Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994)

40% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
46% of users liked it
(6,961 ratings)

This third entry in the Phantasm series is the poorest of all. This time, Mike (Michael Baldwin) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) meet some new friends and join up with Jody (Bill Thornbury) from beyond the dead in their quest to stop the "Tall Man" (Angus Scrimm). The film has good special effects --… More This third entry in the Phantasm series is the poorest of all. This time, Mike (Michael Baldwin) and Reggie (Reggie Bannister) meet some new friends and join up with Jody (Bill Thornbury) from beyond the dead in their quest to stop the "Tall Man" (Angus Scrimm). The film has good special effects -- and Scrimm is at his best here -- but it answers all the wrong questions and not enough of the right ones. ~ Sean D. MacLaggan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Don Coscarelli
Genres: Science Fiction & Fantasy, Horror

On DVD: Oct 12, 1994
Studio: Anchor Bay Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Tim Brayton, Antagony & Ecstasy
Has none of the surrealistic excess that made the first movie such a genuine delight, and managed to save the second one from itself.
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine
Don Coscarelli outdoes the humor of John Hughes in what feels like a more honest version of the gleeful sadism in Home Alone.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
It's all fairly absurd, but Coscarelli retains his enthusiasm and imagination with a healthy sense of ridiculousness.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
Sure, there's still the '71 Hemi 'Cuda and the four-barrel shotgun, but it's not enough to get past nunchucks and biker zombies.
Jeremiah Kipp, Slant Magazine
For a horror series best known for its cult status, Anchor Bay went all out on making Phantasm III look great, and skimped on the extras (for anybody who cares).
Scott Weinberg, FEARnet
The first film is like an actual nightmare, whereas the sequels feel more like someone's garish descriptions of a nightmare.
Steve "Uncle Creepy" Barton, Dread Central
Life was good in the land of Phantasm!
Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
don't really get it
Nick Schager, Lessons of Darkness
Falls back on mystery-sapping exposition.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Anthony L

It still makes no sense whatsoever! Has its moments but is not great!
Cassandra M

This is definitely one of the best horror movies there is. (Of course, you've got to see the first two, but this movie in particular is great!) If you have seen the uncut-version, it seems fairly obvious that Don Coscarelli did well this time, mixing up "traditional"… More
This is definitely one of the best horror movies there is. (Of course, you've got to see the first two, but this movie in particular is great!) If you have seen the uncut-version, it seems fairly obvious that Don Coscarelli did well this time, mixing up "traditional" horror-spooky things with some kick-ass action. Especially Reggie Bannister, who repeats his role as the ice-cream seller(!), is great and it's clear to see that the whole cast had a lot of fun doing this movie. A MUST SEE for any horror film fan.
Lafe F

My favorite Phantasm flick! Black humour has taken over the serious tone from the previous installment. A similar road picture to Phantasm II, but it seems lower budget with a lot more humour. It's a shame they instantly killed off the character I liked from Phantasm II.… More
My favorite Phantasm flick! Black humour has taken over the serious tone from the previous installment. A similar road picture to Phantasm II, but it seems lower budget with a lot more humour. It's a shame they instantly killed off the character I liked from Phantasm II. It's also a shame James LeGros didn't reprise his role as Mike; simply for the sake of consistency. New interesting characters are introduced to the team to fight the Tall Man. The whole deal feels cheaper and cornier than the previous entry, which is probably why it played at few theatres. But, like I said, it's my favorite; probably because it features the largest Masoleum in the country as the venue for the showdown with the Tall Man.
Daniel P

Oh dear, and it was going so well! If Phantasm was a cult classic with intelligence and originality making up for a slightly schizo 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach, and Phantasm II was a better than the original sequel with an… More
Oh dear, and it was going so well! If Phantasm was a cult classic with intelligence and originality making up for a slightly schizo 'everything but the kitchen sink' approach, and Phantasm II was a better than the original sequel with an improved budget and tighter story, then Phantasm III is definitely the X-Men 3 of films. Don Coscarelli appears to be opting for a commercial success with this, adding two new, completely unnecessary token characters - a young boy who seems to be a precursor for Kevin in Home Alone with his house of booby traps (only with fatal consequences), and a black companion named 'Rocky', whose story is never explained and who appears to be shoe-horned into the franchise in order to add some sexuality to appeal to the lucrative male teenager demographic. The actual story is all over the place - the spheres, which previously were effective in their alien oddness and were originally an ingenious security device, are here given a back story of all things (one even contains the spirit of Mike's dead brother from the first film). The character of Reggie is now firmly in the lead; it's a bad decision since Reggie Bannister has aged a lot since the first film and doesn't convince as an action hero, and his ponytail is now more ridiculous then ever. A. Michael Baldwin is back playing the character of Mike from the first film (James LeGros was undoubtedly too expensive at this point), but has little to do beyond look wide-eyed at everything around him. The action sequences, which were used intermittently in the first two films, come thick and fast but very few impress and the special effects are ropey. The brilliantly sustained atmosphere of the previous instalments which was their greatest success is abandoned in favour of a brash comedic style and Rambo machismo nonsense. Oh, and the film has the same identical ending as before, only instead of feeling chills up your spine you'll likely be groaning. Even the Tall Man has lost his way. Not good.