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Bookmark this pagePhantasm (1978)
Director: Don Coscarelli
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
Although enough of a cult favourite to spawn a trio of undistinguished sequels, this low budget independent horror movie is a surprisingly shambolic affair whose moments of genuine invention stand out amid the prevailing incompetence. A sinister mausoleum is the focus of the action, as inquisitive adolescent Baldwin and older sibling Thornbury uncover dastardly goings-on involving Scrimm's imposing baddie 'The Tall Man', killer hooded dwarfs and a spiked flying steel sphere that sucks its victims' brains out. The wild and woolly storyline would undoubtedly prove more thrilling had one man band Coscarelli even a rudimentary grasp of sustaining suspense, but it's fair to say the cluelessness proves more endearing than exasperating. The spirit of Ed Wood lurks in the shadows.Author: TJ
Cast & crew
Director: Don Coscarelli
Producer: Don Coscarelli
Cast: Angus Scrimm, A Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Terrie Kalbus full cast
Genre(s): Science Fiction
Duration: 89 mins
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