Phantasm II (1988) a (very) belated review

So I’m working through some of my latest Shout! Factory releases (they seem to be what I’m mostly pursuing as of late) and I popped 1988’s Phantasm II into the player.

Waaay back in 1979/80 I was mesmerized with the original Phantasm.  That film was so damn bizarre and horrifying to my then much younger eyes.  What was most fascinating was how one wasn’t sure if we were seeing something real or fragments of a the protagonist’s nightmare.  Two elements in the film really stuck out, one being Angus Scrimm’s The Tall Man, a most fearsome villain, and those very damn scary flying orbs that stabbed you in the head and then drilled out your brains.

Anyway, Phantasm was one of those films I saw once way back then and it wouldn’t be until many, many years later that through home video release I would again get the chance to see it again.  Over that time I became aware that sequels were made to that original film.  However, I missed pretty much all of them, only realizing there were sequels when the (I believe) third film was shown on TV one night.  I found the sanitized version I saw Ok enough, but I was confused by the various characters and situations.  It felt like I needed to brush up on the original and its sequel to understand what was happening now.

When that original Phantasm film was released to DVD I did indeed buy and watch it.  My now much older self realized it was a very low budget affair and its pace was much slower than I recalled.  Still, I was intrigued, especially with the otherworldly element found in the ending, something I had completely forgotten about.

More time passed and I realized Phantasm III and IV were released to home video but Phantasm II was not.  The reason?  Of all the Phantasm films, this was the only one a major studio, Universal, had an involvement in and, therefore, it appeared there were some legal/monetary issues holding back its home video release.

It was the fact that the second film was unavailable that kept the completist in me from picking up those other Phantasm films.  As they say, out of sight and out of mind…I basically forgot all about Phantasm.

That is, until more recently when I was looking through the Shout! Factory listings and found they had secured a BluRay release of Phantasm II.  Its price was reasonable enough so I decided what better time than now to check out this obviously popular (there is a fifth Phantasm film, perhaps the conclusion to the saga, set to be released soon) series?

So, after all this time, what did I think of the sequel?

Before I go there, let me say this: I believe the Phantasm films, by this point, are critic proof.  If you like the concept you’ll like the films, regardless of how much better one is over the other.

Which is my polite way of saying I found Phantasm II to be…good but not great.  Granted, I’m seeing this film many years after its initial release and horror films, like some comedies, sometimes do not age all that well.  After all, seeing the original Phantasm back when it was originally released was a very different -and far more horrifying!- experience to me than when I saw it many years later on home video.

Watching Phantasm II, I was struck and delighted with several images and scenes.  For example, I really like the scene early on when our two heroes, Mike (James Le Gros appearing/taking over this role for one film) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister), investigate a small cemetery where all the graves have been dug up.  This whole sequence was genuinely creepy and interesting and for a moment hit a cord that reminded me of what I enjoyed so much of the original film, this sense that we may not be in our “reality” but instead in some kind of dream/nightmare.

I believe director/writer Don Coscarelli did this very much on purpose and at times it really works but other times I felt confused by the end result.

The plot of Phantasm II goes like this: After the events of the first film, we find young Mike is now more grown and is about to be released from an insane asylum.  At the same time, a young woman named Liz (Paula Irvine) is having visions of The Tall Man and his despicable actions.  She also “sees” Mike and is drawn to him.  As It turns out, Mike also has visions of Liz and feels they have to connect to…what exactly?  I’m still not sure.  I suppose its possible they were destined to get together to stop The Tall Man.  Or perhaps The Tall Man was using her to lure Mike to him.  I don’t know and this is one of the things the movie never explains.

Once freed of the asylum, Mike meets up with Reggie and it is hinted through Reggie’s own words that the events of Phantasm occurred entirely in Mike’s mind.  Despite this Reggie knows something is up and when the two return to his home only to arrive just as it is incinerated along with his family, Reggie realizes he has to join Mike on a trip through the backroads of America in search of The Tall Man and Liz.

In time they pick up a hitchiker named Alchemy (Samantha Phillips) and are slowly drawn closer and closer to Liz and The Tall Man.  As noted, we’re never quite sure who is hunting who.

Reading my description above, it all sounds so very good.  However, when all was said and done (SPOILERS!) I still couldn’t quite understand Liz’s importance in the story…other than being someone Mike was going to and as well as a damsel in distress.

The other female character in the film, a hitchhiker Reggie picks up named Alchemy, is quite interesting and mysterious but then turns rather silly in an over the top comedic (?) sex scene that felt like it belonged to another film.  Then again, perhaps this was Mr. Coscarelli’s attempt to show a dream like sex scene?  Again, I just don’t know.

Despite my criticism, it would be dishonest of me to dismiss this film.  Despite the negatives I’ve listed, Phantasm II and many of the images/scenes within it have really stuck with me over the past couple of days.  Curiously, I’ve also found myself thinking about it now and again, certainly more than I would for any film I might consider a misfire.

Given all this, I suspect I’ll pursue the other Phantasm films.

In the end, even if there were elements of Phantasm II that didn’t work for me, I suspect I’ll be giving that film another look quite soon.  Its certainly a walk down a strange, twisted path, and you have to respect the attempt even if you may not like all the elements.