Review of Phantasm (1979) by Keith T — 16 Jan 2008

When judging the quality of a horror movie, they're exempt from some of the same criticisms you would aim at other movies. A Hollywood blockbuster would get ripped to shreds if the acting and effects weren't up to snuff, whereas if you're a horror fan you probably made your peace with tiny budgets and dodgy dialogue being delivered by actors who seem built entirely from wood and/or ham.

That said, this hasn't aged as well as other shockers of the time. "Halloween" was and still is great because Carpenter accepted the limitations of his budget and turned this to his advantage.

This on the other hand is far more ambitious, and among the rubber beasties and rabid jawas there aren't many scares that still hold up today. Also, while there are some nightmarish moments, Coscarelli's visual flair was yet to fully materialize.

So why a cult classic? Simply because horror lives and dies by it's iconic images, and that spookily tall pensioner with his flying spheres of death is as memorable as anything Krueger or Myers got up to.

Good campy fun then, but not a cinematic masterpiece.