I will never forget part 1. My father took me at age 7 to the theater to see it, ha ha. There is a very specific jump scare near the start where there's a cut to the motorcycle after everything was quite in the previous scene and i'll never forget audibly screaming in the theater. My first horror movie.
Great show! I saw the first one at the theater at the age of 13. That was a great summer for movies- if I remember correctly Alien dropped that summer as well. Those were the first R rated movie that I saw in the theater. The movies are kinda hit-or-miss with me, but I love those killer spheres and that 4 barrel sawed off shotgun (from #2 I think) were awesome
Yes, it's me, Trev, the regular ''Monster's Den'' fan, connecting on another machine and thanking you all for another great show. Next times sounds like fun too, and I thank Pete, Chris and Craig for their endurance at the 24hour'a thon. Can't wait... but I'll have to...Happy Halloween.
The dream like quality of Phantasm 1 is what did it for me, and the utter wierdness. Saw it when first released in a theater full of screaming teenaged girls. Incredibly fun!!
Great show guys! I am relatively new to horror (my favorite being 80s slashers) so unfortunately I have not seen the phantasm films. By going through this show I think I just watch the first 2 as the others seem generally not as good. Thanks for introducing me to horror Pete and the crew :)
Well, if you want HORROR, then yeah - those first 2. But the latter ones have a lot more in terms of ideas and a more sci-fi meets Jodorowsky feel. If you like those genres, they may jive more with you than they did with most of the panel but me.
For Chris Alo: We recently went to the Gary Simmons 'Public Enemy' exhibition at the MCA in Chicago which deals with the history of racism in America. I thought you might be interested to know that one of the rooms featured placards & references to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes in case it comes to the New York area; it was very cool to see in person. Cheers
I'm currently reading Coscarelli's book "True Indie" and if I recall he says they (the Australian distributors) had to retitle the film because they didn't want people to confuse it with the Australian porno "Fantasm" franchise that was released about the same time. Incidentally, Coscarelli loved the "The Never Dead" title.
Reggie doesn’t show up until late into Phantasm I? What are you smokin’ Chris? He’s at the funeral at the beginning of the movie, he shows up not long after for a musical number with Jody, and it’s not much later he appears again when the Tall Man encounters the cold from his truck and then again during that bug scene. From there, he’s pretty much a constant until the end.
Phantasm (the original) is probably my favorite horror movie ever made. I remember when the sequel came out, most everyone I knew were confused because they had never seen or heard of the first one. You didnt see the video in video stores until after the original. Could be why it bombed in the smaller markets
Mad Max syndrome - in the US apparently, most people just knew Road Warrior as the first one, since the first did nothing Stateside, wheras elsewhere where Max was a hit, iAus, the UK etc, it was released as Mad Max 2.
Have any of you seen the movie John Dies at the End? I believe that's Don Carscarelli. It also has the Tall Man actor Angus Scrimm as a priest in the movie.
Yes, I think it's a terrific film. Don uses his troupe in most of his films, even in small roles, in the same way Sam Raimi does. It feels like John Dies..should have gotten him more of a budget for a Phantasm as that was, well, not a hit but a pretty instant cult film a la Tucker and Dale.
For me I’d order them 2, 1, 3, 5, 4. The 2nd film was actually the first film in the series I had watched. So when I watched the first one, I was all “Who the Hell is this kid?! Where is the kid from part ?!” Maybe I need to give 5 and 4 a rewatch, maybe.
the Cosmic(or sci-fi) aspects make this franchise stand out IMO. Also love how there's so much of the lore left to explore at the end of the first movie, brilliant set up for exploring it more and having a plot that move. And the music in the first entry is unbelievable. My first exposure to Phantasm is via swedish death metal band Entomb and their album "Left hand path" where a song features the theme.
I think that's why I liked the later ones more than most of the guys - I didn't look at them as horror or anything like it. Though Jamie got more out of them for comedy, for sure. But for me with the later installments, they're more.....oddball spacey-Jodorowsky efforts, brimming with ideas.
The original is a fave from my younger days, and really, for me, still exists as a stand-alone film as the sequels were a labor of love for the tight knit group of movie makers involved, and were made as a means of having a reason to try to recapture or reproduce the fun they experienced making the original while allowing the devoted fans to have something additional to keep on with ...and for the same purpose, basically: _nostalgia._ I mean, lets be honest, the sequels, as entertaining as they are for the real fans, weren't done thinking they'd advance anyone's career, or were going to make anyone a lot of dough. I couldn't rank the sequels ...they're all more or less the same sorta thing. Although the second is obviously the stand-out.
Every few years my dad loves to bring up how he took my sis and I to the drive-in to see this. I was 5 and she was 8. I remember going to so many drive-in films the years prior, but do not remember this experience at all. I wonder if it was just too strange and I couldn't grasp what was happening or what. For me it's the 1st 2 that are classics, then pieces of the other 3 that I like.
If I'm not mistaken, I believe some of the footage that ended up in Ravager was originally supposed to be used for a mini-series instead of making a film out of it. I thought the trailer looked great and was really looking forward to seeing it, but like Chris said, playing it out like it's Reggie with dementia was so depressing. Oblivion was pretty slow and is my least favorite in the series. I saw the original in the theater with my parents back in 1978 and loved it. My ranking for favorite through least favorite is 1,2,3,5, and 4.
Just an aside, if you really dig the original Phantasm, it’s worth it to seek out Coscarelli’s first feature, “Kenny & Company.” It features Michael Baldwin and Reggie Bannister. It’s a very authentic look at being a kid on Halloween in the 70s. No horror, just a sweet film about various escapades involving the type of stuff kids did back then.
Man, I love the franchise ever since I‘ve seen Phantasm as a small kid when my parents rented the VHS. Still think that I and II are great. I was disappointed with III and IV, though, too. My ranking (from memory, it’s been a while), bottom to top: IV, III, V, II, I
I'm glad you have V higher, I think it really is the best of the rest in terms of the themes and relationships of the first film being reprised. Sure the horror isn't quite there in it but it's something different, more a psycholgical thriller of a dreamscape.
Really Coscarelli should have stopped after the original Phantasm. I love that movie and still enjoy watching it all these years later. I have the original movie poster hanging in my man-cave. Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man is one of my favorite horror villains. All the other films are less satisfying to varying degrees. I actually enjoyed IV: Oblivion for the reasons Chris mentioned - I like the old outtake footage from the original and the Jebediah Morningside backstory. I remember being so excited when they released Phantasm II and then being kind of disappointed when I saw it. Despite Michael Baldwin not being a very good actor, I wasn’t overly impressed by James LeGros either. III and V are my least favorite. On a silly trivial note, most of the movies were filmed in various locations in California. The famous hanging tree that the Tall Man gets hung from in the outtake footage used in IV is located in Agoura Hills, about an hour north of my house - and it’s still there 45+ years later. My daughter and I stopped by there on our way home from a trip up north and took some selfies with the tree - kind of dumb but fun. Final note - as Craig mentioned, the soundtrack to the original is awesome…one of my favorite horror soundtracks.
I enjoy all of these films. Even the bad ones. I rank them in the order I saw them since when I was a kid. Which happens to be chronological. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
I am glad I'm not the only one who loves the imagery but still finds this series difficult to follow and understand... My favorite would still be Phantasm II (first one I saw)... but these movies are all over the place... missing some flow... i watched all 5 for Halloween and ended up more confused than when i started :)
Haven't seen Ravager but I'd rank the first 4 in the order they came out. Though I gotta side with Jamie a bit, 'cause I did enjoy the third one a lot more when I rewatched it somewhat recently (still not enough to leave its third spot).
The trouble with Coscarelli is that he had a great concept but I get the feeling he didn't know how to expand on that idea. There are some good moments in each sequel but it is mired in incoherence, contradictions, & a mish mash of ideas from other movies that hinders rather than expanding the Phantasm universe. It's a frustrating franchise that has so much potential, & would be ideal for a re-imagining that started after the '79 cult classic. Just as long as it isn't David Gordon Green.
I love all of the installations for different reasons. Like Stephen King once said, you have to learn to accept these imaginary stories through child's eyes and put the embittered, judgemental adult into the closet for a few hours. R.I.P Tall Man Long life to Reggie!
The original is hands down the best. When I saw Phantasm II in the theater, I was very disappointed. To me, it was a Nightmare on Elm St rip off. And of course, if we loved the ball from the original, we need to have hundreds of them in the sequels! And none of them have that “normal town” feel that the first one has. The first one seems to know it’s low budget and just embraces it. I get a kick out of all the dialogue. Take for instance how ridiculous it is when Mike is stuck in the tuning fork. Jody pulls him out and says “I just grabbed him there!” Mike then suddenly puts it all together, “Slaves. They’re using them as slaves. And they gotta shrink ‘em ‘cause the heat….and the gravity. And this is the door to their planet!” And if that isn’t absurd enough, Reggie then snaps his fingers and exclaims, “yeah!” LOl
Ranked pretty much in the order they came out. The first is the best because it started the franchise and was so weird and quirky. The last one wasn't very good at all. I wanted to love it but meh.
you boys disturbed by a white man performing simulated sex with a black lady or just black ladies with short hair ? cant say i agree on either account. maybe because i believe in love and freedom of personal expression. 💕💕💕
As an outsider I'll just point out that Alo has said many times how big a fan he is of Pam Grier (she might even be his favorite action/exploitation actress or something like that), and Jamie's wife is African, so I would highly doubt that is the case.
Enjoy folks! Rank em below if you've seen em and....well, I hope you like them as much as me and more than some!
I will never forget part 1. My father took me at age 7 to the theater to see it, ha ha. There is a very specific jump scare near the start where there's a cut to the motorcycle after everything was quite in the previous scene and i'll never forget audibly screaming in the theater. My first horror movie.
Great show
Reggie coolest ice cream, driver guitar, always handy
Great show! I saw the first one at the theater at the age of 13. That was a great summer for movies- if I remember correctly Alien dropped that summer as well. Those were the first R rated movie that I saw in the theater.
The movies are kinda hit-or-miss with me, but I love those killer spheres and that 4 barrel sawed off shotgun (from #2 I think) were awesome
Yes, it's me, Trev, the regular ''Monster's Den'' fan, connecting on another machine and thanking you all for another great show. Next times sounds like fun too, and I thank Pete, Chris and Craig for their endurance at the 24hour'a thon. Can't wait... but I'll have to...Happy Halloween.
YES!
and the Phantasm theme is great…Phantasm 2 & that 4 barrel shotgun stands out in my mind
Some of the nuttiest stuff ever to be put on screen. The bug in the sink in the first😂 My favorites are the first two. The theme song is wonderful.
The drill ball kill scene in the first one is a classic
The dream like quality of Phantasm 1 is what did it for me, and the utter wierdness. Saw it when first released in a theater full of screaming teenaged girls. Incredibly fun!!
The mausoleum has me completely mesmerized. Hreat call, the dreamy atmisphere is also what sticks with me the most.
i remember how Brad Pitt was almost cast in Phantasm 2
i love how they we’re all shot…even the cheap one looked nice
My ranking
1. Phantasm 2
2. Phantasm
3. Phantasm 4 : Oblivion
4. Phantasm 3 : Lord OfcThe Dead
5. Phantasm 5 : Ravenger
Said it once, I’ll say it again, Jaime Laszlo is a national treasure!
Great show guys! I am relatively new to horror (my favorite being 80s slashers) so unfortunately I have not seen the phantasm films. By going through this show I think I just watch the first 2 as the others seem generally not as good. Thanks for introducing me to horror Pete and the crew :)
Well, if you want HORROR, then yeah - those first 2. But the latter ones have a lot more in terms of ideas and a more sci-fi meets Jodorowsky feel. If you like those genres, they may jive more with you than they did with most of the panel but me.
For Chris Alo: We recently went to the Gary Simmons 'Public Enemy' exhibition at the MCA in Chicago which deals with the history of racism in America. I thought you might be interested to know that one of the rooms featured placards & references to Conquest of the Planet of the Apes in case it comes to the New York area; it was very cool to see in person. Cheers
Really? Wow, very interesting, will keep an eye out, thanks!
Was about 7 or 8 when I saw the first one. Was called The Never Dead here in Australia.
I'm currently reading Coscarelli's book "True Indie" and if I recall he says they (the Australian distributors) had to retitle the film because they didn't want people to confuse it with the Australian porno "Fantasm" franchise that was released about the same time.
Incidentally, Coscarelli loved the "The Never Dead" title.
Reggie doesn’t show up until late into Phantasm I? What are you smokin’ Chris? He’s at the funeral at the beginning of the movie, he shows up not long after for a musical number with Jody, and it’s not much later he appears again when the Tall Man encounters the cold from his truck and then again during that bug scene. From there, he’s pretty much a constant until the end.
Phantasm (the original) is probably my favorite horror movie ever made. I remember when the sequel came out, most everyone I knew were confused because they had never seen or heard of the first one. You didnt see the video in video stores until after the original. Could be why it bombed in the smaller markets
Mad Max syndrome - in the US apparently, most people just knew Road Warrior as the first one, since the first did nothing Stateside, wheras elsewhere where Max was a hit, iAus, the UK etc, it was released as Mad Max 2.
@@DavysFlicks yeah you're right on the money there. I saw the second of the Mad Max series first too
Have any of you seen the movie John Dies at the End?
I believe that's Don Carscarelli.
It also has the Tall Man actor Angus Scrimm as a priest in the movie.
Yes, I think it's a terrific film. Don uses his troupe in most of his films, even in small roles, in the same way Sam Raimi does. It feels like John Dies..should have gotten him more of a budget for a Phantasm as that was, well, not a hit but a pretty instant cult film a la Tucker and Dale.
I saw it some years ago and recall that I enjoyed it
the Phantasm theme rocks
For me I’d order them 2, 1, 3, 5, 4. The 2nd film was actually the first film in the series I had watched. So when I watched the first one, I was all “Who the Hell is this kid?! Where is the kid from part ?!” Maybe I need to give 5 and 4 a rewatch, maybe.
Chris ALO/. Lmao. A “ Lawrence TAYLOR reference “. = King 👑 ALO 👍💯
YES! Happy October!
I need a Reggie figure with guitar
That jam scene is one of my faves…
the Cosmic(or sci-fi) aspects make this franchise stand out IMO. Also love how there's so much of the lore left to explore at the end of the first movie, brilliant set up for exploring it more and having a plot that move. And the music in the first entry is unbelievable. My first exposure to Phantasm is via swedish death metal band Entomb and their album "Left hand path" where a song features the theme.
I think that's why I liked the later ones more than most of the guys - I didn't look at them as horror or anything like it. Though Jamie got more out of them for comedy, for sure. But for me with the later installments, they're more.....oddball spacey-Jodorowsky efforts, brimming with ideas.
The original is a fave from my younger days, and really, for me, still exists as a stand-alone film as the sequels were a labor of love for the tight knit group of movie makers involved, and were made as a means of having a reason to try to recapture or reproduce the fun they experienced making the original while allowing the devoted fans to have something additional to keep on with ...and for the same purpose, basically: _nostalgia._ I mean, lets be honest, the sequels, as entertaining as they are for the real fans, weren't done thinking they'd advance anyone's career, or were going to make anyone a lot of dough. I couldn't rank the sequels ...they're all more or less the same sorta thing. Although the second is obviously the stand-out.
Every few years my dad loves to bring up how he took my sis and I to the drive-in to see this. I was 5 and she was 8. I remember going to so many drive-in films the years prior, but do not remember this experience at all. I wonder if it was just too strange and I couldn't grasp what was happening or what. For me it's the 1st 2 that are classics, then pieces of the other 3 that I like.
They should have called it a day after part 2 🔥🔥🔥
Yeah, your right, the later films weren`t as strong as the first couple, but I still love that whole Phantasm universe.
If I'm not mistaken, I believe some of the footage that ended up in Ravager was originally supposed to be used for a mini-series instead of making a film out of it. I thought the trailer looked great and was really looking forward to seeing it, but like Chris said, playing it out like it's Reggie with dementia was so depressing. Oblivion was pretty slow and is my least favorite in the series. I saw the original in the theater with my parents back in 1978 and loved it. My ranking for favorite through least favorite is 1,2,3,5, and 4.
The shotgun in Phantasm is Quadruple Barrel .3 barrel shotguns are a real thing and called a triple crown.
Just an aside, if you really dig the original Phantasm, it’s worth it to seek out Coscarelli’s first feature, “Kenny & Company.” It features Michael Baldwin and Reggie Bannister. It’s a very authentic look at being a kid on Halloween in the 70s. No horror, just a sweet film about various escapades involving the type of stuff kids did back then.
Love these movies. I showed the first two to my kids, and they totally didn't get it lol😂
Man, I love the franchise ever since I‘ve seen Phantasm as a small kid when my parents rented the VHS. Still think that I and II are great. I was disappointed with III and IV, though, too.
My ranking (from memory, it’s been a while), bottom to top: IV, III, V, II, I
I'm glad you have V higher, I think it really is the best of the rest in terms of the themes and relationships of the first film being reprised. Sure the horror isn't quite there in it but it's something different, more a psycholgical thriller of a dreamscape.
Really Coscarelli should have stopped after the original Phantasm. I love that movie and still enjoy watching it all these years later. I have the original movie poster hanging in my man-cave. Angus Scrimm as the Tall Man is one of my favorite horror villains. All the other films are less satisfying to varying degrees. I actually enjoyed IV: Oblivion for the reasons Chris mentioned - I like the old outtake footage from the original and the Jebediah Morningside backstory. I remember being so excited when they released Phantasm II and then being kind of disappointed when I saw it. Despite Michael Baldwin not being a very good actor, I wasn’t overly impressed by James LeGros either. III and V are my least favorite. On a silly trivial note, most of the movies were filmed in various locations in California. The famous hanging tree that the Tall Man gets hung from in the outtake footage used in IV is located in Agoura Hills, about an hour north of my house - and it’s still there 45+ years later. My daughter and I stopped by there on our way home from a trip up north and took some selfies with the tree - kind of dumb but fun. Final note - as Craig mentioned, the soundtrack to the original is awesome…one of my favorite horror soundtracks.
Anyone ever notice the theme and the middle part of Hall of the Mountain King by Savatage sound similar?
Check out the song "Left hand path" by Entombed. They take the phantasm theme and make it death metal in the song
@@gregkennedy4648 I'll have to listen!
I enjoy all of these films. Even the bad ones. I rank them in the order I saw them since when I was a kid. Which happens to be chronological. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Is Jamie's place standing room only? He's never sitting down.
Jamie youre the man! Phantasm 3 RULES!
The first 2 are awesome. 3 4 and 5 have some stuff I like. But never need to see them again 😂
I am glad I'm not the only one who loves the imagery but still finds this series difficult to follow and understand... My favorite would still be Phantasm II (first one I saw)... but these movies are all over the place... missing some flow... i watched all 5 for Halloween and ended up more confused than when i started :)
1) Phantasm
2) Phantasm II
3) Phantasm: Ravager
4) Phantasm IV: Oblivion
5) Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead
I never seen any of this movies. I like to see one and 2 one day.
OMG... The title should be: "Destroying the Phantasm Films".
Haven't seen Ravager but I'd rank the first 4 in the order they came out. Though I gotta side with Jamie a bit, 'cause I did enjoy the third one a lot more when I rewatched it somewhat recently (still not enough to leave its third spot).
The trouble with Coscarelli is that he had a great concept but I get the feeling he didn't know how to expand on that idea.
There are some good moments in each sequel but it is mired in incoherence, contradictions, & a mish mash of ideas from other movies that hinders rather than expanding the Phantasm universe.
It's a frustrating franchise that has so much potential, & would be ideal for a re-imagining that started after the '79 cult classic. Just as long as it isn't David Gordon Green.
I love all of the installations for different reasons. Like Stephen King once said, you have to learn to accept these imaginary stories through child's eyes and put the embittered, judgemental adult into the closet for a few hours.
R.I.P Tall Man
Long life to Reggie!
No 'Secret Satan' this year?
Possibly…we still have time!
1, 2, 3, 5, 4
The original is hands down the best. When I saw Phantasm II in the theater, I was very disappointed. To me, it was a Nightmare on Elm St rip off. And of course, if we loved the ball from the original, we need to have hundreds of them in the sequels! And none of them have that “normal town” feel that the first one has.
The first one seems to know it’s low budget and just embraces it. I get a kick out of all the dialogue. Take for instance how ridiculous it is when Mike is stuck in the tuning fork. Jody pulls him out and says “I just grabbed him there!” Mike then suddenly puts it all together, “Slaves. They’re using them as slaves. And they gotta shrink ‘em ‘cause the heat….and the gravity. And this is the door to their planet!”
And if that isn’t absurd enough, Reggie then snaps his fingers and exclaims, “yeah!” LOl
Pretty much in the same order they came out.
Ranked pretty much in the order they came out. The first is the best because it started the franchise and was so weird and quirky.
The last one wasn't very good at all. I wanted to love it but meh.
1 and 2 were the only movies that mattered. The other 3 films were complete trash
first was interesting..in it's time,but as a whole...sounds like it was stretched out way too long...
you boys disturbed by a white man performing simulated sex with a black lady or just black ladies with short hair ? cant say i agree on either account. maybe because i believe in love and freedom of personal expression. 💕💕💕
Hey Cuddles, why don't you come over here and bottom for me, so I can show you how much I believe in love?
@@chrisalo2989 You said I was next :(
@@DavysFlicks I got LOTS of love to show to EVERYBODY! :)
Since I bang a black lady on a regular basis, the only problem I have is with the "simulated" part.
As an outsider I'll just point out that Alo has said many times how big a fan he is of Pam Grier (she might even be his favorite action/exploitation actress or something like that), and Jamie's wife is African, so I would highly doubt that is the case.
Why do you never have Ralph on? He seems like a horror movie guy.