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A WORTHY SEQUEL TO THE SERIES

Phantasm: OblIVion (1998)

Phantasm: OblIVion,is the fourth installment in the Phantasm series.It's a little better than Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead, but still does not match the tones and scares of the first two films,Phantasm and Phantasm II.

It's very nice to see the humor from Phantasm III gone and were back to being scary again.The music score of Phantasm IV is absolutely stunning.Christopher Stone is a brilliant composer and in my honest opinion,his score was better than Fred Myrow's score from Phantasm,Phantasm II,and Phantasm III.It's arguably the best score of the entire Phantasm series.

It's great to know "The Tall Man's" true idenity.His real name is Jebediah Morningside,and he was warm and friendly before he became the cold-hearted,sinister "Tall Man".

Phantasm: OblIVion was a thrill ride from start to finish.The music score blew me away,the special effects are top-notch,and the performances are great.This is far better than Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead,but it still can't match Phantasm and Phantasm II.It's still recommended though.

Phantasm and the Sequel Syndrome

The legend of Phantasm continues with the fourth and most recent installment: Phantasm OlbIVion. Though the first Phantasm did not seem to need sequels (see my review), the director/writer makes enough "clarifications" to the story of the Tall Man to allow for the 3 sequels.

As with all horror sequels that suffer from the "sequel syndrome", it is a must for things to get a little more out-of-hand, more unreal, and more supernatural. The villain, in this case the Tall Man, becomes virtually indestructible. Whereas there was one sphere in the first, he we have as many as 30. While there were a limited number of deaths in the first, here we have whole towns that have been killed.

The story is very simple. Something has happened to Mike Pearson and he is afraid he will turn into another Tall Man. So, he races to the place where he can confront the Tall Man. Of course, the Tall Man also wants this confrontation, so he guides Mike to where he has his followers and his dimensional doors.

Reggie, concerned about Mike, follows closely behind. At the beginning of the movie, he is trapped by the Tall Man, who frees him for no apparent reason. And no, the reason does not become apparent later in the movie. Though dead since before the first movie, Mike's brother Jody also appears in this movie. Mike is having trouble figuring out whose side Jody's incarnation is on. So did I.

This director/writer has a penchant for unpopular endings. The ending of Phantasm I was a let down to the point that it was "clarified" to allow for sequels. (The beginning of this movie actually attempts to clarify what has happened in I to III in a manner that seems to make it all fit together.) Notwithstanding, the director/writer again chooses an unpopular ending.

Perhaps hoping for another sequel, the story ends when Mike is left dying (and we believe he will die), and the Tall Man has won. Reggie chases after the Tall Man, but we don't see him again. Instead, we see a scene of Reggie and Mike when they were younger in Reggie's ice-cream truck driving along in their hometown. In the background, we hear the voice of a dying Mike. Somehow, I also hear sequel. This is also a common symptom of the "sequel syndrome" (ie, having to leave the door just a little open).

The most eerie aspect of Phantasm IV is that it stars all of the original actors. They all look (much) older and should, since this movie was filmed 19 years after the original. This allows the director to insert scenes of the original, even outtakes, to help complete his story and to help explain what is happening. This really adds a sense of realism otherwise difficult to accomplish.

Overall, it is a good movie. However, it does not have the emotional depth of the original. Furthermore, the triumph of evil over good, the apparent death of Mike, and the apparent second death of the Jody "incarnation", added to the disappointment I felt as the movie concluded.

Great Film

All I can say is that this film rocked and that the excellent easy to follow story line made this one of the best films I've seen this year.

The Tall Man returns for an excellent encore!

Phantasm: Oblivion is a challenging film. It may take several viewings to understand the sublime concepts this film presents. But, for the dedicated Phantasm fan, Oblivion is the jolt of Phantasmic adrenaline we have all been waiting for. The Tall Man is back with a vengeance...and yes, Reggie finally beds a babe, but with shocking results! A cool DVD with a rockin' Dobly Digital soundtrack. Buy it, BOY!

This shouldn't be a part of the series!

The following review contains REALLY big spoilers. Read with extreme caution!

I'm a really big phan of the series.I loved the phist,loved the second just as much and thought the third was neat.This is without a doubt the worst of the series.I cannot believe that it's actually part of the series.I've heard that this is possibly the phinal chapter.I certainly hope not! This would be a terrible and unforgivable way to end the series (remember the Friday The 13th series and how they ended it with "Jason Goes To Hell"?) Phantasm IV-Oblivion has so many flaws that I don't where to start,but I'll try. Phirst off,the storyline is extremely confusing. So many things are happening at once.Reggie fights demon cops that vomit yellow blood,encounters girls with silver spheres for breasts (totally uncreative).Mike meanwhile travels through dimensional portals and see's images of his previous encounters with The Tall Man.There's just too much happening all at once! Second,I was surprised by the direction.Don Coscarelli's direction is usually excellent,but this was his phirst bad effort.He doesn't know what he wants to happen,nor how the plot should move.Third,half of P4 is made up of cut footage from the original Phantasm.It WAS interesting to see the footage,but it just confused me.What connection do the scenes truly have? They basically didn't serve ANY purpose whatsoever! The ending is one of the worst movie ending ever in the history of philm (right up there with the ending from Friday The 13th Part 8 if you want the added insurance). Mike somehow is young again,then Reggie pulls over in his ice cream truck,takes Mike,and that's it! That's totally awful! I hated not seeing Reggie and Mike together and Reggie's new one-liners were really lame. I hate to say this. I really do,because I'm a big phan of the series and there are many more out there too.The only things I liked about P4 was the introduction of the new "Rambo" sphere (finally,a new sphere!), the music was once again excellent (especially the song that plays in the ending credits) and I liked the phact that we learned that The Tall Man's real name is Jebediah Morningside.It's about time we knew his real name! Other than that, this is a terrible movie that's a disgrace to both the Phantasm series and the horror philm industry. And that is NO joke.The only reason I own a copy is because it is a Phantasm philm,and I have collected them all.Easily and undoubtably the worst of the series.Buy Phantasm 1 and 2 (and three if you must watch a third movie),but try to avoid this (unless you enjoy being ripped-off).Rated R for very little violence,some bad language and a pretty strong sex scene.

THE BEST SEQUEL!!!!!!!!!!

Phantasm:Oblivion is undoubtedly the best sequel in the Phantasm series, it goes deeper into the psychilogical aspect of the film, instead of secrets being revealed through speech, it is revealed through motions and thought of the viewer. I hope they make a 5th movie. LONG LIVE THE TALL MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!

look up at maltin's review, he did not even watch it!

god i hate leonard maltin! what a jerk! i hate that buttcowboy! well this is a good end to a good series, if you did not get it, too bad. no one will ever explain it to you cause nobody can figure it out. sure, many people have thier own beliefs what the hell that was about but they are all wrong. i wish it was not so damn high!

A great movie with lots of twists

This was a very good movie. It just didnt really have enough gore. I really liked the scenes for the original Phantasm, even though they didnt fit in anywhere. All inall this was a very intriguing and satisfying way to end a great series of movies.

This movie rocks! Better the second time!

The first time I watched this movie, there were some confusing moments, but mainly, this movie was one of those that you can't just watch a first time and must be experienced a second to achieve the full effect! A worthy addition to the beloved Phantasm series, and I only hope that a five is in the works!

I have to give this one five stars sheer intrigue!

I give this movie 5stars. I compare all horror flicks by this one (Phantasm I). Not many horror flicks exceed this movie, but maybe the original Shinning, but only in my judgement. Phantasm Rules Phorever! Terry Sr from TN 1999

A nice end to a wonderful series

Though you will NOT understand Phantasm: Oblivion on the first watch, this film does nothing but entertain and intrigue you.

The thing I like about the PHANTASM films -- especially Phantasm 4 -- is how they demonstrate how odd and confusing dreams can be. How sometimes it's hard to distinguish dreams from reality (at least in the few moments after you wake up, ha ha).

Though Reggie's acting could have been better (it's been a little more satisfactory in the earlier films, quite frankly), I liked this flick alot. The comic relief really got me laughing at some parts! And I especially loved the reference to Star Wars (if you blink you'll miss it).

One of my favorite aspects of Oblivion is that it's...sad. Yes, sad. It plucks at your heart strings. The relationship between Mike and his late brother, and Mike longing for better days. Also sad is the relationship between Reggie and Mike, so beautifully demonstrated in the end of the film, and in various emotinal flashback scenes.

It was also nice to see the Tall Man in a different light. By the way, Angus Scrimm, once again, delivered a fine performance.

Many people did not get the ending. I did not understand it at first either, but when I was finally told what it really meant, I rejoiced, and sat back amazed, because the ending (when you find out what it means) REALLY makes sense. Another thing that I like about Oblivion is that it is FULL of symbolism (btw, if you are stumped by the ending, you may email me to find out what it means).

I still have yet to find out what some small things mean, but all in all, this is a great movie. Though it has a couple of hokey flashback scenes that don't make sense (as to the storyline and continuity of the entire series), and look like they just plain don't belong in the film, PHANTASM:OBLIVION more than makes up for that shortcoming in the wonderful symbolism and beatiful wrap-up to the series at the end.

Highly Reccomended.

there must be a phantasm phive!

It was a must see for any phan,but there must be a phive to put it all together-from the past to the present,including all the characters.seeing the tall man in a different light was great.yeah,what did happen to timmy?

Decent film

I rented the movie yesterday and I was happy to see how faithful the movie was to its orginal,I also liked the "flashback" scenes.(especially the rather sad one about the day before the Tall Man comes).I also really liked the fight between Reg and the Cop,I thought the scenes with Mike in the desert were very drawn out,I did like when he tried to kill himself and the Tall Man wouldnt let him,and he flashed back to when he hung the Tall Man,very eerie stuff.Great acting,Angus Scrimm's performance is great!It wasnt that gory but some scenes were pretty disgusting(the cop drooling blood into reg's mouth).I would definitly recommend this movie to longtime Phantasm fans,but for a newcomer to the series I would recommend an earlier movie,because out of the 3 thgis is the hardest to understand.

not too shabby

You know, every time I look at a review for this movie, everyone says how awful it was. And everyone raves about how good Lord of the Dead was. Now maybe it's just me, but I foud this one very enjoyable. It was a darker film than the last two, but it returned to the style of the first film, letting the images tell the story. Everyone is so upset by the "non-ending", but hs everyone forgotten the first film? It ended just as quickly and abruptly. So, all in all I liked this on, maybe just slightly more than part 2 as far as sequels go. I'm glad the elements and characters from part three were left out also.

The best horror, science-fiction, or fantasy film in 15+ yrs

"Phantasm oblIVion" is by far the best sequel in the Phantasm series (also the best science-fiction, horror or fantasy film in 15+ years) and the most atmospherically near to the first film. The whole cast gave deep performances to bring the series (almost) full circle to the first film- the humor apparent in the 2 other sequels is now used much more wisely... Angus Scrimm gives a very well-balanced (and possibly his best) performance as the "tall man." The opening sequence of "Phantasm:oblIVion" deserves to be the opening sequence if the Phantasm production team ever edits all of the films together in sequential order (as the 'Godfather Epic' was done). It is this sequence that is the first of some great imagery in oblIVion that is worthy of the first film: 1. the opening (first 10 minutes) sequence that ends perfectly with a shot of the road over which an almost-great version of the "Phantasm Theme" plays (I could only suggest making this shot of the road 30 seconds longer in the 'Epic' version for effect), which then leads into an unused shot from the original "Phantasm" of Reggie driving the ice cream truck that brings a more mellow mood than was seen in the official cut of the original "Phantasm." 2. when the "tall man" appears in the back seat of Mike's car, when he enters the coffin, the way the coffin shuts is an amazingly evil masterpiece of filmmaking- as horrifying as anything I have seen. 3. when Reggie explodes the police car, the shot of the man in the midst of fire- walking, then standing a few moments.

Neccessary plotlines mixed with some unnecesary action scene

I enjoyed this film because it explained a little bit more about what's going on. But the mood kept switching from really scary to really smart and it was hard to stay "in the mood." I liked it though. So, is this really just a dream or what's going on? I think Don maybe should have used this chance to explain that, since there might not be another one. I didn't like the ending either. I was just waiting the whole time for the Tall Man to show up and someone to get pulled through a glass.

Phantasm id Horror's "Star Wars".

Phantasm has always had to bow out to many of the more "media darling" independent horror films. But in doing this the film has garnered a devote group of phans and critical priase based on the films themselves and not simply what the "buzz" is. Don Coscarelli has created what should be considered the "Star Wars" of horror. Wonderful Characters, a plot that unravels only as it spins deeper into itself. Unknown origins, special effects above and beyond the call of duty, by "Lord of the Dead" (part3) the balls looked REAL. Oblivion is a deep, imaginary, smart, and elegantly atmpsheric film. Coscarelli has not forgotten the fans that have paved his way to stardom. He adresses them all with this entry by incorperating what the fans love with where he wants the plot to twist to next. The film is filmed and written intamently, the characters portrayed as people, not card board cut outs, the F/X beneficial and not overwhelming. Phantasm has shown it's roots with this film, making the series feel like one story in acts, as opposed to just a "franchise". Phantasm has always been an insperation to me as a filmaker, as well as many other and to Don, and Reggie, and Mike, and Angus, as well as D. Kerry Prior and Fred Mydrow I say thank you for Oblivion, a wonderful piece of the puzzle that is Phantasm.

a true Phan review

Phantasm OblIVion, the fourth installment of a long line of increasinly enigmatic horror films only gets better with time. The film includes various scenes,unfortunately remitted from the original, which made this a truly exceptional sequel. Of course bringing back all the originals while deleting the extras also helped. Instead of centering on the blood and gore in this outing, Oblivion centered on that which has always shined in the series, the story. A horror movie that not only frightens, but one that makes you think. Don Coscarelli has finally finished his masterpiece and he has done it with the same style and class that he had done with the original.

ANOTHER GREAT ONE FOR THE PHANTASM SERIES

it was great, i dont know what else to say. more info was found on the TALL MAN. it also brough back memories from the first..a true classic..i just have one question, whatever happened to little TIMMY from part 3? another great PHANTASM movie, hopefully there will be a PHANTASM 1999.

Another great edition to the "Phantasm" series.

Once again The Tall Man is after Mike.But this time picking up where Phantasm III left off, Mike has been transformed to half-Tall Man, half-human.Also once again Reggie is trying to save the day.The greatest part about Phantasm IV is that you learn more about The Tall Man and go back to where he became evil (somewhere in the 1800s).Also comes along with a scene where The Tall Man is good and tries to engage in a conversation with Mike.Has scenes from Phantasm that have never been scene before!