PHANTASM, written and directed by Don Coscarelli, is one of the few horror movies which scared the crap out of me when I was a teen. (I didn't see it until the late 1980s). The idea of discovering something so horrific happening to an entire town and eventually forcing a kid into a life on the run (in the sequels), overwhelmed my young imagination. I hadn't been a horror fan for very long, and, to be honest, something about the Tall Man and the demonic dwarves still creeps me out to this day.
While Freddy is most commonly associated with dreams, the Tall Man is a master of mixing horror and mindgames while blurring the line between being awake and asleep. He makes the old guy in Poltergeist look like a kind gent. Don't even get me started on the silver sentinels.
If you haven't watched this cult classic yet, make time for it. If you have friends who started decorating for Christmas before Halloween, make them watch it with you.
As always,
AstraDaemon
