Phantasm: A 40 Year Retrospective

It's been 40 years since Don Coscarelli's masterpiece Phantasm was released, breaking the mold for horror films. I can honestly say, I have never seen a horror movie with such an original idea. Spanning five films and multiple dimensions, it became one of the highest grossing films at the box office in 1979. 

The cast became legendary, and Angus Scrimm became one of the biggest icons in horror films as The Tall Man. Coscarelli spotted him on the set of a previous film and knew he would make a great villain, and BOY was he right. Having worked with Coscarelli in the past, A. Michael Baldwin's role as Mike Pearson was written for him as the star of the film. Bill Thornbury played the role of Jody Pearson and Reggie Bannister played the role of Reggie, Jody's best friend. 

Each cast member nailed their roles perfectly. In a world where the lines between waking and dreaming are blurred, Phantasm delievers psychological horror that's done right. After 40 years, this is one film that definitely aged well, and still remains in my top five favorite films of all time.