Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

Yeah, you really should see the sequals in order.
Nontheless, it's probably my favourite of them. The production values are a little low, but it does a much better job of building on the first film.

One of the best things about part 4 is how they integrated cut scenes from part 1, which was really slick IMHO.

All this Phantasm talk is making me go want to go home today and pull them from my shelves for some weekend viewing.

I seem to remember a Fango issue back in the day which mentioned that Coscarelli seemed open to endings to the Phantasm franchise. Wish I still had the issue.

I love James LeGros, but Baldwin is such an atypical hero he's great in the role.

Years ago when it first came out. I was flipping channels on my TV, and all of a sudden a movie comes on a pay channel, I didn't order it, and it was a perfect picture. There was this blond woman topless on my screen, so I thought "Cool, free porn." I relax, and start watching when the Phantasm sentinels emerged from her chest, at which point I thought "Cool, Phantasm sequel," and continued to watch.

Good movie, and a really interesting premise for a sequel. I also love the way Coscarelli used cut scenes in the film, but with an impending Phantasm 5 upon us, what do you all make of the last scene, with Michael waking up from this Phantasm dream.. At the time I took it as the whole thing was a dream, however, with lots of talk of sequels over the last few years (the Rogar Avary script), I've begun to question that stance.

I don't think you need to see Parts II and III in order for IV to make sense. Because IV makes no sense anyhow, and I mean that in the best possible way.

In fact, best never to see III, ever. One of the worst films I've seen, and I LOVE Phantasm.

Oh, I don't know. I prefer it to part 2.

Admittedly, it has been many, many years since I saw Part II, so it's entirely possible that it is worse. All I know is I remember hating Part III with a passion.

I liked III it wasn't a great film, but it was good cheesy fun.

I watched Phantasm I through IV last night for the first time and this one really confused the hell out of me. Granted I had just stayed up all night watching Phantasm movies, but I just couldn't make sense of a lot of what was happening. I guess the great thing about Phantasm movies is that you don't have to know what is going on to enjoy them.

Phantasm IV is second only to the mighty original. I love the oppressive atmosphere, the opening up of the past within the narrative. Can't wait for a part 5.

yo P RIP! what did you think of kicking and screaming?

i'd say my favorite phantasm film is either one, two, three, or four.

Part 2 honestly freaked me out enough to give me some pretty disturbing dreams (there's some scary stuff there like the hunch-back decoy). Finally got to see it and the rest of the series. I've only seen the 1st one till recently. Reggie is such an unlikely hero and it's a blast to watch him turn into a badass in Part 2 (feels influenced by Raimi's franchise).

Part 3 goes out of the way to lift some of the mystique out by making the Tall Man speak too much and by explaining more about the balls & dwarves, etc than they maybe should have. But Part 3 has some neat stuff like a riff on the dismembered monstrous Tall Man appendages (hands this time around), brains inside of the balls, and a black chick with a flat-top and nunchuks!

What I love most about this series is the fact that you can't predict what's going to happen next (truly original 80's vibe horror). Like Evil Dead series, Hellraiser, NMOES, Nightbreed... weird shit that keeps you on your toes. Part 4 incorporates the old footage nicely and remains true to the WTF vibe, fun, and unpredictabilty. Anyone know if 2 & 4 are getting the Anchor Bay treatment?

I'm listening to the Dark Tower audio-books right now and I can't help but picture Angus Scrimm as the man in black.

It's a shame that Coscarelli never made the "Big Time". Hell of an imagination there (very lacking in the horror film industry today). The series is consistantly great and unnerving.

Ya know I love the Phantasm films. Hell the region 2 Sphere was the reason I went region free. But heres the thing about Phantasm 4..........I didn't understand most of it. I got the basic premise of it where The Tall man wanted Mike to take over for him. And I liked how you went back in time to see how the Tall man was created but I disagree with some of the comments above that the unused footage was incorparated nicely. Really thats the only part I didn't like.

I didn't understand what was happening when Mike tried to hang himself and then he has a flashback to when he hung the Tall man..........except that never happened in the first film. Theres alot of other scenes like that where they use old footage but they don't make any sense. If anyone has any explaination for these scenes please give em. I couldn't be more curious as to what they mean.