Phantasm - 5 Movie DVD Collection

A few months back, a 5-disc Blu-ray set was released to house all five "Phantasm" movies finally. Now on the slight downgrade is "Phantasm: 5 Movie DVD Collection," perfect for those looking for a cheaper viewing option.

The one that started it all, "Phantasm" from 1979, gets the remastered treatment here...the film has never looked better. The cult horror movie hit about a terrifying grave robber known as The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) solidified its place in the horror world with an odd mix of dream sequences and science fiction. "Phantasm" can be seen as the precursor to the much more successful "A Nightmare on Elm Street" series.

"Phantasm II," or "The Ball Is Back," took 9 years to come out after its predecessor. And with a bigger studio behind it, the special effects are more extensive, and there's a different actor playing Mike this time around. Naturally, the gore has been increased as well in this enjoyable sequel.

The original Mike actor, Michael Baldwin, returns to both "Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead" and "Phantasm IV: Oblivion," fan favorites that form their own continuity with each other.

Of course, the real reason to get this set is to revel in the fact that "Phantasm 5: Ravager" gets included here. The fifth film was filmed in 2016 and only had a very limited theatrical release. For us old-school DVD watchers, having part 5 in a box set is a boon. The only film not to be directed by "Phantasm" creator Don Coscarelli ("Bubba-Ho-Tep," "John Dies at the End"), "Ravager" also has the distinction of having the shortest running time in the franchise. It's nice to see the gang back together again after all these years, and the film became Angus Scrimm's last feature before his death.

As expected for a DVD box set, the special features are quite extensive and some have been included on other releases before. Audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and bloopers are just some of the extras, but the best ones are culled from the 1979 archives. They feature a very young and energetic cast/crew, obviously not aware that they'd be together for another four films.

"Phantasm: 5 DVD Movie Collection"
DVD
$29.98
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