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Post by mundays on Mar 11, 2011 2:57:46 GMT -5
Well I rewatched Phantasm last night. After about 20 years I would say.
I stand corrected. It's a very effective ride through a fevered nightmare, it's relatively storyless (which is something I don't usually like) but beautifully horrific. It's like the kind of bad dreams you have when you're a kid put on film. I can see why it's got the reputation it has.
I purchased the boxed set (for £10!!!) and am now looking forward to working through the sequels.
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Post by Scary Gary on Mar 11, 2011 7:50:07 GMT -5
It's a very effective ride through a fevered nightmare, it's relatively storyless (which is something I don't usually like) but beautifully horrific. It's like the kind of bad dreams you have when you're a kid put on film. That about sums my feelings on it as well. The fact that there is little to no explanation for what the hell is going on adds to the nightmare. You can see that there is a method behind the madness of the Tall Man, but it's up to your imagination to fill in the blanks. (I'm referring only to the original. I have no recollections of the sequels and am not familiar with what revelations they present).
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Post by francoamerican on Mar 11, 2011 16:04:37 GMT -5
The thing about this film that I enjoyed was the outer world part. This made the film almost a tribute to Lovecraft and such. The first time I watched it I was not too impressed with the effects (The fly and finger were not all that good) but then taking them into the time/place/budget it works well and fine.
The payoff to the film just simply rocks. Finding out what is going on and yet leaving it a bit ambiguous was a great pay off to a fine film.
(plus the music score was great).
(besides my intro post a few minutes ago this is my first post)
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Post by nicolecushing on Sept 23, 2012 8:37:08 GMT -5
I'm a newcomer to the podcast...so pardon my chiming in extremely late here...
While Ted did give the film it's due, I thought his commentary was a little too disparaging (he brought up several technical/continuity and even acting lapses that I'd just never noticed...even after many, many times watching the film).
Here's my take on Phantasm...I didn't watch the movie until I was in my 20s, but I grew up in late '70s and all of my grandparents were dead by the time I was seven. I think I connect to the film because the surreal quality reinforces what it's like to be a child encountering death for the first time. All those scenes of a kid in the '70s trying to cope with loss...well, I connect to it.
There's this odd/uncanny/surreal aspect to death. When a child encounters it, it's overpowering and nonsensical...much like the Tall Man & his legion of "dwarf critters".
I'm also a fan of books/films that leave things open to interpretation (for example, the first Hellraiser film). These kinds of films demand something from the audience...which makes the film-watching experience more-active/less-passive...which for me is just a lot more engaging and fun.
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