Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998) User Reviews

A return to the original concept

[AlsExGal · 6/10 · 16 July 2021]

As Reggie (Reggie Bannister) searches for the missing Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), Mike himself travels through various dimensions and across time itself to learn the origins of the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) in hopes of discovering a way to stop him once and for all.

The series attempts to return to its roots a bit, dropping most of the humor from the last two entries, and trying for the off-kilter dream-state of the first film. The film is helped a great deal by use of a lot of footage that was filmed for the original back in '79 but that was edited out, so we get several scenes of the characters as they were back then. The origin of the Tall Man is finally established (somewhat), and that will either be a good thing or a frustrating thing for fans of the series. The sections focusing on Reggie tread much of the usual territory, and there are a couple of over the top gags that will delight or disgust. The ending this time is even more ambiguous than usual. The next (and final?) sequel arrived 18 years later.

Surprisingly Good

[Louie-12 · 7/10 · 29 December 2000]

A horror movie that is fourth in a series should be terrible. This one actually stands on its own as a good movie, though perhaps not great as fourth in the series.

As other users have commented, this movie does not answer questions about the Phantasm series. It shows a little background on the tall man, and that's it.

On the other hand, looking at it as a stand-alone-movie, it works! It has very coherent and often beautiful art direction. There are very few characters (I assume to save money), but that works. It keeps the movie from bogging down in goofy dialogue and laughable characters like Phantasm III.

The movie actually gets rather artful at times. Just observe the desert scenes with the field of metal rods to see what I mean. The Tall Man doesn't seem too threatening in this one. He come across much more as a constant pressure instead of an acute danger.

The individual characters aren't really developed any more than the previous films. They are reaching archetypal roles of heros, seekers, fighters, etc.

This is not a slasher film. It almost is not a horror movie. Oddly enough, it is almost stepping out of its low-brow beginnings (except for the breast scene in the hotel) and nearly reaching art movie status. I would love to see Phantasm V taken further in this vein. Unfortunately, I think this is the last of the series. Enjoy it if you can find it!

What the.......?

[super marauder · 6/10 · 28 October 2002]

This is one of my favorite series of movies. The other day, my wife, and I found ourselves watching all four 'Phantasms'. Unlike the 'Friday, the 13th' series, they all tried to be different, but at the same time be true to the concept. Even in the first movie, you walked away (in my case drove away since I saw it at a drive-in) saying to a point, what happened here? Didn't Reggie get killed, and Jody survive? That I think is part of the mystique of these movies. You find yourself discussing with your family, and friends what happened here. Hey, it came many times at at Christmas, and Thanksgiving at my house for quite a few years, NO KIDDING!

This one, I liked, but I'm a little disappointed with it. As I'm typing this up, I have the first one playing, and I still don't quite get IV. For one thing, the idea of explaining why the tall man doesn't die because he comes from different dimensions. Like 'Dr. Who', he travels through time, and space can appear at any time, or place. Okay, I'll buy that. But, why is he so hell-bent on capturing Mike? Does he have some kind of vendetta against Mike, and Jody's family? As Jody said in III,"seeing is easy, understanding takes a little more time." I'm getting a headache trying to understand. There must have been a ton of stuff on the cutting room floor, or someone found a great actor to play Mike from 1979, because a lot of this one bounces back to the first one as they try to tie all of this together.

I understand, unlike 'Star Wars', the complete story was not written out ahead of time, it was made up as it went as it went along. Don Coscarelli is good on keeping us guessing, and I see there one more coming, and judging by the title, this will be the last one, so PLEASE Mr. Coscarelli, If this is the last one, finish it up with style, don't keep me guessing!!!!

Best sequel in the series

[DGlen1979 · 31 May 2004]

What makes this series so consistent is the fact that the same writer/director, Don Coscarelli, is responsible for all four entries. Some phans prefer the second film for its tendency to lean more toward being an action film, while others like the cartoonish, over-the-top aspects of the third entry. Personally, I think this one (IV) is the best sequel. I love the fact that it is more in the moody, psychological vein of the original, which is by far the best in the series in my opinion. IV uses some beautiful locations- a rocky beach, a desert with intricate rock formations, and a completely unpopulated downtown Los Angeles (I'm assuming that's what city it is). These serve as really interesting backdrops for Mike, Reggie, Jody and the Tall Man (all the original actors returned, too). All this is beautifully shot by D.P. Chris Chomyn, who did a great job. The plot is not completely clear, but also not complex. The Tall Man is after Mike with the intent to turn him into another "Tall Man" sort-of undertaker. Meanwhile there's a subplot where Reggie encounters a beautiful female on the road (as he does in both other sequels). The dialogue is sparse and much of the meaning is implied. One of the most impressive things about the film is the way they were able to incorporate so much unused footage from the original (19 years earlier) into the story. Despite the time difference, the new film and the old footage work together perfectly, and that is a really cool thing to behold. The film actually ends with a flashback- a poignant and subtle scene that is unlike the endings of the other three movies, leaving the series with what could be a perfect close. But if Coscarelli and Co. want to come back and do another one, what Phantasm phan is gonna dispute it?! Not me!

messy

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 18 February 2020]

The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) has been spreading his devastations. The neighboring towns have been abandoned to the monsters. Mike is driving towards Death Valley to escape his pending transformation. Reggie is also on the road and rescues beautiful Jennifer from a car wreck.

This is generally messy. Mike's journey is a series of random dimensional turns. It's a mistake to separate Mike and Reggie. When the movie opens with a flashback of the trio walking through the door, I hoped for the three of them going on a quest together. It is nice to have the three of them return for this movie but splitting them up loses any hope of chemistry. The logic and the world of this franchise is simply getting too messy. This movie needs a good story. In an aside, I don't like the CGI spheres, no matter how many spheres. There is something solid, something creepy about a real physical floating sphere.

The best one since the first

[sinsation_666 · 7/10 · 26 July 2005]

I am one of the world's biggest fans of the original Phantasm. But I have to admit, that the sequels really do nothing for me.

Number four is the closest thing to the original. It lives the same world, but isn't distracted by pop culture phenomena of the time the way 2 & 3 seemed to be influenced/commentating on 'Evil Dead' and 'Home Alone'.

As much as I like seeing the Tall Man, Reggie and Mike back in action, Jody still seems forced into the series. I really wish that Coscarelli had just left him dead and moved on. The whole 'living ball' thing is plain silly.

All good things...

[rulerodarkness · 4/10 · 12 June 2015]

Just watched this series of movies for the first time, and was very disappointed at the ending of Oblivion, there was so much promise in the story and characters, even tho it was getting pretty silly. In the end they just "dropped the ball" on everything, so to speak..

I strongly recommend these movies to any horror/action movie fan, but its a huge shame the last movie was so.. just overall crappy. In lack of a better way of describing it. All the suspense and mystery was totally gone towards the end, and replaced with confusion and despair, as the movie suffered towards its inevitable credits text, leaving the viewer feeling sad and empty, almost betrayed.

I struggled to give this movie a 4 rating.

Yeah ... whatever ...

[rdoyle29 · 6/10 · 14 November 2017]

Maybe I like this one more than II or III ... it's hard to say. On the plus side, it tries to have an atmosphere more like the original film and less like a horror action comedy. On the minus side, it literally makes no sense. Unused footage from the original film was found and dropped into this film as ... well as what? It depicts events that could not have happened given how the original film ultimately came together, so what is this meant to represent? This is really symptomatic of the entire film. Reggie encounters some chick on the road, and stuff happens, but none of her interactions with him really make sense or ultimately amount to anything. It's a bit like all the elements of your typical Phantasm film were dropped in a cup, shook up, and dumped out onto a table and then that was filmed.

Not as good as the other sequels

[boondocksaint20 · 4/10 · 10 November 2002]

Okay, I know there is some controversy as to whether part III or IV is the better sequel. After seeing this one, I have to say that I was disappointed in this installment. It didn't have the humor that we crave, the excitement or the ultra violence that the others had.

The best part of this one is the explanations of where The Tall Man came from. These scenes are very interesting. This whole movie ties in so well with the deleted scenes of the first one, though, it is obvious the director is making this up as he goes along. There are very few characters in this one b\c it focuses on The Tall Man's relationship with Mike (yet, of course, like the others not explaining all we need to know!). Reggie is severely downplayed, and I'm sorry but Reggie Bannister is the one of the main reasons these films are entertaining. I wanting to drown in my beer at the horrible one liners Reggie was given in this one (and I mean HORRIBLE). I thought the whole ice cream man uniform at the end was a little gay, though funny. Yet, the movie is okay on it's own. There isn't much action except at the end, there are a ton of plot hole (PLEASE! Someone tell me how Reggie escaped The Tall Man from being pinned up by the spheres at the beginning. This drove me crazy throughout the whole movie! Did he just LET HIM GO?!?).

Anyways, a below average movie...waaayyyy too slow, and not paced nearly as well as the other movies (the fast pacing makes them more exciting). Only for true Phantasm lovers, I did enjoy what this movie was, but unlike the others, I will never watch this one again. 5/10 stars.

Uneven, but hugely entertaining

[teresaband · 7/10 · 2 April 2008]

It's rare that the same creative team are still around 4 films into a series, and even rarer that a 4th film has anything new to add, so this makes a refreshing change.

The tone is a little uneven, with Coscarelli seeming torn between delivering the slapstick gore and laughs of the previous 2 sequels and going for the darker more surreal approach of the first movie, so a lot of Reggie's scenes seem like they could have been pasted in from a different movie. Speaking of which large chunks are made up of deleted scenes from "Phantasm", which, while suggesting money problems during development, actually works very well in bookending the events so far.

It also goes some way to filling in the gaps, giving the Tall Man a proper origin story and answering a few questions while still leaving enough up in the air to justify the 5th film which is apparently in production currently.

That said, even if a 5th film never materialises, this makes a nicely apocalyptic ending to a series that has actually come to life in it's sequels. There's still plenty of laughs, but there's a very downbeat tone and some nicely creepy touches, making this a very enjoyable, if slightly schizophrenic addition to a fun series.

Ruined by explanation and stupid ideas

[Kontroversial · 5/10 · 27 June 2020]

I love the first 3 PHANTASM philms, the first 2 being my favorite horror movies of all time. PHANTASM III made a few mistakes with some bad design choices (slapstick humor, the kid). PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION unfortunately continued that trend: there are some really stupid ideas that should have ended up on the cutting room floor, the demon cop being the worst offender here, the sphere boobs being another. A lot of scenes take place in the desert in broad daylight which ruins the atmosphere. And finally, OBLIVION tries to explain too much, which demystifies the franchise. Bad choice, Don Coscarelli, BAD choice! On the plus side is unused footage from the original PHANTASM and the return of the best horror movie trio in history: Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin and Bill Thornbury as well as Angus Scrimm as the iconic Tall Man.

Phantasm's End?

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 8/10 · 22 January 2006]

After taking the series too far in the direction of horror-hokum, Don Coscarelli pushes Phantasm IV further into sci-fi than any previous film but brings back the narcoleptic approach the first that II and III were sorely without. In doing so, Phantasm IV becomes the most atmospheric and haunting one yet. Just don't expect long scenes of exposition or plot-details being unsubtly wrapped up, the mystery of the Tall Man is too strong to ever fully end.

As you should remember, at the end of Phantasm III Mike disappeared into the darkness after the Tall Man did some kind of unnecessary brain surgery on him and Reggie was literally left hanging after being pinned to the wall by a dozen killer spheres. Well you can relax, the Tall Man knows that killing Reggie will achieve nothing and focuses on catching Mike, who has a plan to draw him out into the open by hiding in the desert. Reggie closely follows, driving through loads of deserted towns already pillaged by the Tall Man. And the ghost of Jodie (now looking like the identical twin brother of Stellan Skarsgard) comes back to offer some suspicious advice.

It's all very, very minimalist and reminds me a lot of the Myst video games in regards to the overwhelming sense of abandonment and isolation, the journal-keeping, the doorways to other worlds, the stark silence of desert landscapes and the weird contraptions. The true identity of the Tall Man is finally revealed but the forces behind him are still kept in the dark. The answers are hinted at rather than announced and the dialogue sparse without being empty.

Another cool thing about this sequel are the many eerie and haunting (and haunted?) locations such as a lonely beach, spooky rock formations, a lifeless Wilshire Boulevard (the biggest street in LA) and barren salt flats that give it such an otherworldly and supernatural feel that the typical mausoleums and old graveyards of II and III didn't.

Again the Tall Man steals the show from Reggie, who is putting up a harder fight to make it his movie. Both are great characters who shrug off the typical characteristics of villain and hero and become people who you can REALLY root for. Yes, you can side with the Tall Man! It's a shame that Angus Scrimm has never really gotten any huge recognition outside of the cult-horror circles as his approach to the character is very unique and he takes his acting very seriously.

Since Don Coscarelli shot so much unused footage for the original Phantasm film he incorporates some of it into the story, thus heightening the already warped space-time continuum the Phantasm universe exists in. As a result of this the ending may seem annoyingly ambiguous but can be interpreted in so many different ways. Since Coscarelli is busy with other projects right now it seems unlikely that the long-rumored Phantasm's End will happen any time soon. But when you enjoy a series of films so much do you really want to see it end? The non-closure of Phantasm IV keeps the story alive after the credits roll instead of finishing it for good. Which is how I would prefer it. If you watch it with company, this tends to lead to much discussion afterwards, something more straight-forward horror films don't. I've always thought that if you wish to tackle something outlandish and imaginative that you must have an equally as strong counter-imagination to fully take it in and comprehend. If you prefer films like Bridget Jones and turn your nose up to Lost Highway then your probably best steering away from the Phantasm series. If you're better than that then you're in for one helluva crazy ride.

Highly impressive sequel effort

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 6 December 2017]

Fleeing through the countryside, the group of friends battling the Tall Man finds the spirit of his trapped brother is leading them closer to the secret of who The Tall Man really is and forcing him to unleash the full force of his demons in an effort to stop them fry ruining his plans.

This here was one of the more impressive entries in the series. One of the best things it has going for it is the really big and grandiose action scenes that are largely familiar scenes of the series. Following on the majority of the series' efforts of continuing with the previous one left off, the opening escape from the mausoleum into the desert which is rather nicely handled in starting the action as there are a spectacular car flip and rescue, two exploding vehicles, some aggressive jumping dwarfs and a silver- sphere attack which occurs after the equally inevitable girl picked up en-route as well as the initial encounter with the phantom patrolman which proves to be genuinely creepy or the silver sphere attack in the abandoned motel. Equally effective is the flashbacks and alternate reality visions and memories, presenting absolutely unique scenes that are quite imaginative and really intriguing. The longest one, a night-time chase through a forest will get plenty of atmospheric scenes in, including the sequence where the hanging Tall Man ushers a big remark offering peace in exchange for his freedom or the sight of The Tall Man appearing as a regular human sitting on his porch offering a glass of homemade lemonade is pretty impressive as well. Another cool thing about this one is the atmosphere and suspense here, not only from the regular antics featured within but also the flashbacks that tie in all the events from the past into one rather cohesive whole. The other big plus here is the fine finale as there are some big moments in the initial battle with the dwarfs in the desert, the autopsy scene that reveals a big surprise for one of the victims and an attack from the spheres late in the film, leading to many of its true gore set- pieces as they cling to major body parts is something to behold. All in all, this is a very worthy sequel as although there weren't many flaws in here they were somewhat important. The main point in this one is the fact that it follows the conventions of the series closely. This one has so many of the clichés and plot-points that the other ones have, and it can lead to correctly predicting what will come next which can lead to many problems throughout the film. That is mainly because none of them are changed around or inverted this time around, which is where the problem lies. Nothing is changed from the expectations of the series as a whole, and that is something which can be used against it. There's also the fact that the film doesn't really move as fast as the others out there, which can be somewhat irritating. A lot of time is spent wandering around in the desert, which offers good scenery but nothing else, and by utilizing the clichés at hand, a long time is spent on other scenes that have nothing to offer in terms of action, and at times this can be somewhat dull. However, the main problem with this one is that there's no explanations for anything in the film, much less the series. This one probably should've done something to answer the questions the others have to offer, and it would've been a great time to do it. That is the biggest flaw, and it keeps it down the most.

Rated R: Graphic Violence, Graphic Language and Brief Nudity.

TERRIBLE!

[Vinman142 · 1/10 · 5 July 2002]

Phantasm IV is the worst of the Phantasm series.The movie only has 6 characters Reggie, Mike, Jody, TallMan, Jen, and a Demon Cop.That's it.The movie has no plot, action and doesn't fit in well with the Phantasm series.Some people say Phantasm 3 is the worst in the series, it's not.Phantasm 3 is a good movie.Way better than Phantasm 4 will ever be.Not worth the money.

I'm an idiot.

[Wendigo-4 · 21 March 2000]

I sat down and watched all four of the Phantasm films the other day, just because I'm an idiot.

*some spoilers below*

Allrighty. The last film. If you remember, I'd compared the arc of the three Phantasm films to the arc of the first three Alien films: from spooky, atmospheric thriller, to action adventure(The Electric Boogaloo Gambit), to psychological head-game. As bad as it is, Phantasm IV: Oblivion, fits right in with this comparison.

Alien:Resurrection tried to be this massive, epic view of the universe in which the Alien series was set: you got to see the Company, the military, space pirates, and of course you got to see a whole boatload of aliens. All this was wrapped in a movie that looks like the entre to an invasion of earth by all those nasty aliens. Bang, here comes the well-known Final Apocalypse.

Phantasm IV: same dang thing. It tries(and completely fails) to become some kind of X-Files sized conspiracy, wherein the Tall Man is some kind of interdimensional, time jumping bandit who actually just used to be the friendly neighborhood doctor and Incredibly Gifted Scientist. Michael is back, wandering around the desert Don Juan of the Yaqui-style, plotting to destroy the Tall Man, or find him in the past, or something or other. It's never really clear, and the whole struggle he's having with whatever is inside him is never quite resolved. \

Meanwhile, Reggie is still on the road, still picking up girls who would never look at him and trying to do them, and playing with his four barrelled shotgun, among other things. The kid from the previous film is utterly discarded, and Rocky is by now training to become the arch villainess in the next Kickboxer film. Jody is still annoying.

All of this is cached in what is supposed to revelatory "never before seen footage" that neither advances nor informs the story. Michael tries to hang himself, because apparently, he strung up the Tall Man at some point in the first film--and then cut the guy down. The scene is pitiful--it was cut for a reason, folks--and it just confused me. The rest of the revolutionary new footgage mainly consists of Michael running and jumping onto Reggie's Ice Cream Truck--at night, during the day, in the rain, etc., etc. It is worthless, and I'm tempted to think they structured the entirely structure-less film around this footage so people would look at it and think they were planning this sequel to fit it like a glove, years and years later. Blah.

The ending is truly pathetic and leads nowhere. Tall Man is no longer interesting, because he is indestructible: he's been pumped full of hydrochloric acid, dropped down a square hole, forzen in liquid nitrogen, and blown-up. Nothing's going to stop him. THAT'S NO FUN. Additionally, we never really truly understand what happened to Jedediah Morningside when he went into his magical device, nor do we get to understand what he wants to do with all those silver balls he's always carrying around. Reggie takes off after said Tall Man with said shotgun, and Mikey appears to be dying, all the while saying to himself, "Gosh, this reminds me of the time I jumped on Reggie's Ice Cream Truck..."[CUE NEVER BEFORE SEEN FOOTAGE]

We have hit bottom, to put it plainly. What started off as kind of cool has become a s**tstorm. Here are some bumps along the descent:

--What's up with Michael building a remote-control hearse to blow up the Tall Man? This is the most hyped-up prop in the history of all filmmaking, and it does absolutely nothing.Zing--little ball flies out, stabs Tall Man in head. Bamf--car explodes and burns up Tall Man. Eyyyerp--another Tall Man walks out from between the tuning-fork thing. What? Did Michael really think that was going to work? The exploding car thing, with it's forty minutes of set-up and three seconds of useless execution, was limper than Bob Dole during a Viagra shortage.

--Jody, get your f***ing hands out of your pockets. Christ.

--Did I mention I was glad when Jody gets it, even though I don't know why it happened? I figured it was just the divine providence of some better, dead filmmaker looking down on me.

--Girl with killer silver balls for breasts. Ewww. Not even creative.

--Who was the "Demon Trooper?" He pops up out of nowhere. Looks like a reject from Resident Evil, and is mostly there to give Reggie the chance to utter the stirring words: "Blow me."

--Jody, put your hands where I can see them! Now!

Well, there it is. Four up, four down. First one started off strong, but the rest just slowly descended into a massive pool-pah of garbage. But it was a valiant attempt, Mr. Coscarelli, and I applaud your initiative. You just got suckered into a mainstream archetype that you felt you had to follow. Too bad.

I hear tell of a fifth movie, set in an apocalyptic future, where the Tall Man rules some kind of plague-ridden wasteland from Utah. I have to wonder if one of the lines from the movie(Jody, saying to Michael on one of their interdimensional jaunts to a vacant city:"We have to go. There's a chance of contamination.")was meant to be a lead-in. I wonder...

I sat down and watched all four Phantasm movies the other day, just because I'm an idiot.

But I'm still stupid enough that if a fifth installment comes out, I'll probably sit down and watch that, too.

A low budget sequel that tries to bring back the surrealistic creepiness of the original movie

[mwilson1976 · 5/10 · 15 April 2020]

When diehard Phantasm fan and film maker Roger Avary's proposed Phantasm 1999 AD fell by the wayside due to financing difficulties, series creator Don Coscarelli stepped in to write and direct this fourth instalment in the popular franchise, which features Avary making a guest cameo appearance as a Civil War soldier in a dream sequence. The lowest budgeted of the Phantasm sequels, it features series regulars Mike and Reggie (Michael Baldwin and Reggie Bannister) pursuing the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) across a multitude of different dimensions and time itself (including being transported back to a cool scientific laboratory in 1860), all whilst battling mysterious flying spheres, including ones which Reggie discovers emerging from the breasts of a hot female companion he picks up. The effects for the swarm of spheres was created by fans of Phantasm after Reggie Bannister recommended Coscarelli to hire them. Large parts of the film were shot in California's Death Valley, and it is an attempt to bring back the surrealistic creepiness of the original movie, but it is let down by its minuscule budget and over reliance on flashbacks and unused footage from the earlier movies.

MORE BACK STORY

[kirbylee70-599-526179 · 7/10 · 4 October 2018]

Well Go finishes out the PHANTASM films they have the rights to by releasing the fourth film in the series PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION. As with their previous efforts they're offering the film in the best looking version ever seen and fans should be flocking to pick this one up.

The movie picks up where the third installment left off with Mike (Michael Baldwin) captured by the Tall Man in a hearse and Reggie left hanging, trapped by the ever present silver spheres. The Tall Man doesn't kill Reggie though saying he's releasing him "to play one last game". Deciding he's had enough Reggie chooses to leave but not before Jody, still trapped part time in his own sphere, convinces him to help find Mike.

Reggie hits the road again and saves a woman Jennifer after a car crash. Tired after driving all day they find an abandoned motel where Reggie tells her his whole story about the Tall Man. During the night he wakes with a bit of flirting in mind only to find out Jennifer is not who she claimed and instead of breasts has two of the silver spheres. Reggie fights for his life and discovers his tuning fork (with him since the first film) can incapacitate and destroy the spheres.

While all of this is going on Mike escapes the Tall Man and heads out to Death Valley. Recalling the vents of his past (with plenty of footage from the previous films in use) he tries to figure out what's been going on. At one point he attempts suicide which the Tall Man prevents. As this happens a portal to the past opens and Mike learns more about the Tall Man. It seems he was human and from the past, a funeral director named Jebediah Morningside. Yes this would be the same Morningside that owned the funeral home from the original film.

Mike and Jody find more out about Jebediah and Reggie eventually reunites with the pair only to be left behind when they go off to try and change history. They watch to learn how Jebediah learned the secrets he did and then attempt to kill him. This fails and Jebediah is replaced by the now infamous Tall Man.

Once again I'd rather leave more for viewers to watch on their own instead of a complete play by play description. Hopefully the amount of information I've provided piques your interest enough to give this one a view. What sets this movie apart from the rest in my eyes is that it spends most of its time on giving us more backstory as to why all of this is taking place, a history of the Tall Man in particular. There is still plenty of action involved but it isn't central to the film so much as it was in the past.

After watching this and the third installment, both just released as single blu-ray titles from Well Go, I found myself wanting to revisit PHANTASM: RAVAGER the final installment (so far) in the series of films. On first viewing that film I was disappointed and I didn't think it lived up to the other films in the series. That might have been in part because it had been so long since I'd watched the earlier efforts. Much of what was in that film I now think would have made more sense had I watched them all over again. Perhaps not but I'd like to give it a try.

In the meantime this film is now offered in blu-ray and Well Go has done a great job of it. As I said earlier they've done the PHANTASM films proud by offering them in a pristine condition that fans have longed for for some time. The box set might have been too pricey for some but the affordability of these versions mean that fans can pick them up individually and add them to their collection. I'd suggest doing that as soon as you can.

"I was an ice cream vendor by trade"

[hwg1957-102-265704 · 5/10 · 8 July 2023]

A falling off in the 'Phantasm' series mainly because it is so confusing. Incident followed incident, scene followed scene with nothing to explain what was going on. An explanation is sort of given of the origins of The Tall Man but that didn't make much sense. What one is left with is that... well things happen. Acting-wise Reggie Bannister as Reggie is solid as usual and Angus Scrimm is ceepy as always but too much time is given to A. Michael Baldwin as Mike who gives a dull performance with the same expression on his face throughout most of the film. (Except of course when he is having a metal ball taken out of his head!) Taking the film out into the wilds was a mistake as the small town settings of the previous films worked better. A bit disappointing.

"boooyyy....I'm so tired"

[Bezenby · 7/10 · 6 August 2013]

Here we have it. The last Phantasm film. This time round things are a lot more reserved, as our heroes kind of get to the bottom of things. Michael finds himself out in the desert with the Tall Man, with Reggie not far behind. Jody's back too, guiding Reggie and Michael, but can he be trusted? We finally find out where the Tall Man comes from, and why he's so interested in Michael. Reggie's basically here to provide the action while Michael confronts the Tall Man. I read somewhere there wasn't a lot of money to make this film and you can tell. However, it's a lot moodier than the last two, and does provide a semi-satisfying end to the series. (SPOILERS AHEAD) Although it's not entirely made clear, I thought that what the ending meant was that Michael, who was already shown as being very clingy to Jody, couldn't quite get over Jody dying and had created this whole world around him where the Tall Man was stealing corpses (and therefore also stealing Jody). The Tall Man was doing something awful with the corpses, and to Michael it was as if the dead (including Jody) could not find peace in the afterlife. Michael was completely in denial about it all, but when the Tall Man says 'It was all in his head' and then we cut to a young Michael in the van with Reggie, we hear Jody whispering. This time, Michael denies he heard it, finally accepting that Jody is dead. Note that this is the only film that does not end in a cliffhanger too.

They could have done so much better...

[Unfun · 1/10 · 26 October 1998]

If you are a fan of the first movie do NOT see this one. There was only one special effects scene and no story at all. This was the worst moment I have ever experienced with the horror genre. A real let-down. A waste of film.

Decent and spooky sequel, almost promising what it all could have been

[siderite · 7/10 · 20 May 2013]

The fourth part of the Phantasm series is, as all before it, the continuation of the previous film, almost 20 years from the first. Mike Baldwin again is Mike, Reggie Bannister again is Reggie and Bill Thornbury is... well, Jody. Sort of. An attempt of explaining what happened is made, why The Tall Man seems so indomitable and yet he never gets the hero, with many self referential jokes and an origin story.

This was funny at times, spooky most of the time, but mainly because of the music and the seriousness of Mike. The Tall Man speaks more and makes his evil faces. There are more chicks that Reggie can't bone and more scenes where the huge four barrel shotgun is completely useless. The story makes a little more sense than in the other three films, but not by much. In many ways, it showed the way the film could have gone, maybe with a little more focus on the characters and story and with a grimmer feel. The ending felt pretty disappointing, though.

Thank god that's over

[Groverdox · 3/10 · 16 October 2018]

"Phantasm IV" might be the most confusing and tedious of the whole series. I dunno. They're all pretty boring and confusing. And pointless. Did I mention pointless?

These movies have, at the very most, two things going for them: Angus Scrimm's performance as The Tall Man, which is far, far better than this drivel deserves, and the memorable weapon of the flying silver ball.

Other than that, they're a mess. But people like them. They have a cult following. Why?

The only memorable aspect of this fourth installment is a scene in which the silver balls are shown to be embedded in a woman's chest where her breasts should be. Up til now, I'm pretty sure all the movies showed bare breasts, so MAYBE that was an in-joke?

It's just too bad they used up any and all creative spark on that one effect. The rest of the movie is just boring garbage, like the other three Phantasm movies.

But this is the last one, or at least the last one Coscarelli made.

That means I never have to watch another Phantasm movie ever again!

HOORAY!!!

Second best out of four

[lancejoseph34 · 8/10 · 16 January 2006]

If you remember the first movie at all, and you approach this movie with an open mind, you will find OblIVion quite satisfying. Though not as atmospheric as the first movie, there are several creepy scenes scattered throughout, including the opening scene and a dream sequence involving Reggie. In addition, there are several scenes from Phantasm (I) cleverly woven into the storyline creating continuity between the two films. Some, but not all questions are cryptically answered, which steadfastly adheres to the "nothing is as it seems",non linear flow to the movies. It definitely leaves room for one last movie. Maybe the last movie can spell it out (or at least somewhat) for "phans" needing closure.

In conclusion, if your not a fan of the Phantasm movies, or are just randomly renting movies out of boredom, I strongly suggest you don't bother and keep your cynicism to yourself. But if your willing to at least watch the first film, or if your addicted to Phantasm I, Phantasm IV will clearly keep you wanting more.

I liked this way more than I thought I would

[BandSAboutMovies · 7/10 · 23 December 2018]

This one opens right where the last one ended, with Mike leaving town and Reggie trapped. The Tall Man lets him go to play one last game while the ball form of Jody becomes human long enough to tell Reggie that he has to search for Mike.

Reggie saves a woman named Jennifer from some of the Tall Man's soldiers and just when it seems like our ice cream dude is finally about to get lucky, her breasts rip apart to reveal two silver balls - yes, really this happens - before Reggie uses a sledgehammer and his tuning form to stop her.

Mike has flashbacks to his younger days - using footage shot during the original Phantasm that was never used - to try and determine who the tall man is. He tries to kill himself, only to be stopped by the Tall Man. He escapes through a gateway where he meets a kindly old man named Jebediah Morningside, who looks exactly like the Tall Man (the old lady on the porch is supposed to be the fortune teller from Phantasm).

Then, Mike learns that he can move things with his brain. Jody finds him just in time to escape the Tall Man again.

Reggie arrives in Death Valley, fighting off some dwarves as Mike and Jody reappear, yet Mike tells him not to trust Jody. Mike and Jody then go through another gate back to Jebediah's house, where they learn how he created the first interdimensional gate and became the Tall Man, who chases them back to another cemetery where Jody turns on his brother. Mike kills his brother with a sphere he built out of car parts and runs from the Tall Man.

If at this point your head is spinning from reading this, imagine watching it. This installment tries hard to keep the crazy narrative shifts from the beginning, constantly shifting the questions when you think you have all the answers.

Mike and Reggie use the car sphere and the hearse's motor, now an interdimensional bomb, to destroy the Tall Man, who of course emerges seconds later from the gate, unharmed. He reveals that he is one of many as he removes the gold sphere from Mike head and leaves. Reggie arms himself and jumps through the gate, just as Mike has a memory of them riding in his ice cream truck together.

This installment's budget was minuscule when compared to the last two Phantasm films. In fact, if you look at inflation, it was shot on a lower budget than the original. That's why so many scenes are set in the desert. And the film wasn't afraid to call in some favors, like the swarm of spheres, which was created by fans and KNB cutting Coscarelli a break on the cost of their effects.

Sadly, this movie could have been even bigger. Roger Avery, who co-wrote Pulp Fiction as well as Silent Hill, is a super fan of the Phantasm Series and suggested an epic ending called Phantasm 1999 A.D. This post-apocalyptic film would also star Bruce Campbell but cost way too much to get made in the pre-Kickstarter world.

Here's the synopsis from IMDB, which will make you crestfallen that we never got this sequel: "The year is 2012 and there are only three U.S. states left. Between New York and California is the wasteland known as the Plague Zone. Unfortunately, the evil Tall Man controls that area. Since many people are dead, the Tall Man is able to make thousands of dwarf slaves for his planet daily in the Mormon Mausoleum. Besides him, the other residents are "baggers," human-like creatures that are infected by the Tall Man's blood, the dwarves, and, of course, the silver spheres, all trying to break out of the barrier that contains them and into the real world. A group of hi-tech troops are sent in to destroy the red dimension where the Tall Man gets his power. Reggie follows so he can find Mike after a series of nightmares he had. Will they be able to finally destroy the Tall Man for good?"

There's one awesome scene in this one, where the Tall Man chases Mike down Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, which is completely deserted, an effect achieved by shooting it on Thanksgiving morning.

Oh yeah - where is Tim? The kid who ended up being a main character in the last film was to have been eaten by the dwarves in this one, but the budget kept that from being filmed.

The worst

[depeche-4 · 1/10 · 12 November 2000]

The Phantasm series had been worst with each sequel. The last one is unbearable, and the end of the film is totally baffle. I like the first Phantasm and stand the other two sequels, but that is... It has no sense and is boring... Please, I don't want more Phantasm films...