Today's feature is the 1979 horror classics, Phantasm. The movie was written, directed and Produced by Don Coscarelli. It introduced the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), a supernatural and malevolent undertaker who turns the dead into dwarf zombies to do his bidding and take over the world.
The film was originally rated X by the MPAA because of the silver sphere sequence involving a man urinating on the floor after falling down dead. After Los Angeles Times film critic Charles Champlin made a telephone call in a favor to a friend on the board, the rating was changed from the (commercially non-viable) X-rating to R. Champlin's positive review was quoted on the film's promotional posters. Phantasm had a budget of $300,000, but it's box office take was $11,988,469.
Cast
A. Michael Baldwin/Mike Pearson
Bill Thornbury/Jody Pearson
Reggie Bannister/Reggie
Angus Scrimm/The Tall Man
Kathy Lester/Lady in Lavender
Phantasm opening theme music.
Phantasm Trailer
BONUS: Phantasm full movie