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{{About|the 1979 horror film|the similarly named 1976 pornographic film|Fantasm|other uses|Phantasm (disambiguation){{!}}Phantasm}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox film
| name           = Phantasm
| image          = phantasm.jpg
| alt            = A woman screams and covers her eyes, which are then superimposed over her hands
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Don Coscarelli]]
| producer       = D.A. Coscarelli<ref name=afi>{{cite web|url=http://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/67731|title=Phantasm (1979)|work=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]|publisher=[[American Film Institute]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241203183300/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/67731|archive-date=December 3, 2024}}</ref><!-- producer only, not executive producer or co-producer -->
| writer         = Don Coscarelli
| starring       = {{plainlist|
* [[A. Michael Baldwin|Michael Baldwin]]
* Bill Thornbury
* [[Reggie Bannister]]
* Kathy Lester
* [[Angus Scrimm]]
}}
| music          = {{plainlist|
* [[Fred Myrow]]
* Malcolm Seagrave
}}
| cinematography = Don Coscarelli
| editing        = Don Coscarelli
| studio         = New Breed Productions
| distributor    = [[Embassy Pictures|Avco Embassy Pictures]]<ref name=afi/>
| released       = {{film date|1979|03|28|ref1=<ref name=afi/>}}
| runtime        = 89 minutes<!-- Theatrical runtime: 88:42 --><ref>{{cite web|title=PHANTASM (X)|url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF016133/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121103033404/http://www.bbfc.co.uk/AFF016133/|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 3, 2012|work=[[British Board of Film Classification]]|date=April 26, 1979|access-date=January 17, 2012}}</ref>
| country        = United States
| language       = English
| budget         = $300,000<ref name=usatoday>{{cite news|last=Snider|first=Mike|title='Phantasm' up for Grabs|url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-04-09-phantasm_N.htm|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250127020954/https://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-04-09-phantasm_N.htm|archive-date=January 27, 2025|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=July 9, 2007}}</ref>
| gross          = $22 million<ref name=gross/>
}}
'''''Phantasm''''' is a 1979 American [[Supernatural horror film|supernatural horror]] film<ref>{{cite news |last=Murray |first=Noel |date=October 6, 2016 |title=Review: Treats for horror fans with a new 'Phantasm' and the original 'Remastered' |url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-phantasm-remastered-ravager-review-20161001-snap-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230115081021/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-phantasm-remastered-ravager-review-20161001-snap-story.html |archive-date=January 15, 2023 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> directed, written, photographed, and edited by [[Don Coscarelli]], and stars [[A. Michael Baldwin]], Bill Thornbury, [[Reggie Bannister]], Kathy Lester, and [[Angus Scrimm]]. The first installment of the [[Phantasm (franchise)|''Phantasm'' franchise]], the film follows Mike, a teenager in a small [[Oregon]] town who, along with his older brother Jody and family friend [[Reggie (Phantasm)|Reggie]], investigates strange goings-on at the local [[funeral home]], which is operated by a mysterious [[mortician]] known as "the [[Tall Man (Phantasm)|Tall Man]]".

Coscarelli based ''Phantasm'' on a nightmare he had as a teenager, which he developed into a rough screenplay. The film was a fully [[independent film|independent]] production, financed by Coscarelli, his father, and local investors, and with a cast and crew made up mostly of amateurs and aspiring professionals. The film was shot over the course of a year, mainly in and around [[Chatsworth, Los Angeles|Chatsworth, California]]. Coscarelli continued to alter and develop the screenplay throughout the filming process. A months-long [[post-production]] followed, during which the film underwent significant editing.

[[Embassy Pictures|Avco Embassy Pictures]] acquired ''Phantasm'' for theatrical distribution in the United States, premiering it in Los Angeles in the spring of 1979. Following its expanded theatrical release, the film went on to become a [[box office]] hit, with an international gross of $22 million. It was met with mixed reviews from film critics, though it garnered praise for its visual elements and unique screenplay. In the years since its original release, it has become a [[cult film]] with a devoted following. It has appeared on several critics' lists of the best horror films and has been cited as a significant influence on the horror film genre. [[Film studies|Film scholars]] have noted ''Phantasm'' for its [[surrealism|surrealistic]] qualities and prominent themes of mourning, loss, and sibling relationships.

In 2015, the film underwent [[Film preservation|restoration]] supervised by Coscarelli and the production company [[Bad Robot]], whose co-founder [[J. J. Abrams]] is an outspoken fan of the film. The restored version of the film was given a limited theatrical release in 2016, followed by several [[Blu-ray]] releases in the United States and United Kingdom.

==Plot==
While having sex with a woman in Morningside Cemetery, a young man named Tommy is stabbed to death by the woman, who is revealed to be the local [[Funeral director|mortician]], in [[shapeshifting|supernatural disguise]] as "The Lady in Lavender". At the funeral, Tommy's friends, Jody Pearson and [[Reggie (Phantasm)|Reggie]], state they believe he died by [[suicide]]. Jody's 13-year-old brother Mike secretly observes the funeral and sees the mortician—dubbed "[[Tall Man (Phantasm)|The Tall Man]]"—placing Tommy's heavy [[coffin]], with seemingly little effort, back into the [[hearse]] instead of completing the burial. Mike visits a local [[Fortune-telling|fortune teller]] and tells her what he saw. She has him stick his hand in a box, and at first something seems to grab it, but then he removes it unharmed after being told to not be afraid.

Later, Jody is seduced by the Lady in Lavender and taken to the cemetery to have sex. However, they are interrupted by Mike, who has been following Jody and has been driven out of his hiding place by a short, hooded figure. Mike tries to tell Jody about the hooded figure, but Jody dismisses him. Inside the [[mausoleum]], Mike is chased by a flying silver sphere and accosted by a caretaker but escapes when the sphere kills the caretaker. Mike then flees the Tall Man and slams a door to get away; the Tall Man's fingers get caught and then cut off, but continue to move, dripping yellow [[ichor]]. Taking one of the fingers with him, Mike escapes the mausoleum.

The still-moving finger is enough to convince Jody about Mike's stories. Before Jody can bring the finger to the sheriff, it transforms into a flying insect. Reggie, who witnesses the insect attack them, joins the brothers in their suspicions. Jody goes to the cemetery alone but is chased away by dwarves and a seemingly driverless hearse. He is rescued by Mike in Jody's [[Plymouth Barracuda]]. Running the hearse off the road, they discover that it was driven by one of the hooded figures, a [[Undead|re-animated]] and shrunken Tommy, whom they hide in Reggie's [[Ice cream van|ice cream truck]].

Reggie and Jody resolve to defeat the Tall Man, while Mike is hidden at an antique store owned by Jody's friends Sally and Sue. There, Mike discovers an old photograph of the Tall Man and insists on being taken home. On the way, Mike, Sally and Sue come across the ice cream truck, overturned. They are attacked by a mob of hooded dwarves. Mike manages to escape, presuming the girls and Reggie dead.

Jody locks Mike in his bedroom for safety and goes to the mausoleum to kill the Tall Man. Mike escapes, but runs into the Tall Man, who is waiting for him outside his front door. He kidnaps Mike in a hearse, but Mike escapes and causes the hearse to strike a pole and explode. Looking for Jody in the mausoleum, Mike is targeted by the silver sphere until Jody destroys it with a [[shotgun]]. Mike and Jody are reunited with Reggie, and together they enter a brightly lit room filled with canisters containing more dwarves. Mike catches a brief glimpse through an interplanetary portal or [[wormhole]], seeing a red, hot world where the dwarves are toiling as slaves.

A sudden power outage separates the trio. Left alone in the room, Reggie activates the portal, creating a powerful [[Vacuum#Outer space|vacuum]] from which he narrowly escapes. In the ensuing storm, Reggie is stabbed by the Lady in Lavender while Jody and Mike flee and the mausoleum vanishes. Jody devises a plan to trap the Tall Man in an abandoned [[mine shaft]]. The Tall Man attacks Mike at home and chases him outside, eventually falling into the mine shaft where he is buried under an avalanche of rocks triggered by Jody.

Mike then wakes up in his bed, still worried about the Tall Man. Reggie, still alive, says that Jody died in a car wreck the week before; everything Mike experienced thus far was a grief-induced nightmare. Promising to look after Mike, Reggie proposes a road trip. When Mike enters his bedroom to pack, the Tall Man appears and hands crash through the bedroom mirror, pulling Mike inside.

==Cast==
{{Cast listing|
* [[Angus Scrimm]] as [[Tall Man (Phantasm)|The Tall Man]]
* [[A. Michael Baldwin]] as Mike Pearson
* Bill Thornbury as Jody Pearson
* [[Reggie Bannister]] as [[Reggie (Phantasm)|Reggie]]
* Kathy Lester as Lady in Lavender
* Bill Cone as Tommy
* Kenneth V. Jones as the Caretaker
* Mary Ellen Shaw as Fortuneteller
* Terrie Kalbus as Fortuneteller's granddaughter
* Laura Mann as Double Lavender
* Susan Harper as Sue
* Lynn Eastman as Sally
* David Arntzen as Toby
}}

==Themes==
Film scholar [[John Kenneth Muir]] interprets ''Phantasm'' as being about mourning and death.{{sfn|Muir|2002|pages=611–613}} The protagonist, Mike, is grieving the death of his parents and on the cusp of young adulthood.{{sfn|Muir|2002|pages=612–613}} The imagery alternates between mundane and surreal, blurring the lines between reality and nightmare while exploring the larger themes of confrontation with death, grief, and coming of age.{{sfn|Muir|2002|pages=611–613}}

Many of the film's fans are adolescent boys or men who saw the film during their adolescence.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.filmink.com.au/rewind-the-making-of-phantasm/|work=[[FilmInk]]|title=Rewind: The Making Of Phantasm|last=Barlow|first=Dominic|date=August 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202192318/https://www.filmink.com.au/rewind-the-making-of-phantasm/|archive-date=December 2, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://consequence.net/2016/09/the-ball-is-back-don-coscarelli-on-phantasm-fanboys-and-fishing-wire/|work=[[Consequence (website)|Consequence]]|title=Don Coscarelli on Phantasm, Phanboys, and Pesky Fishing Wire|date=September 22, 2016|last=Carlson|first=Marten|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250124122930/https://consequence.net/2016/09/the-ball-is-back-don-coscarelli-on-phantasm-fanboys-and-fishing-wire/|archive-date=January 24, 2025}}</ref> According to star Angus Scrimm, the film "gives expression to all their insecurities and fears".<ref name=birthday/> Scrimm states that the theme of loss and how, by fantasizing about death, the young protagonist Mike Pearson deals with the deaths in his family drives the story.<ref name="birthday" /> [[Don Coscarelli]] identifies it as a "predominately male story" that young teens respond to.<ref name="sphere" /> Scrimm explains the popularity of the film as fans responding to themes of death,<ref name="sphere" /> and the Tall Man himself represents death.<ref name="birthday" /> Muir describes the [[Tall Man (Phantasm)|Tall Man]] as embodying childhood fears of adults and states that the Tall Man wins in the end because dreams are the only place in which death can be defeated.{{sfn|Muir|2002|pages=611–613}} American views of death are another theme, of which Coscarelli said:
{{blockquote|I had a compunction to try to do something in the horror genre and I started thinking about how our culture handles death; it's different than in other societies. We have this central figure of a mortician. He dresses in dark clothing, he lurks behind doors, they do procedures on the bodies we don't know about. The whole [[embalming]] thing, if you ever do any research on it, is pretty freaky. It all culminates in this grand funerary service production. It's strange stuff. It just seemed like it would be a great area in which to make a film.<ref name=birthday/>}}

Dreams and surrealism are also important elements of ''Phantasm''.<ref>{{cite web|title="Phantasm" 30 Years Later: If This One Doesn't Scare You, You're Already Dead|url=https://newuniversity.org/2016/10/04/phantasm-30-years-later-if-this-one-doesnt-scare-you-youre-already-dead/|work=[[University of California, Irvine|New University]]|publisher=[[University of California, Irvine]]|last=Cueto|first=Jason|date=October 4, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211205142750/https://newuniversity.org/2016/10/04/phantasm-30-years-later-if-this-one-doesnt-scare-you-youre-already-dead/|archive-date=December 5, 2021}}</ref> In ''Dark Romance: Sexuality in the Horror Film'', author David J. Hogan describes the film as "very much like a dream. It provocatively bends the rules of the real world as it rushes to meet horror after horror."{{sfn|Hogan|2010|p=xii}} Marc Savlov of the ''[[Austin Chronicle]]'' compares ''Phantasm'' to the works of [[Alejandro Jodorowsky]] and [[Luis Buñuel]] in terms of strangeness.<ref name=sphere/> Savlov describes the film as [[Existentialism|existentialist]] horror and "a truly bizarre mix of [[Splatter film|outlandish horror, cheapo gores]], and psychological mindgames that purposefully blur the line between waking and dreaming."<ref name=sphere/> Gina McIntyre of the ''Los Angeles Times'' describes the film as surreal, creepy, and idiosyncratic.<ref name=birthday/> Muir writes that ''Phantasm'' "purposely inhabits the half-understood sphere of dreams" and takes place in the imagination of a disturbed boy.{{sfn|Muir|2002|pages=611–613}}

Alex DiVincenzo, writing for ''[[Bloody Disgusting]]'' in a 2024 retrospective on the film, summarized that the film is "ultimately about Mike coming to terms with the passing of Jody, portrayed as the cool older sibling every adolescent wishes they had. Mike confronts his fear by dreaming up a final adventure with his dearly departed brother in which they manage to defeat death itself, represented by The Tall Man. Upon doing so, he’s awakened to the harsh reality that Jody died in a car accident, allowing Mike to reach the final stage of grief: acceptance."<ref name=DiVincenzo/>

==Production==
===Development===
Most of the ideas for ''Phantasm'' were developed by Coscarelli from a nightmare he had as a teenager, in which he was chased down a long corridor by a flying chrome sphere which he feared would drill his brain out. After seeing the audience reaction to jump scares in ''[[Kenny & Company]]'', Coscarelli, who was the writer and director for the film, decided to do a horror film as his next project.<ref name=Yapp/> His previous films had not performed well, and he heard that horror films were always successful; branching into horror allowed him to combine his childhood love of the genre with better business prospects.<ref name=fortean>{{cite journal|last=Sutton|first=David|title=Don Coscarelli|journal=[[Fortean Times]]|year=2006|url=http://www.forteantimes.com/features/interviews/116/don_coscarelli.html|access-date=August 11, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105114832/http://www.forteantimes.com/features/interviews/116/don_coscarelli.html|archive-date=November 5, 2013}}</ref> The original idea was inspired by ''[[Something Wicked This Way Comes (novel)|Something Wicked This Way Comes]]'' by [[Ray Bradbury]]. Coscarelli had initially sought to adapt the story into a film, but the license had already been sold.<ref name=fearnet>{{cite web|last=McCabe|first=Joseph|title=Don Coscarelli Talks Phantasm and Bubba|url=http://www.fearnet.com/news/review/don-coscarelli-talks-phantasm-and-bubba|work=[[Fearnet]]|date=April 9, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131224110340/http://www.fearnet.com/news/review/don-coscarelli-talks-phantasm-and-bubba|archive-date=December 24, 2013}}</ref> The theme of a young boy's difficulty convincing adults of his fears was influenced by ''[[Invaders from Mars (1953 film)|Invaders from Mars]]'' (1953).<ref>{{cite news|last=Piepenburg|first=Erik|title=Just So You Know: 'John Dies at the End'|url=http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/just-so-you-know-john-dies-at-the-end/?_r=0|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=January 24, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250601205753/https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/just-so-you-know-john-dies-at-the-end/?_r=0|archive-date=June 1, 2025}}</ref> [[Dario Argento]]'s ''[[Suspiria]]'' (1977) and its lack of explanations was another influence on Coscarelli.<ref name=fortean/> The soundtrack was influenced by [[Goblin (band)|Goblin]] and [[Mike Oldfield]]. The synthesizers used for the film were so primitive that it was often difficult to reproduce the same sound twice.<ref name=ign>{{cite web|last=Gilchrist|first=Todd|title=Exclusive Interview: Don Coscarelli|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/10/exclusive-interview-don-coscarelli|work=[[IGN]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240711044218/https://www.ign.com/articles/2007/04/10/exclusive-interview-don-coscarelli|archive-date=July 11, 2024|url-status=live|date=April 10, 2007}}</ref> When writing the film's conclusion, Coscarelli intentionally wanted to shock audiences and "send people out of the theater with a bang."<ref name=ten>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1982&dat=19840226&id=jYpGAAAAIBAJ&sjid=ei4NAAAAIBAJ&pg=1573,2637606|title='Cult' films Spell Success for Movie-Maker|last=Duvoli|first=John|work=The Evening News|location=Newburgh, New York|date=February 26, 1984|access-date=March 5, 2014|via=Google News}}</ref>

===Casting===
Coscarelli cast the film using actors who had appeared in his previous work, often writing the parts exclusively for them.<ref name=fearnet/> Michael Baldwin's character of Mike Pearson was written specifically for him after Baldwin appeared in a minor role in Coscarelli's second feature, ''[[Kenny & Company]]'' (1976).{{sfn|Baldassarre|1999|p=51}}<ref name=McClintock/> Coscarelli attributes the enduring popularity of the film to young audiences who responded to the character of Mike and his adventures throughout the film.<ref name=birthday>{{cite news|title=Happy Birthday, Tall Man! 'Phantasm' Turns 30|url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/phantasm/|first=Gina|last=McIntyre|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=October 16, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130810073552/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/uncategorized/phantasm/|archive-date=August 10, 2013}}</ref>

After being intimidated by Scrimm on the set of a previous film, ''[[Jim the World's Greatest]]'' (1976), Coscarelli decided that Scrimm would make a great villain and cast him as the [[Tall Man (Phantasm)|Tall Man]].<ref name=sphere>{{cite news|last=Savlov|first=Marc|title=Sphere of Influence|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2000-03-31/76665/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250225062641/https://www.austinchronicle.com/screens/2000-03-31/76665/|archive-date=February 25, 2025|url-status=live|newspaper=[[Austin Chronicle]]|date=March 31, 2000}}</ref><ref name=McClintock>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-peninsula-times-tribune/177116943/|date=March 24, 1979|last=McClintock|first=John|title=Terrified screams of horror are music to their ears|work=[[Peninsula Times Tribune]]|page=B-5|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Initially, Scrimm had little input on the character, but began contributing to the character's construction after Coscarelli began to trust his instincts. Scrimm was outfitted in lifts and a suit too small for him in order to make him seem even taller and skinnier. Coscarelli says of Scrimm: "I really didn't have any idea that he would take it to the level that he did. ... I could see it was going to be a very powerful character."<ref name=birthday/>

Coscarelli based the character of [[Reggie (Phantasm)|Reggie]] on his friend [[Reggie Bannister]], for whom the role was also written.<ref name=Yapp>{{cite web|last=Yapp|first=Nate|title=Reggie Bannister ("Phantasm") Interview|url=http://classic-horror.com/newsreel/reggie_bannister_phantasm_interview|work=Classic-Horror.com|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250627071654/https://classic-horror.com/newsreel/reggie_bannister_phantasm_interview.html|archive-date=June 27, 2025|date=November 25, 2008}}</ref> Reggie was designed to be an everyman,<ref name=Yapp/> a loyal friend,<ref name=icon/> and serve as comic relief in the film.{{sfn|Hennessey|McCarty|2005|p=79}}

The Tall Man character also appears in the [[shapeshifting]] form of the Lady in Lavender,{{sfn|Newman|2011|p=278}} a female figure he embodies to seduce and kill Tommy, Jody's friend. In this role, Coscarelli cast Kathy Lester, with Laura Mann appearing as Lester's double, credited as Double Lavender.{{sfn|Sigoloff|2000|p=232}}

===Filming===
There were no accountants on the set, but Coscarelli estimates the budget at $300,000.<ref name=birthday/> Funding for the film came in part from Coscarelli's father,<ref name=fangoria>{{cite journal|last=Pace|first=Dave|title=Q&A: Don Coscarelli on "John Dies" & Independent Filmmaking for 30+ Years|journal=[[Fangoria]]|date=April 11, 2013|url=http://www.fangoria.com/new/qa-don-coscarelli-on-john-dies-independent-filmmaking-for-30-years/|access-date=August 11, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131109222258/http://www.fangoria.com/new/qa-don-coscarelli-on-john-dies-independent-filmmaking-for-30-years/|archive-date=November 9, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> who was credited as the film's producer;<ref name=afi/> additional funding came from doctors and lawyers.<ref name=birthday/> Coscarelli's mother designed some of the special effects,<ref name=fangoria/> costumes, and make-up,<ref name=birthday/> receiving credit under several alternate [[pseudonym]]s.<ref name=Mulcahey/> Coscarelli commented: "We decided to do that because it would look too ridiculous otherwise. There were already too many Coscarellis in the credits as it is."<ref name=Mulcahey/> The cast and crew were made up mainly of Coscarelli's friends and other aspiring professionals.<ref name=Mulcahey/> Due to their inexperience, they did not realize that firing blanks could be dangerous; Coscarelli's jacket at one point caught fire from a shotgun blank.<ref name=birthday/> Because he could not afford to hire an editor or cameraman, Coscarelli also performed these duties himself.{{sfn|Baldassarre|1999|p=50}}

[[File:Dunsmuir House 03.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1|The [[Dunsmuir House]] in [[Oakland, California]] served as the exterior for the Morningside Mortuary]]
Filming began in 1977<ref name=DiVincenzo>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3805041/phantasm-why-the-horror-classics-exploration-of-death-is-still-effective-45-years-later/|work=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|last=DiVincenzo|first=Alex|title='Phantasm' – Why the Horror Classic's Exploration of Death Still Resonates 45 Years Later|date=March 28, 2024|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241231123432/https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3805041/phantasm-why-the-horror-classics-exploration-of-death-is-still-effective-45-years-later/|archive-date=December 31, 2024}}</ref> and was done on weekends and sometimes lasted for 20 hours a day over the course of more than a year.<ref name=sphere/> Actor Reggie Bannister, who performed most of his own stunts in the film,<ref name=icon/> described the production as "flying by the seat of our pants." The actors would often be called to perform their scenes and picked up as soon as they were available.<ref name=birthday/><ref name=icon>{{cite web|url=http://www.iconvsicon.com/2009/07/28/30-years-of-phantasm-reggie-bannister-interview-200/|title=30 Years of Phantasm|last=Johnson|first=Steve|work=Icon vs Icon|date=July 28, 2009|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241213024143/http://www.iconvsicon.com/2009/07/28/30-years-of-phantasm-reggie-bannister-interview-200/|archive-date=December 13, 2024}}</ref>

Though the film is set in [[Oregon]], principal photography took place primarily in the San Fernando Valley in [[Chatsworth, Los Angeles|Chatsworth, California]].<ref name=birthday/>{{sfn|Olson|2018|p=158}} An ice cream shop on main street was filmed on the outskirts of [[San Diego County, California|San Diego County]] in [[Julian, California]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phantasm.com/blog/phantasm-filming-locations-reggies-ice-cream-shop-amp-morningside-main-street|work=Phantasm.com|title=Phantasm Filming Locations: Reggie's Ice Cream Shop and Morningside Main Street|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230114154829/https://www.phantasm.com/blog/phantasm-filming-locations-reggies-ice-cream-shop-amp-morningside-main-street|archive-date=January 14, 2023}}</ref> The exteriors of the Morningside Mortuary were shot at [[Oakland, California|Oakland]]'s [[Dunsmuir House]] in Northern California.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dunsmuir: The Oakland Mansion That Inspired Hollywood Nightmares|work=[[KQED (TV)|KQED]]|url=https://www.kqed.org/news/11964119/dunsmuir-the-oakland-mansion-that-inspired-hollywood-nightmares|date=October 12, 2023|last=Myrow|first=Rachael|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250621043716/https://www.kqed.org/news/11964119/dunsmuir-the-oakland-mansion-that-inspired-hollywood-nightmares|archive-date=June 21, 2025}}</ref> Due to logistic and budgetary restrictions, the interiors of the mausoleum were constructed in a local warehouse in the Los Angeles area.<ref name=Mulcahey>{{cite web|url=https://filmmakermagazine.com/100440-student-filmmaking-at-its-finest-don-coscarelli-on-phantasm/|work=[[Filmmaker (magazine)|Filmmaker]]|last=Mulcahey|first=Matt|date=October 31, 2016|title="Student Filmmaking at its Finest": Don Coscarelli on Phantasm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250121011909/https://filmmakermagazine.com/100440-student-filmmaking-at-its-finest-don-coscarelli-on-phantasm/|archive-date=January 21, 2025}}</ref>

The script changed often during production, and Bannister says that he never saw a completed copy of it; instead, they worked scene-by-scene and used improvisation.<ref name=sphere/><ref name=icon/> The script was characterized by Coscarelli as "barely linear".<ref name=fortean/> While it contained the basic concepts of the completed film, the script was unfocused and rewritten during filming.<ref name=fortean/> The concept of the spheres came from one of Coscarelli's personal nightmares, but the original idea did not involve drilling.<ref name=sphere/> Will Greene, an elderly metal-worker, fashioned the iconic spheres, but he never got to see the finished film, as he died before the film was released.<ref name=ten/> The black 1971 [[Plymouth Barracuda]] was used because Coscarelli had known someone in high school who drove one, and he realized it was a vehicle he could easily get access to.<ref name=birthday/>

===Post-production===
Post-production took another six to eight months.<ref name=birthday/> The first test screening was poorly received due to the film's length; Coscarelli says that he erred in adding too much character development, which needed to be edited out.<ref name=sphere/> ''Phantasm''{{'}}s fractured dream logic was due in part to the extensive editing.<ref name=ign/> During shooting, they did not have a clear idea of the ending.<ref name=fortean/> Several endings were filmed, and one of them was re-used in ''[[Phantasm IV: Oblivion]]''. Coscarelli attributed the freedom to choose from among these endings to his independent financing.<ref name=birthday/>

==Music==
[[Fred Myrow]] and Malcolm Seagrave composed the original score for ''Phantasm''.{{sfn|Coscarelli|2018|p=318}} [[Waxwork Records]] released the score in a 3-LP vinyl set in January 2025, restored from the original tape masters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://waxworkrecords.com/products/phantasm?srsltid=AfmBOorKOW8eZ7H2C7nTIpdvftQt7X8J1Maq76zLDuWFKNWmskjiSk7m|work=[[Waxwork Records]]|title=Phantasm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250721173136/https://waxworkrecords.com/products/phantasm?srsltid=AfmBOorKOW8eZ7H2C7nTIpdvftQt7X8J1Maq76zLDuWFKNWmskjiSk7m|archive-date=July 21, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Release==
[[File:Phantasm (1979) newspaper ad.jpg|thumb|upright=.7|''Phantasm'' advertisement in the ''[[The Fresno Bee]]'', 1979]]
To solicit outside opinions, Coscarelli paid an audience to watch an early cut of the film.<ref name=ten/> Although Coscarelli called the result "a disaster," he was encouraged by the audience's reactions to the film.<ref name=ten/> According to Coscarelli, ''Phantasm'' was shopped to executives at "every major studio," but each passed on the film.<ref name=Mulcahey/> The financial success of the film ''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' released the prior year convinced vice-president of marketing at [[Embassy Pictures|Avco Embassy Pictures]], [[Robert Rehme]], to purchase ''Phantasm'' for distribution.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Nowell|first1=Richard|title=The Ambitions of Most Independent Filmmakers: Indie Production, the Majors, and Friday the 13th (1980)|journal=Journal of Film and Video|date=2011|volume=63|issue=2|page=32|doi=10.5406/jfilmvideo.63.2.0028|s2cid=194097731}}</ref>

Avco Embassy released ''Phantasm'' regionally, making 500 prints for theatrical distribution.<ref name=Mulcahey/> The film opened on March 28, 1979 in California and Texas,<ref>{{cite magazine|title='Phantasm,' $4,178,352|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=May 9, 1979|page=10}}</ref> followed by releases in the southeastern United States and the [[Pacific Northwest]].<ref name=Mulcahey/> The film premiered in New York City on June 1, 1979.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news/177108258/|work=[[New York Daily News]]|page=2|date=June 1, 1979|title=Phantasm: Starts Today|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Coscarelli recalled that the platformed regional release "worked great" because it allowed for him and Angus Scrimm to travel to different regions of the country to promote the film: "Angus would wear his costume and make-up and we’d be on these morning shows and Angus would be glaring into the camera with his arched eyebrows at like 7 a.m."<ref name=Mulcahey/>

The film was released in Australia under the alternative title ''The Never Dead'', to avoid confusion with the similarly-named 1976 Australian softcore porn film ''[[Fantasm]]''.{{sfn|Coscarelli|2018|p=123}}

===Home media===
Magnetic Video released ''Phantasm'' on [[LaserDisc]], [[Betamax]], and [[VHS]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-muscatine-journal/177050339/|work=[[Muscatine Journal]]|date=June 30, 1981|title=Magnetic Video Releases|page=14|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref> Embassy Home Entertainment released it on VHS in 1984,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/memorabilia/phantasm-vhs-1984-igs-box-9-mint-and-seal-9-mint-embassy-home-entertainment-slipcase-horizontal-overlap-seal-bottom-white-n/a/48152-19114.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115|work=[[Heritage Auctions]]|title=Phantasm VHS 1984 - IGS Box 9 Mint and Seal 9 Mint, Embassy Home Entertainment Slipcase, Horizontal Overlap Seal, Bottom White|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250720064716/https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/memorabilia/phantasm-vhs-1984-igs-box-9-mint-and-seal-9-mint-embassy-home-entertainment-slipcase-horizontal-overlap-seal-bottom-white-n/a/48152-19114.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Archive-ThisAuction-120115|archive-date=July 20, 2025}}</ref> and later reissued it through [[Nelson Entertainment]], after Embassy was sold to Coca-Cola in 1985 and renamed. [[Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Home Entertainment]] later issued a VHS and special edition [[DVD]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/40|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=January 5, 2000|title=Phantasm: SE|last=Kunisch|first=Blake|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250721024747/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/review/40|archive-date=July 21, 2025}}</ref> in August 1998<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1454&dat=19980828&id=TLJOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xx4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6472,4787362|title=New on Video|work=[[Star-News]]|date=August 28, 1998|via=Google News}}</ref> after acquiring rights to Avco Embassy's catalogue.{{sfn|Coscarelli|2018|p=243}} [[Anchor Bay Entertainment]] subsequently re-released it on DVD on April 10, 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/27332/phantasm/|title=Phantasm|last=Jane|first=Ian|work=[[DVD Talk]]|date=April 10, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222150446/https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/27332/phantasm/|archive-date=December 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref>

====Restoration====
In late 2015, Coscarelli showed a work-in-progress [[4K resolution]] restoration of ''Phantasm'' (dubbed ''Phantasm: Remastered'') at the [[Butt-Numb-A-Thon]] film festival. It was supervised by Coscarelli at [[Bad Robot]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/543201/phantasm-restoration-don-coscarelli-interview/|work=[[/Film]]|title=Director Don Coscarelli On The The 4K Restoration Of 'Phantasm' And How J.J. Abrams Made It Happen [SXSW Interview]|last=Hall|first=Jacob|date=March 14, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418010858/https://www.slashfilm.com/543201/phantasm-restoration-don-coscarelli-interview/|archive-date=April 18, 2024}}</ref> Bad Robot became involved when director [[J. J. Abrams]], a fan of the [[Phantasm (franchise)|''Phantasm'' series]], requested a screening of the film.<ref name=Fitzgerald>{{cite web|url=https://www.vulture.com/2015/12/abrams-bad-robot-4k-phantasm.html|work=[[Vulture (website)|Vulture]]|title=J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot Are Overseeing a 4K Restoration of Phantasm|last=Fitz-Gerald|first=Sean|date=December 14, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151217191214/https://www.vulture.com/2015/12/abrams-bad-robot-4k-phantasm.html|archive-date=December 17, 2015}}</ref> Coscarelli told him that he did not have a high-quality print, but Abrams volunteered the use of his technicians for a restoration.<ref name=Fitzgerald/> The completed restoration premiered at [[South by Southwest]] in March 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screamhorrormag.com/17161-2/|title=Don Coscarelli Muses Over Phantasm Remastered Ahead of SXSW Screening|last=Gorman|first=Howard|work=[[Scream (magazine)|Scream]]|date=March 14, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241127144434/https://www.screamhorrormag.com/17161-2/|archive-date=November 27, 2024}}</ref> The remastered version of the film was released in limited theaters in the United States in conjunction with Art House Theater Day, on September 24, 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thecolonialtheatre.com/programs/phantasm-remastered/|work=[[Colonial Theatre (Phoenixville, Pennsylvania)|The Colonial Theatre]]|title=Phantasm: Remastered|archive-date=July 5, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180705084434/https://thecolonialtheatre.com/programs/phantasm-remastered/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ifccenter.com/films/phantasm-remastered/|work=[[IFC Center]]|title=Phantasm: Remastered|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205005925/https://www.ifccenter.com/films/phantasm-remastered/|archive-date=February 5, 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/article/2016/07/28/phantasm-remastered-ravager-don-coscarelli/|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|title=Phantasm: Remastered, Phantasm: Ravager coming to theaters this fall|last=Collis|first=Clark|date=July 28, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250227164108/https://ew.com/article/2016/07/28/phantasm-remastered-ravager-don-coscarelli/|archive-date=February 27, 2025}}</ref>

The restored version of ''Phantasm'' was released on [[Blu-ray]] on December 6, 2016 by Well Go USA.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Phantasm-Blu-ray/78092/|title=Phantasm: Remastered|work= Blu-ray.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250512060033/https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Phantasm-Blu-ray/78092/|archive-date=May 12, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> It was later included in a 2017 multi-film Blu-ray set featuring the entire ''Phantasm'' series, and again in 2021 in a similar box set which included a full-scale replica of the sphere featured in the films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3671659/complete-phantasm-blu-ray-collection-re-released-july-includes-full-scale-replica-sphere/|work=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|title=The Complete 'Phantasm' Blu-ray Collection is Being Re-Released in July; Includes Full Scale Replica Sphere!|date=July 28, 2021|last=Squires|first=John|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220725084529/https://bloody-disgusting.com/home-video/3671659/complete-phantasm-blu-ray-collection-re-released-july-includes-full-scale-replica-sphere/|archive-date=July 25, 2022}}</ref> In the United Kingdom, [[Arrow Films]] issued a [[Blu-ray#Region B|region B]] Blu-ray box set in 2017 featuring the sphere as part of the packaging.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://screenanarchy.com/2017/05/pretty-packaging-having-a-ball-with-the-phantasm-boxset-gallery.html|work=[[ScreenAnarchy]]|title=Pretty Packaging: Having A Ball With The PHANTASM Boxset|date=May 8, 2017|last=Vijn|first=Ard|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250112232825/https://screenanarchy.com/2017/05/pretty-packaging-having-a-ball-with-the-phantasm-boxset-gallery.html|archive-date=January 12, 2025}}</ref>

==Reception==
===Box office===
During its opening weekend in 101 theater locations in New York City, the film earned $703,437 in box office sales, marking one of the highest opening weekends for a film released by Avco Embassy Pictures.<ref name=afi/> In the United States, it earned $11,988,469.<ref name=BOM>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0079714/|work=[[Box Office Mojo]]|title=Phantasm|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223204947/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0079714/|archive-date=February 23, 2025}}</ref> In its first three months in ten foreign territories, the film grossed a further $7 million.<ref name=gross/> By the end of its theatrical run, it had grossed a worldwide total of $22 million.<ref name=gross>{{cite magazine|title='Phantasm' in 10 Foreign Lands At $7,018,000 So Far|magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=October 3, 1979|page=3}}</ref>

===Critical response===
====Contemporary====
Charles Champlin of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' deemed the film "a smooth and terrifically impressive technical achievement, a sort of ''jeu de spook'' with all manner of eerie and shocking special effects."<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|title=A Screamer in 'Phantasm'|author=Champlin, Charles|pages=11–{{URL|https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23115351/the_los_angeles_times/|12}}|date=March 28, 1979|via=Newspapers.com|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23115101/the_los_angeles_times/}}</ref> In a mostly negative review, critic [[Roger Ebert]] described the film as "a labor of love, if not a terrifically skillful one" but admitted ''Phantasm'' had a good visual style and sense of pacing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|title=Phantasm|url=https://rogerebert.com/reviews/phantasm|work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250213092634/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/phantasm|archive-date=February 13, 2025|via=[[RogerEbert.com]]|date=March 28, 1979|author-link=Roger Ebert}}</ref> Trevor Johnston of ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]'' called the film "a surprisingly shambolic affair whose moments of genuine invention stand out amid the prevailing incompetence."<ref>{{cite journal|last=Johnston|first=Trevor|title=Phantasm|journal=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|date=September 10, 2015 |url=http://www.timeout.com/london/film/phantasm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241115204746/https://www.timeout.com/movies/phantasm|archive-date=November 15, 2024|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Dave Kehr]] of the ''[[Chicago Reader]]'' described it as "spotty" and "effective here and there", though he praised Coscarelli's raw ability.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Kehr|first=Dave|title=Phantasm|journal=[[Chicago Reader]]|date=November 24, 2006 |url=http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/phantasm/Film?oid=1071451|archive-date=August 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180825081312/https://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/phantasm/Film?oid=1071451|url-status=dead|author-link=Dave Kehr}}</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' compared it to a ghost story told by a bright, imaginative 8-year-old; he concluded that it is "thoroughly silly and endearing".<ref>{{cite news|last=Canby|first=Vincent|title=Screen: 'Phantasm,' a Horror Story: Heebee Jeebee|url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9507E7DC1539E732A25752C0A9609C946890D6CF&partner=Rotten%20Tomatoes|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250528162546/https://www.nytimes.com/1979/06/01/archives/screen-phantasm-a-horror-storyheebee-jeebee.html|archive-date=May 28, 2025|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 1, 1979|author-link=Vincent Canby}}</ref> ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave it a positive review that highlighted the use of both horror and humor.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Review: Phantasm|journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|url=https://variety.com/1978/film/reviews/phantasm-1200424446/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250501174807/https://variety.com/1978/film/reviews/phantasm-1200424446/|archive-date=May 1, 2025|url-status=live|author=''Variety'' Staff|date=January 1979 }}</ref> Tim Pulleine (''[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]'') described the film as a "dilapidated z-movie" with "singularly unconvincing apparitions and contraptions" and that the film did not have "anything resembling a coherent plot in the course of all the fumblingly juvenile malarkey".<ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Monthly Film Bulletin]]|title=Phantasm|volume=46|issue=540|page=182|year=1979|publisher=[[British Film Institute]]|location=London|last=Pulleine|first=Tim|issn=0027-0407}}</ref>

====Retrospective====
{{Rotten Tomatoes prose|72||50|consensus=''Phantasm: Remastered'' adds visual clarity to the first installment in one of horror's most enduring—and endearingly idiosyncratic—franchises.|access-date=October 26, 2025|ref=y}} {{Metacritic film prose|72|10|ref=yes|access-date=July 20, 2025}}

Kim Newman of ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' called it "an incoherent but effective horror picture" that "deliberately makes no sense" and rates it four out of five stars.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Newman|first=Kim|title=Phantasm|journal=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]|url=http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=14807|author-link=Kim Newman|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305223522/http://www.empireonline.com/reviews/reviewcomplete.asp?FID=14807|archive-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref> Scott Weinberg of [[Fearnet]] stated the acting is "indie-style raw" and special effects are sometimes poor, but the originality and boldness make up for it.<ref>{{cite web|last=Weinberg|first=Scott|title=Phantasm (1979)|url=http://www.fearnet.com/news/review/phantasm-1979|work=[[Fearnet]]|date=April 12, 2007|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140305222723/http://www.fearnet.com/news/review/phantasm-1979|archive-date=March 5, 2014}}</ref> Steve Barton of [[Dread Central]] gave the film a score of five out of five stars, calling it a masterpiece and "one hell of a scary film".<ref>{{cite web|last=Barton|first=Steve|title=Phantasm: The Anchor Bay Collection (DVD)|url=http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/phantasm-the-anchor-bay-collection-dvd|work=[[Dread Central]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306005709/http://www.dreadcentral.com/reviews/phantasm-the-anchor-bay-collection-dvd|archive-date=March 6, 2014|date=April 8, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Bloody Disgusting]]'' rated it four out of five stars, calling it "truly original" and writing that it "imbues in its viewers a profound sense of dread".<ref>{{cite web|title=Phantasm|url=http://bloody-disgusting.com/film/108182/phantasm/?tab=bd-review|work=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|author=''Bloody Disgusting'' Staff|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130812032925/http://bloody-disgusting.com/film/108182/phantasm/?tab=bd-review|archive-date=August 12, 2013|url-status=dead|date=April 8, 2007}}</ref> Author [[John Kenneth Muir]] called the film striking, distinctive, and original. Muir stated that the film has become a classic, and that the Tall Man is a horror film icon.{{sfn|Muir|2002|pages=611–613}}

Writing for ''[[PopMatters]]'', Bill Gibron noted in 2008: "at its core, ''Phantasm'' was and remains a movie about the nature of dread. It’s an experiment in what makes us afraid. It uses any and all terror tenets—suspense, bloodletting, the unknown, the unstoppable—as gears in an ever-churning macabre machine. Perhaps the clearest indication of Coscarelli’s success remains the enigmatic villain he created, the iconic Tall Man. It’s rare when a movie can leave behind such a lasting impression. For ''Phantasm'', this lumbering ghoul remains its legitimate legacy."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.popmatters.com/phantasm-1979-2496114526.html|work=[[PopMatters]]|title=Phantasm (1979)|date=October 6, 2008|last=Gibron|first=Bill|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250720163121/https://www.popmatters.com/phantasm-1979-2496114526.html|archive-date=July 20, 2025}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="width:80%;"
|-
! style="width:30%;"| Institution
! style="width:5%;"| Year
! style="width:40%;"| Category
! style="width:35%;"| Recipient(s)
! style="width:10%;"| Result
! style="width:1%;" class="unsortable"| {{Abbr|Ref.|Reference(s)}}
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| [[Avoriaz International Fantastic Film Festival|Avoriaz International Film Festival]]
| 1979
| Special Jury Award
| [[Don Coscarelli]]
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref name=afi/>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;"| [[Fangoria Chainsaw Awards|''Fangoria'' Chainsaw Awards]]
| [[1994 Fangoria Chainsaw Awards|1994]]
| Hall of Fame
| [[Angus Scrimm]]
| {{yes2|Inducted}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.fangoria.com/1994-chainsaw-awards-part-two/|work=[[Fangoria]]|title=FANGORIA Chainsaw Awards Flashback: 1994, Part Two|last=Gingold|first=Michael|author-link=Michael Gingold|date=April 15, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20250720071346/https://www.fangoria.com/1994-chainsaw-awards-part-two/|archive-date=July 20, 2025}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" style="text-align:center;" rowspan="2"| [[Saturn Award]]s
| [[7th Saturn Awards|1980]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Horror Film|Best Horror Film]]
| ''Phantasm''
| {{nom}}
| style="text-align:center;"|
|-
| [[43rd Saturn Awards|2017]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best DVD or Blu-ray Special Edition Release|Best DVD or Blu-ray Special Edition Release]]
| ''Phantasm: Remastered''
| {{won}}
| style="text-align:center;"|<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?action=search|work=[[Saturn Awards]]|title=Past Saturn Award Recipients|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241225024322/http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?action=search|archive-date=December 25, 2024}}</ref>
|-
|}

===Legacy===
''Phantasm'' has become a [[cult film]] in the years since its original release.<ref name="sphere" />{{sfn|Olson|2018|pages=158–159}} In his book ''100 Greatest Cult Films'', Christopher J. Olson writes that "''Phantasm'' retains its power to unsettle viewers and leave them wondering what they just watched. Coscarelli's merciless but meticulous editing ensures that the events unfold in a disjointed and confusing manner. The film refuses to follow conventional logic and often feels like a terrifying [[fever dream]] projected on the screen."{{sfn|Olson|2018|p=159}}

Coscarelli attributes the film's [[cult following]] to nostalgia and its lack of clarification, as repeated viewings can leave fans with different interpretations.<ref name="fortean" /> In 2007, ''[[USA Today]]'' praised the film for "the touching portrayal of two brothers in danger, an iconic villain in The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) and a floating metallic sphere that's a death-dealing weapon."<ref name="usatoday" /> The film was rated #25 on the cable channel [[Bravo (American TV network)|Bravo]]'s list of ''[[The 100 Scariest Movie Moments]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The 100 Scariest Movie Moments|url=http://www.bravotv.com/100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/|work=[[Bravo (American TV channel)|Bravo]]|access-date=August 25, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041102035738/http://www.bravotv.com/100_Scariest_Movie_Moments/|archive-date=November 2, 2004}}</ref> [[Time Out (magazine)|''Time Out London'']] placed it at #75 in their list of ''100 Best Horror Films''.<ref>{{cite journal|title=100 Best Horror Films|journal=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]]|url=http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-horror-films-the-list?pageNumber=3#phantasm-1978|access-date=August 25, 2018|archive-date=April 24, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424123853/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/the-100-best-horror-films-the-list?pageNumber=3#phantasm-1978|url-status=dead}}</ref> Drive-in movie critic [[Joe Bob Briggs]] included it at #20 in his ''25 Scariest DVDs Ever'' list.<ref>[[Joe Bob Briggs]] (2005). ''[[Giant (magazine)|Giant]]'' (October/November 2005). Cited on [http://www.joebobbriggs.com/index.php?/25-scariest-dvds-ever-magazine-article.html The Official Home of Joe Bob Briggs]. Retrieved August 14, 2013.</ref> [[UGO]] placed the film at #7 out of 11 in its ''Top Terrifying Supernatural Moments''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Cornelius|first=Ted|title=Top Terrifying Supernatural Moments|url=http://www.ugo.com/movies/terrifying-supernatural-moments-phantasm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130819042123/http://www.ugo.com/movies/terrifying-supernatural-moments-phantasm|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 19, 2013|work=[[UGO Networks]]|access-date=August 25, 2018|date=July 22, 2008}}</ref>

In 2014, ''USA Today'' quoted Jovanka Vuckovic, editor-in-chief of ''[[Rue Morgue (magazine)|Rue Morgue]]'', as stating that ''[[Supernatural (American TV series)|Supernatural]]'', ''[[A Nightmare on Elm Street]]'' (1984), and ''[[One Dark Night]]'' (1983) were all influenced by ''Phantasm''.<ref name=usatoday/> The Tall Man character has also been cited as an influence on the internet-based character [[Slender Man]].{{sfn|Chess|Newsom|2014|pages=58–59}}

== Franchise ==
{{Main|Phantasm (franchise)}}

===Sequels===
{{Main|Phantasm II|Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead|Phantasm IV: Oblivion|Phantasm: Ravager}}
The film was followed by four sequels: ''[[Phantasm II]]'' (1988), ''[[Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead]]'' (1994), ''[[Phantasm IV: Oblivion]]'' (1998) and ''[[Phantasm: Ravager]]'' (2016).

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
{{refbegin|30em}}
*{{cite book|last=Baldassarre|first=Angela|title=The Great Dictators: Interviews with Filmmakers of Italian Descent|year=1999|publisher=[[Guernica Editions]]|isbn=978-1-550-71094-6|url=https://archive.org/details/greatdictatorsin0000bald|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/greatdictatorsin0000bald/page/49 49]}}
*{{cite book|last=Coscarelli|first=Don|author-link=Don Coscarelli|year=2018|title=True Indie: Life and Death in Filmmaking|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=New York City, New York|isbn=978-1-250-19324-7}}
*{{cite book|first1=Shira|last1=Chess|first2=Eric|last2=Newsom|title=Folklore, Horror Stories, and the Slender Man: The Development of an Internet Mythology|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xuGvBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT58|year=2014|publisher=Palgrave Macmillan US|location=New York City, New York|isbn=978-1-137-49113-8}}
*{{cite book|title=More Giants of the Genre|first1=Cristopher|last1=Hennessey|first2=Michael|last2=McCarty|date=2005|publisher=[[Wildside Press]]|location=Rockville, Maryland|isbn=978-7-770-04706-0|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zOFEZr0ykk0C&pg=PA79|chapter=The Phantasm Man}}
*{{cite book|last=Hogan|first=David J.|year=2010|title=Dark Romance: Sexuality in the Horror Film|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-786-46248-3}}
*{{cite book|last=Muir|first=John Kenneth|author-link=John Kenneth Muir|title=Horror Films of the 1970s|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|year=2002|isbn=978-0-786-49156-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ghmYvJReqIIC&pg=PA611}}
*{{cite book|last=Newman|first=Kim|title=Nightmare Movies|year=2011|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|location=London, England|isbn=978-1-408-81750-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fKaam297D2cC&pg=PA278|author-link=Kim Newman}}]
*{{cite book|last=Olson|first=Christopher J.|title=100 Greatest Cult Films|year=2018|publisher=[[Rowman & Littlefield]]|location=Lanham, Maryland|isbn= 978-1-442-21104-9}}
*{{cite book|last=Sigoloff|first=Marc|year=2000|title=The Films of the Seventies: A Filmography of American, British and Canadian Films 1970-1979|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|location=Jefferson, North Carolina|isbn=978-0-786-40882-5}}
{{refend}}

==External links==

* {{IMDb title|0079714}}
* {{TCMDb title|18512}}
* {{mojo title|phantasm}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes|phantasm}}

{{Phantasm}}
{{Don Coscarelli}}


[[Category:1979 films]]
[[Category:1979 horror films]]
[[Category:1979 fantasy films]]
[[Category:1979 independent films]]
[[Category:1979 American films]]
[[Category:1970s coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:1979 English-language films]]
[[Category:1970s science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:1970s supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:1970s exploitation films]]
[[Category:American buddy horror films]]
[[Category:American coming-of-age films]]
[[Category:American exploitation films]]
[[Category:American fantasy films]]
[[Category:American independent films]]
[[Category:American science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:American supernatural horror films]]
[[Category:American zombie films]]
[[Category:Films about avalanches]]
[[Category:Cosmic horror films]]
[[Category:Embassy Pictures films]]
[[Category:English-language fantasy films]]
[[Category:English-language independent films]]
[[Category:English-language science fiction horror films]]
[[Category:Films about brothers]]
[[Category:Films about death]]
[[Category:Films about grave-robbing]]
[[Category:Films about grief]]
[[Category:Films about nightmares]]
[[Category:Films about orphans]]
[[Category:Films about psychic powers]]
[[Category:Films about shapeshifting]]
[[Category:Films about wormholes]]
[[Category:Films directed by Don Coscarelli]]
[[Category:Films scored by Fred Myrow]]
[[Category:Films set in funeral homes]]
[[Category:Films set in Oregon]]
[[Category:Films shot in Los Angeles]]
[[Category:Films shot in Oakland, California]]
[[Category:Films shot in San Diego]]
[[Category:Phantasm (franchise)]]
[[Category:Saturn Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Video nasties]]

{{Wikipedia attribution|original_title=Phantasm (film)|access_date=2026-03-05}}