The Phantasm movies aren’t as highly regarded as certain other fright flicks, mainly because they’re a little bit baffling. They mainly revolve around the Tall Man, a supernatural undertaker who turns the dead into dwarf zombies to do his bidding. It’s all a part of his plot to take over the world, but don’t worry if his motivations are never fully explained. It’s his spiky balls (not a euphemism) that the movies are mostly remembered for and which set the movies apart from other terror tales in the horror genre.
There are currently five films in the franchise, the first of which has garnered something of a cult following. At the time of writing, there are no plans for a sixth entry but if another movie is released, we will include it here.
In this article, we list every Phantasm movie in release date order. Which of these is your favourite? Let us know in the comments section below.
Phantasm
US Release Date: March 28, 1979
Worldwide Box Office: $12 million
Director: Don Coscarelli
Metascore: 72
Main Cast:
Angus Scrimm (The Tall Man), A. Michael Baldwin (Mike), Reggie Bannister (Reggie), Bill Thornbury (Jody), Kenneth V. Jones (Caretaker)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
A teenage boy and his friends face off against a mysterious grave robber, known only as the Tall Man, who employs a lethal arsenal of unearthly weapons.
Movie Tagline:
If you’re looking for horror that’s got balls…IT’S FOUND YOU.
Phantasm II
US Release Date: July 8, 1988
Worldwide Box Office: $7.3 million
Director: Don Coscarelli
Metascore: 42
Main Cast:
Angus Scrimm (The Tall Man), James Le Gros (Mike), Reggie Bannister (Reggie), Paula Irvine (Liz),
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Mike, now released from a psychiatric hospital, meets with Reggie, and discover his dreams (the events of the original film) are real, and they both journey to find and stop the evil Tall Man from his grim work.
Movie Tagline:
Now, the horrifying truth is about to be revealed…and all it took was a little digging.
Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead
US Release Date: May 6, 1994
Worldwide Box Office: $358,253
Director: Don Coscarelli
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Angus Scrimm (The Tall Man), A. Michael Baldwin (Mike), Reggie Bannister (Reggie), Bill Thornbury (Jody)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Mike and Reggie continue to hunt the mysterious Tall Man, discovering along the way that the invasion has already begun.
Movie Tagline:
If You Don’t Get It This Time, He’ll Have To Drill It Into Your Head!
Phantasm IV: Oblivion
US Release Date: October 13, 1998
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: Don Coscarelli
Metascore: N/A
Main Cast:
Angus Scrimm (The Tall Man), A. Michael Baldwin (Mike), Reggie Baldwin (Reggie), Bill Thornbury (Jody), Heidi Marnhout (Jennifer)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Mike travels through time and dimensions to find the Tall Man’s origins.
Movie Tagline:
The sequel with balls!
Phantasm: Ravager
US Release Date: October 7, 2016
Worldwide Box Office: N/A
Director: David Hartman
Metascore: 48
Main Cast:
A. Michael Baldwin (Mike), Reggie Bannister (Reggie), Dawn Cody (Dawn), Bill Thornbury (Jody), Daniel Roebuck (Demeter)
Synopsis (from IMDB):
Reggie is wandering through the desert seeking out his friend Mike and the evil The Tall Man. Along his journey, he is hunted down by the dangerous spheres and stumbles upon the gorgeous Dawn. Out of the blue, he finds himself in an institution with Mike explaining that he has dementia and then in another dimension. Where is Mike?
Movie Tagline:
The final game now begins.
Which is your favourite movie in the Phantasm franchise? Let us know in the comments below.