDs were ever made

Heck I remember having my own little 'kiddie' record player, and KMart was THE place to get needle replacements (almost the only place!- even back then!) and when my brother got tired of a record he'd give it to me.

But I'll admit yeah the movie is dated. But in a way, that's a good thing. I hope we get re-releases of I, III, and IV on Blu Ray or the whole set soon. And I have to admit, the show Supernatural reminds me a bit like a modern take on Phantasm roadtripping from town to town checking out paranormal events (just without the Tall Man). I haven't seen all of Supernatural have they EVER given a plot even giving a 'hat tip off' to Phantasm at all?

3rd generation American from a long line of Gottscheers it was Drandul, dude!

Agreed. The 70's aura is one of the reasons why I love Phantasm.
I was born in 1970 and grew up with Green Machine and Stretch Armstrong, proud to say.

"You can't kill the boogeyman."
- Tommy Doyle

You lost my interest when you said you like new horror movies.

"You can't kill the boogeyman."
- Tommy Doyle

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wtf is happening right now?

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That is the most important thing you said because that was actually the point of the movie. If you watch it to understand it or see the plot advance, then you didn't watch it the way it was intended. The movie is made up of different themes woven into an extremely nonsensical plot.

Now, the movie has meaning. A lot of people see it as a statement on how hard it is to cope with death. But you sort of just sit there and wonder "What the hell was Don Coscarelli thinking when he made this?" And that's why I love this film. He wanted to make something bizarre and somewhat unexplainable and he really succeeded.

"Now, the movie has meaning. A lot of people see it as a statement on how hard it is to cope with death. But you sort of just sit there and wonder "What the hell was Don Coscarelli thinking when he made this?" And that's why I love this film. He wanted to make something bizarre and somewhat unexplainable and he really succeeded."

I agree.
I just saw it yestarday on dvd (where is the Blu Ray??) for the 5th time and it is still one of my favourite movies.
It's poetic, moving, mysterious, beautifully directed with great use of locations and soundtrack, and the casting is pretty likeable too.
I still remember the first time i watched PHANTASM i was 12, in the early 90's, and i remember how i was surprised and moved by the final twist

SPOILERS

Jody is dead and all the story was in Mike's twisted minded, because he was so heartbroken with the recent death of his brother in a car crash.


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