Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Anthony L

  
  This franchise is getting boring now! Nothing happens and nothing is really explained. Don Coscarelli relies too heavily on the artistic licence that horror movies can have i.e. not having to be Oscar winning, just scary, fun and memorable. This film is none of the above, in fact it?s… More
  This franchise is getting boring now! Nothing happens and nothing is really explained. Don Coscarelli relies too heavily on the artistic licence that horror movies can have i.e. not having to be Oscar winning, just scary, fun and memorable. This film is none of the above, in fact it?s one of the worst horror films I?ve ever seen. Half the film is basically everything that was cut from the first film!! oh, and Reggie will never be as cool as Ash!!

• Cassandra M

  
  The first two films in Don Coscarelli's excellent Phantasm series were prime examples of how imagination and dedication can transcend budget and still ensure that a film project is successful in spite of being made on a shoestring. The third part of the series was a big… More
  The first two films in Don Coscarelli's excellent Phantasm series were prime examples of how imagination and dedication can transcend budget and still ensure that a film project is successful in spite of being made on a shoestring. The third part of the series was a big disappointment in relation to the other two, however, and the same can be said of this third sequel. The film isn't any worse than the third part, which was something of a surprise; it's just more of the same quality. I was worried before seeing this film as I had read the plot outline and it became apparent that Coscarelli has seen fit to do what most filmmakers do when it comes to a third sequel, and just go and do some back story building; which often turns out to be rather dull, and doesn't bridge any of the gaps anyway. But yes, Phantasm 4: Oblivion is one of those films that attempt to fill some holes from the first films, and here we are treated to finding out how 'the tall man' became 'the tall man'. Actually, it's not THAT bad. While the film lacks the brilliant invention of the first two, the back story that Coscarelli has created is intriguing and while he could have delved a bit deeper into it, if you don't go in expecting too much; Phantasm 4 will not disappoint fans of the series. Poor man's cult hero Reggie Bannister returns along with his usual arsenal of cheesy one-liners and womanising 'skills', and although it can become a bit tiresome after a while, it's always entertaining and seeing this completely non-hero guy battling legions of the undead has a subtle and absurd twinge of humour to it, which is nice. Unfortunately, the original Mike, A. Michael Baldwin returns once again to his character, and this is a shame as his replacement in the second instalment, James LeGros, did a much better job in the role. All the usual Phantasm staples are present in this film, from The Tall Man himself to the creepy little dwarfs, all the way to the very cool shiny metal balls that fly around and stick in people's heads. Shame about the atmosphere, but this is still a nice film.

• Lafe F

  
  The Phantasm series comes full circle, literally, as they cleverly intercut Phantasm IV's new scenes with unused footage from the first film. The end meets the beginning, as the Tall Man's origins and future takeover are glimpsed, while the present-day battle between Mike… More
  The Phantasm series comes full circle, literally, as they cleverly intercut Phantasm IV's new scenes with unused footage from the first film. The end meets the beginning, as the Tall Man's origins and future takeover are glimpsed, while the present-day battle between Mike and the Tall Man comes to an explosive conclusion. All of this sounds more exciting that it really is; which is very small and low budget like Phantasm III. I think what was supposed to be The Tall Man's Red Planet was instead changed to Death Valley Desert. But the story is good, with a big time-loop built into the plot. I'm afraid the ending is open for interpretation. I liked it a lot, but was somewhat let down initially that there was no epic showdown between Mike and the Tall Man. Favorite Scene: When Mike remembers the last perfect day before the Tall Man arrived.

• Steve B

  
  Look, I know it was cheesy, I know it brought up more questions than it answered, and I know it ended on a cliffhanger that's likely never to be resolved, but I LOVE the way Coscarelli used footage excised from the original film; that's what elevated this one for me.

• Daniel P

  
  After the overblown hysterics of <i>Phantasm III</i>, Don Coscarelli tones it down in the bleak and rather effective <i>Phantasm IV: Oblivion</i>. <p>The concentration is firmly back on atmosphere (which was always the series' trump card), telling… More
  After the overblown hysterics of <i>Phantasm III</i>, Don Coscarelli tones it down in the bleak and rather effective <i>Phantasm IV: Oblivion</i>. <p>The concentration is firmly back on atmosphere (which was always the series' trump card), telling the story of Mike's destiny, and thankfully demoting Reggie squarely back to sidekick status. The film cleverly uses deleted footage from the first film to fill in some story gaps, but just as many questions are raised as answered, and the ending is perfect in its Lynch-like ambiguity (what was real/what was imagined?). <p>This fourth instalment is the most beautiful looking so far - some of the photography is hauntingly powerful, and the location footage in Death Valley is both entirely fitting to the story and provides beautiful scenery that works as a nice opposition to the bloody violence. It's a pity in fact that the atmosphere isn't sustained throughout, but Don Coscarelli can't resist the odd goofy one-liner or providing Reggie with yet another sexy female sidekick, which detracts from the main story somewhat and makes you want to get back to Mike. <p>On a side-note, I found it interesting to learn that Roger "Pulp Fiction/Rules of Attraction" Avary wrote a script that together with Don Coscarelli they tried to pitch to all the major studios, with no backers. The film was to have been a medium-budget movie set in the near future, where the Tall Man and his workers have devastated much of central North America leaving towns deserted and trails of living-dead corpses roaming the land, leaving it to our heroes Mike and Reggie to put a stop to his plans once and for all. <p>For now though, <i>Phantasm IV</i> is a fitting end to a flawed but ambitious story.