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Post by The Obsidian Mirror on Apr 8, 2014 5:06:21 GMT -5
Hello everyone. I'm a Phantasm fan since early 80s (now I'm 46yo) and I have always wondered why Phantasm is not universally known as others are. When I ask someone "Name a horror saga", I always get in return answers such as Halloween, Friday13, Nightmare, Scream and so on. Anyone can explain? What is missing to Phantasm to be like the others? Tks
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Post by phantasmaniac on Apr 8, 2014 6:36:50 GMT -5
I think its not as mindless as the other big horror franchises, theres so many dimensions to a Phantasm movie. Phantasm is for the horror fan who likes to think and not have everything tied up in a neat little bow.
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Post by MisterE on Apr 8, 2014 6:45:18 GMT -5
I think its not as mindless as the other big horror franchises, theres so many dimensions to a Phantasm movie. Phantasm is for the horror fan who likes to think and not have everything tied up in a neat little bow. I agree. People just don't want to think and have everything spoon fed to them. I've talked to some people about it and they don't like that it doesn't make sense and have no clue what's going on. That's why I enjoy them so much. They are unique and I love coming up with my own theories or discussing it with other people.
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Post by krakenslayer on Apr 8, 2014 7:19:27 GMT -5
Totally agree with what everyone said. The only thing I would add is that any casual viewer just happening to catch Halloween 5 or Friday the 13th LXXXVIII on TV or happening upon a bargain bin DVD is immediately going to be able to pick up and follow the plot regardless of the events previous instalments. They follow a universally-understood formula; probably one of the oldest, most primal story formulas imaginable: Something is making people dead. People try not to be dead. Simple.
Try picking up Phantasm III or IV without having seen the first two films. Chances are you won't have a clue what's going on. For some of us, that might even be a positive, we like the mystery of it all, but for most people it's a turn off. Unless people start with the first film, AND pay close attention, AND have a tolerance for ambiguity and surrealism (again, a lot of people don't) they're not going to get into it.
TL;DR I think Phantasm isn't as popular because the amount of attention, open-mindedness and aesthetic sensibility required to get the most out of it sets a higher bar for entry to the series.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 8, 2014 10:25:59 GMT -5
... I think Phantasm isn't as popular because the amount of attention, open-mindedness and aesthetic sensibility required to get the most out of it sets a higher bar for entry to the series. tried adding something like that on to my last message, and couldn't get it together. very well said. with PHANTASM III and (moreso) IV, don knows he's talking directly to the people who "get" it. remember reggie's line to alchemy at the close of part II: "...thanks for stickin' with us."
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Post by The Obsidian Mirror on Apr 8, 2014 13:12:55 GMT -5
off the top of my head... consider that in the '80s things like ELM STREET and FRIDAY THE 13TH had sequels out every other year. with PHANTASM there was a decade gap between pictures, and then another six years before the first of the direct to video sequels, . I think you are correct. Other movies have been shot having the sequel in mind (or even having the sequel ready to be released the following year). I guess Coscarelli didn't suppose to make a sequel after the first movie, although the "boooy" sequence may create some doubts
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Post by The Obsidian Mirror on Apr 8, 2014 13:20:12 GMT -5
I think its not as mindless as the other big horror franchises, I agree. People just don't want to think and have everything spoon fed to them. Right. It's very easy to be fascinated by those slasher movies, since there's no need to start up the brain
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Post by twogunbob on Apr 24, 2014 20:58:46 GMT -5
General consensus among horror fans is that the series is 'weird'. There's those uncomfortable undercurrents, the phantasmagorical aspects of the overall plot that people don't get. It's nebulous and open to interpretation and some people really don't like that as they want the story cut and dried. I can especially see people having issues with the third part and particularly the fourth installment as they focus more than ever on the stranger aspects. Hell, even as a standalone the first one's basic plot of the Tall Man as an intergalactic (interdimensional) corpse-legger tends to baffle people.
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Post by ogredixon on Jul 29, 2014 8:46:36 GMT -5
Wow, I think everyone here has a point, Phantasm as a series has been drawn out over a long time and most of the masses just don't have that long of an attention span. Also, for anyone to jump in after P2 it would be understandable if they didn't have a clue as to what was going on. When Don did P1 as his "scare film" and thought that would be the end, he moved on, so did almost everyone else. Let's face it, if you are part of this forum it is due to the fact that Phantasm struck a nerve in some way with you. Whether it be the story, the characters or whatever, we were all hooked by the Phantasm phenomena. I like some of those other franchise series as the bad guys are usually fun to watch terrorize, but if I want to enjoy something deeper than someone just killing to kill I watch Phantasm. I love the old Universal monster films because they didn't have to show you the blood and gore, yet they were still very frightening; that is the feeling I get with the Phantasm films, they make you use your imagination. Everything isn't spoon fed to the viewer so as to close a series or set up another sequel.
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Post by scubasteve on Aug 4, 2014 15:31:05 GMT -5
It has the same feel as films such as Suspiria and Scanners, an unsettling vibe runs through the whole series and as you've all said it does engage the brain a little more. Within the horror community I think it does have quite a following a respect for not having become a fanchise which churns out sequel after sequel. I've got a lot of hope and nervousness for number 5 in equal measure that it's not going to blow.
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