Wednesday, October 3, 2018

PHANTASM III-LORD OF THE DEAD: NEW ALLIES



Fans of the PHANTASM films are thrilled to be getting these movies released on blu-ray format from Well Go. Sure they’ve been available as DVDs but the clarity and crispness of these blu-rays feels like seeing them for the first time.

At the end of the second film the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) was supposedly dead only to come back once more. While weakened he was able to crash the car that had Mike (Michael Baldwin) and Liz in it. Reggie (Reggie Bannister) faces off against him, preventing him from taking Mike but he threatens to return. Fast forward 2 years with Mike in a coma and the Tall Man rested and ready to come after him once more.

With the help of a monster/nurse the Tall Man arrives as Mike comes out of his coma having talked to his brother Jody (Bill Thornbury) there. Reggie interferes, a sphere pops out of the nurse’s head, the Tall Man turns Jody into a sphere and then he leaves with Mike his captive. Reggie sets out to find Mike and accompanied by the Jody sphere helping him heads in the direction it tells him.

Reggie arrives in a town devastated by the Tall Man. When he arrives in a town he decimates it. Stopping at a gas station Reggie is overpowered by a trio of looters who toss him into the trunk of his Cuda. The trio find a house to ransack but are taken out by a young boy in the house who sets Reggie free from the trunk.

Reggie meets Tim (Kevin Connors), the young boy of about 10 who’s been surviving on his own since his parents were killed. With his set of skills including being a sure shot with his pistol, they hit the road but not before taking on the now risen dead trio. Wanting the kid to grow up normal, Reggie attempts to leave him in a nearby orphanage but Tim sneaks into his trunk.

In the mausoleum that Reggie was originally headed for he meets up with two women, Tanesha (Sarah Scott-Davis) and Rocky (Gloria Lynne Henry). Before he can convince them he intends no harm to them a sphere attacks taking out Tanesha before Rocky and Reggie put it out of commission with the help of the now exposed Tim.

I could provide more details but then it would take away the joy of watching this yourself. Suffice to say that most of this film revolves around Reggie and his new compatriots while giving us bits and pieces of what’s taking place with Mike. It’s about their search for Mike as well as finding out bits and pieces about the Tall Man as well.

This is the first time we get to see Michael Baldwin in the role as an adult and he does a fantastic job. Completely underused in movies other than those Coscarelli has chosen to include him in, Reggie Bannister turns in a solid performance as well. Even Connors does a good job making the young warrior believable. Angus Scrimm was born to play this roll and is always perfection. Perhaps the weakest performance here comes from Henry and the fact she only had 5 credits to her name at IMDB shows she made the right decision not to keep at it, sorry.

For me by far the best film in the entire series is the first. It provided the information needed to understand enough of what was going on along with the surprises and shocks that kept you watching. Subsequent films spent more time adding to the mythos that is the world of the Tall Man and why he’s here. This film along with its follow up PHANTAMS IV: OBLIVION (also just released by Well Go) spend more time on that mission than on the action that is involved. They’re still entertaining but as they attempt to clarify they add new layers of questions as well. But that’s a good thing as it keeps you guessing.

Extras are limited with some behind the scenes footage and some trailers. But it is the movie that makes this one worth picking up. And unless you purchases that over $200 boxed set then this is the way to go, picking them up one at a time. 

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