Death. Point of intersection between two parallel worlds, threatening thought that enslaves people to their fears, atavistic nightmare piercing the human psyche that willy-nilly flows into mere resignation of humankind due to the slow and inexorable approach of the coveted moment. Death, indeed. Slow and inexorable as are the steps and gait of the gaunt gravedigger who represents the apparatus and framework of this Phantasm. "The Tall Man," allegorical embodiment of the evil of living, of loneliness, of the loss of loved ones, of friends, of all those melancholic pathologies, of which we manage after countless efforts to come out of, with something in our souls that has heightened us and makes us stronger than before. Codesta, is the symbolism of Don Coscarelli's film, and after this dutiful parenthesis we gladly linger on the synopsis of the film.
Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) is a boy who has fallen into a deep state of depression due to the untimely death of his parents. At the end of the funeral ceremony he focuses the slim dead burying of the village loading into a hearse, with only the strength of his bony arms a sullen coffin. Such a macabre figure destabilizes the soul of the young man who attempts without any glee to recount what he has seen to the only person in whom he pours esteem and affection, namely his brother Jody (Bill Thornbury), who finds it hard to believe what he has been told. The leathery protagonist does not give up and in one of the most tension-soaked sequences goes to the Morning Inside cemetery to shed light on the strange happenings. Once he enters the mortuary, long, pale corridors provide a macabre, claustrophobic backdrop.
Here it is: the fearsome and pale gravedigger discovers the young man wandering around swiftly and quietly and decides to chase him, but the little guy has the upper hand. More. He even manages to cut off the Lord Of Death's finger and escape from the pleasant heath. Back home he stows the heirloom of flesh and blood in a container, noticing that it secretes an abominable yellowish slime that transmutes into a horrible flying monster. With the help of Reggie (Reggie Bannister), a figure who will hold considerable importance in the continuation of the series, they succeed in thwarting Tall Man's diabolical plan of conquest.
Certainly not just any feature film, devoid of the most iniquitous meaning, is being disquisitioned. Far from it. Coscarelli's (Bubba Ho Tep) production is artfully crafted philosophy, created out of thin air, that demonstrates how important it is to have original, cutting-edge ideas rather than full-bodied budgets aided by sinful special effects, a banner of megalomaniac filmmakers. Filmed with only three hundred thousand dollars, it boasts as its cast friends and family members of the director who give glaring evidence of decent acting skills.
Indeed, it has the distinguished merit of having launched into the ranks of movie "Villains" the venerable Tall Man whose slow, inexorable walks and infamous yet deadly orbs have carved out a position of illustrious prestige in genre cinematography. Honor and credit to Angus Scrimm for the characterization, devoid of gaps and/or smears.
I'll be seraphic: a must-see gem for lovers of old-fashioned horror, with sulfurous and winking atmospheres. Tacitated, unfairly of an excessive slowness, the latter is a kind of preparation for the final apocalypse and slaughter, taken exactly from its sequel "Phantasm II," potable but inferior on all quality standards.
Ultimately, it is well worth a viewing.
Review by Undying1
