A.K.A; Phantasm IV, Phantasm IV:
Infinity (USA) (alternative title)
Phantasm: oblIVion (USA) (video title) .
Infinity (USA) (alternative title)
Phantasm: oblIVion (USA) (video title) .
Writers (WGA): Don Coscarelli
CAST---
A. Michael Baldwin ... Mike
Reggie Bannister ... Reggie
Bill Thornbury ... Jody
Heidi Marnhout ... Jennifer
Bob Ivy ... Demon Trooper
Angus Scrimm ... The Tall Man / Dr. Jebediah
Morningside
Runtime: 90 min
CAST---
A. Michael Baldwin ... Mike
Reggie Bannister ... Reggie
Bill Thornbury ... Jody
Heidi Marnhout ... Jennifer
Bob Ivy ... Demon Trooper
Angus Scrimm ... The Tall Man / Dr. Jebediah
Morningside
Runtime: 90 min
PHANTASM IV: OBLIVION (1998)
“PHANTASM” film. They do a good job weaving the story in and out of flashbacks but in the end the
pacing is too slow and the thread that keeps it all together falls apart and confusion ensues. By the very
end I barely cared about the story, the characters (except Reggie), and how it all somehow made or did
not make sense.
The first dozen minutes of the film are spent refreshing the viewer on the main events and background
of the first three movies. This is sort of like an overlong recap. But I liked it, it pumped me up for an
awesome movie. I was misled ,and this I slowly became aware of, like a slow acting toxin. Darn it ! I
wanted this to be a kick-ass ride.
So Mike is hanging out in the back of the “Tall Man’s” hearse for almost fifth teen minutes as the hearse
drives itself to some remote place in the desert. He is thinking about all sorts of things: flashback after
hallucination, after flashback… Please become familiar with this cycle for it pervades through the
ENTIRE film. A bit later he learns telekinesis, practicing by crushing midget minions with boulders. His
brother shows up as a travel guide through different dimensions. These dimensions are all earth. We
don’t see the cool worlds as in the other films. But through these travels we do learn some interesting
things.
We delve into the “Tall Man’s” character; not only his background and origin but also his connection to
Mike. What we learn I will not spoil because it is quite interesting to finally have some long awaited back-
story on the “Tall Man”. I will only say that you learn his real name. Now his connection to Mike and his
plans for him are revealed through flashbacks and hallucinations as always but a lot is still kept secret.
The whole ending of the film and it’s meaning are indeed thought provoking, that is if your still with us by
this point and haven’t dropped out by the sleepy pace and logic jarring flashback and or hallucination
Reggie Banister is the real star of the show if you ask me. In this film he‘s the only one that really fights
bad guys. Straight from his ice-cream vendor roots to shotgun toting renegade, Reggie takes no
prisoners. And he is also a ladies man. In this, as in the other “PHANTASM” movies he’s paired up with a
female and either sweet talks his way into her pants or strikes out honorably. What happens in the
scene where he is in bed with the girl (in this film) is quite original. I bet it was the last thing he was
expecting ! No spoilers here guys.
The movie isn’t that bad, but there are people I know like Jose that outright dislike the film. It is the worst
of the pack. I can give you that.
- Jorge Antonio Lopez
pacing is too slow and the thread that keeps it all together falls apart and confusion ensues. By the very
end I barely cared about the story, the characters (except Reggie), and how it all somehow made or did
not make sense.
The first dozen minutes of the film are spent refreshing the viewer on the main events and background
of the first three movies. This is sort of like an overlong recap. But I liked it, it pumped me up for an
awesome movie. I was misled ,and this I slowly became aware of, like a slow acting toxin. Darn it ! I
wanted this to be a kick-ass ride.
So Mike is hanging out in the back of the “Tall Man’s” hearse for almost fifth teen minutes as the hearse
drives itself to some remote place in the desert. He is thinking about all sorts of things: flashback after
hallucination, after flashback… Please become familiar with this cycle for it pervades through the
ENTIRE film. A bit later he learns telekinesis, practicing by crushing midget minions with boulders. His
brother shows up as a travel guide through different dimensions. These dimensions are all earth. We
don’t see the cool worlds as in the other films. But through these travels we do learn some interesting
things.
We delve into the “Tall Man’s” character; not only his background and origin but also his connection to
Mike. What we learn I will not spoil because it is quite interesting to finally have some long awaited back-
story on the “Tall Man”. I will only say that you learn his real name. Now his connection to Mike and his
plans for him are revealed through flashbacks and hallucinations as always but a lot is still kept secret.
The whole ending of the film and it’s meaning are indeed thought provoking, that is if your still with us by
this point and haven’t dropped out by the sleepy pace and logic jarring flashback and or hallucination
Reggie Banister is the real star of the show if you ask me. In this film he‘s the only one that really fights
bad guys. Straight from his ice-cream vendor roots to shotgun toting renegade, Reggie takes no
prisoners. And he is also a ladies man. In this, as in the other “PHANTASM” movies he’s paired up with a
female and either sweet talks his way into her pants or strikes out honorably. What happens in the
scene where he is in bed with the girl (in this film) is quite original. I bet it was the last thing he was
expecting ! No spoilers here guys.
The movie isn’t that bad, but there are people I know like Jose that outright dislike the film. It is the worst
of the pack. I can give you that.
- Jorge Antonio Lopez
N / A
OVERALL
BLOOD
BREASTS
BEASTS
