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Phantasm blu-ray boxset: Phantasm III: Lord Of The Dead (1994 ) (part 3 of 5) (Blu-ray horror film review).

Don’t expect things to happen the next day with the ‘Phantasm’ films, the third, ‘Lord Of The Dead’ is some years later. Reggie (actor Reggie Bannister) is still chasing after the Tall Man (actor Angus Scrimm), who is systematically killing and empting towns of their dead bodies from their graveyards before making up the number from the living. He also gets allies in the youngster, Tim (actor Kevin Connors), and the lady Rocky (Gloria Lynne Henry) when the older Mike (actor A. Michael Baldwin) is kidnapped. Should I explain that Jody (actor Bill Thornbury) now seems to be inside one of the silver balls? Having zombified minions running around adds an extra dimension. The silver balls are more than they seem but, then, that would be spoiler as it’s never over.

There are only 5 extras this time. The third part of ‘Reflections Of Fear’, 23 minutes this time, looking at this film. Unlike the ‘Nightmare On Elm Street’ franchise where the budgets were increased with each film, with the ‘Phantasm’ films, the budgets were reduced. This is really a insightful discussion between make-up/special effects men Dean Gates and Mark Shostrom. The footage shows what it was like pre-CGI with making physical effects.

Nearly 9 minutes ‘Behind The Scenes’ showing the cast being made up and other preps. If anything, the lesson learnt here is just how intense the actors become for those brief minutes of filming. As it’s a tight film, only 13 seconds were deleted. Likewise, only a minute of stills as well.

It’s rather weird but I came away with a lot more respect for the film when I realised just how everything was so restricted and yet they put in 150% effort in getting it all on screen. It’s the one ‘Phantasm’ film that I’m going to have to give another look at. I suspect after you’ve watched the extras, you’ll go back and watch it again, too. It brings a whole new dimension of balls for brains even if you have to wonder how they got inside the heads.

GF Willmetts

April 2017

(5 blu-ray disks: pub:Arrow Video. 91 minute film with extras. Price: £69.99 (UK). ASIN: B01MZ9OZQ9)

cast: Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin, Kevin Connors, Gloria Lynne Henry, Bill Thornbury and Angus Scrimm

check out website: www.arrowfilms.co.uk

UncleGeoff

Geoff Willmetts has been editor at SFCrowsnest for some 21 plus years now, showing a versatility and knowledge in not only Science Fiction, but also the sciences and arts, all of which has been displayed here through editorials, reviews, articles and stories. With the latter, he has been running a short story series under the title of ‘Psi-Kicks’ If you want to contribute to SFCrowsnest, read the guidelines and show him what you can do. If it isn’t usable, he spends as much time telling you what the problems is as he would with material he accepts. This is largely how he got called an Uncle, as in Dutch Uncle. He’s not actually Dutch but hails from the west country in the UK.

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