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TV show review: CONTINUUM season 4
PHOTOGRAPHY

PHANTASM 2

Blu-ray review by David Blackwell

 

DETAILS:  95 minutes, audio commentary, making-of documentary, special affects interview, deleted scenes, workprint scenes, behind-the-scenes footage, image galleries, tv spots, original theatrical trailer, Phantasm 1 and 3 theatrical trailers

VIDEO:  1.78:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen) 1080p High Definition

AUDIO:  English 5.1 DTS-HD MA, 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio

Subtitles:  English

 

STUDIO: Universal Pictures/ Spacegate Corporation/ Scream Factory

RELEASE DATE:  3-26-2013

PHANTASM 2 picks up years after the events of PHANTASM (after the opening sequence) as Mike and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) begin their quest to find and stop the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) before he takes the young woman who also has the same visions as Mike.  Mike and Reggie end up in the deserted town of Perigord, Oregon and they pick up a woman named Alchemy along the way (who may already be dead).  The Tall Man is emptying the graves and using them for his army of freakish dwarves.  The sequel also acts like a road movie as Mike and Reggie discover the empty towns the mysterious and evil Tall Man leaves in his wake.

 

PHANTASM is one of those movie series that is very unique and surreal.  I didn’t quite come at the series at the beginning.  I remember watching parts of PHANTASM 2 on cable while the first PHANTASM movie I watched on video in its entirety was PHANTASM 3.  I watched PHANTASM years later on DVD followed years later by a double bill of PHANTASM 3 and PHANTASM 4 on DVD.  Now I come at viewing PHANTASM 2 for the first time in an entire viewing and I do say it is a worthy sequel to the surreal first film.  Even though they had to make it a more straight forward to get it made at Universal, PHANTASM 2 still comes across as a strong entry in the PHANTASM series.  Angus Scrimm is perfect as the imposing and evil Tall Man while Reggie Bannister makes an unlikely action hero.   Now I want to see this series all in order and I hope the PHANTASM series does come back for another film.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Audio commentary with Don Coscarelli, Angus Scrimm, and Reggie Banister.  They get along quite well and even have fun with the track as Angus Scrimm begins the track as the Tall Man.

 

THE BALL IS BACK!: THE MAKING OF PHANTASM 2- a 45 minute retrospective making-of documentary that has behind-the-scenes footage and stories, and this extensive documentary has interviews with Don Coscarelli, Angus Scrimm, Reggie Banister, and others

THE GORY DAYS (22 minutes)- an interview with Greg Nicotero, one of the special effects people on PHANTASM 2 with behind-the-scenes footage that shows the effects work of the movie

 

Behind The Scenes footage from the set and of the Makeup and Effects

A variety of deleted scenes from Don Coscarelli’s archives and an unfinished workprint (with time codes and in 1.33:1)

Various TV spots, and theatrical trailers for PHANTASM, PHANTASM 2, and PHANTASM 3 are included on the release in addition to still galleries for Behind The Scenes, Makeup and Effects, and Posters and Stills (from the production and for promotional purposes).  Also a rare short film on Lincoln starring Rory Guy (aka Angus Scrimm) as Abraham Lincoln is included.

 

FINAL ANALYSIS:  PHANTASM 2 is the best of the PHANTASM sequels on a disc that has a wealth of extras for fans to enjoy and explore.  My favorite extras are the deleted scenes (like the telepathic love scenes included among the workprint scenes) and the enjoyable (and informative) PHANTASM 2 documentary.

 

This review is (c)4-7-2013 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com