Happy 38th Birthday, PHANTASM!
Yes, the nightmare classic from the mind of Don Coscarelli turns 38 today, having been released on March 28, 1979!
The thing I find most impressive about the original PHANTASM is the fact that Don Coscarelli not only wrote, directed, and produced the mini-masterpiece, but also took on the duties of cinematographer and editor! Talk about earning the credit "A film by", right? And all on a budget of a mere $300,000!
The flick went on to score $12 million at the box-office on its above-mentioned $300k budget. Not only that but the flick spawned a whole slew of sequels with PHANTASM II, PHANTASM III: LORD OF THE DEAD, PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION, and PHANTASM V: RAVAGER!
You can read all of The Arrow's reviews for the films by clicking their titles above.
PHANTASM stars Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister, Kathy Lester, Angus Scrimm, and features music by Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave.
PHANTASM rundown via Wiki:
Phantasm is a 1979 American horror film directed, written, photographed, co-produced, and edited by Don Coscarelli. It introduces the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker who turns the dead into dwarf zombies to do his bidding and take over the world. He is opposed by a young boy, Mike (Michael Baldwin), who tries to convince his older brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) and family friend Reggie (Reggie Bannister) of the threat.
Phantasm was a locally financed independent film; the cast and crew were mostly amateurs and aspiring professionals. Though initial reviews were mixed in regards to the dream-like, surreal narrative and imagery, later reception was more positive and the film became a cult classic. It has appeared on several critics' lists of best horror films, and it has been cited as an influence on later horror series. It was followed by four sequels: Phantasm II (1988), Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994), Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) and Phantasm: Ravager (2016).
Happy 38th Birthday PHANTASM! Check out all this cool art!