Phantasm II (1988)

Director:

Don Coscarelli

Writer (WGA):

Don Coscarelli (written by)

Release Date:

8 July 1988 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Now, the horrifying truth is about to be revealed...and all it took was a little digging.

Plot:

Mike, now released from a psychiatric hospital, continues his journey to stop the evil Tall Man from his grim work.

Plot Keywords:

Tall Man | Psychiatric Hospital | Oregon | Sphere | Cemetery

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

James LeGros	...	Mike
Reggie Bannister	...	Reggie
Angus Scrimm	...	The Tall Man
Paula Irvine	...	Liz
Samantha Phillips	...	Alchemy
Kenneth Tigar	...	Father Meyers
Ruth C. Engel	...	Grandma
Mark Anthony Major	...	Mortician
Rubin Kushner	...	Grandpa
Stacey Travis	...	Jeri
J. Patrick McNamara	...	Psychologist
A. Michael Baldwin	...	Young Mike
Amanda Gray	...	Background Player
Elizabeth Quezada	...	Background Player
Lauren Gray	...	Background Player

Also Known As:

Phantasm II: The Never Dead Part Two (Australia) (video box title)

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Singapore:PG (heavily cut) | Italy:VM14 | Australia:R | France:-12 | Hong Kong:III | UK:18 | USA:R | West Germany:18 | Iceland:(Banned)

Company:

Spacegate Productions

Trivia:

This is the first entry in the series to feature the biggest, most destructive and deadliest kind of sphere: the Gold Sphere. It's the one armed with a laser, that pursues Mike and Liz crashing through several doors and ends up killing an undertaker by drilling his body from the back to the mouth.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Tall Man's sphere lands on one of the henchman's hands, pinning it against the door, the long thin black wire which guided it to his hand is visible attached to the sphere, running off-screen.

Quotes:

[the Tall Man is planning to inject Liz with embalming fluid, which Reggie has spiked with acid]
Mike: Hey!
[the Tall Man glances up]
Mike: Suck on this!
[Mike releases a captured silver sphere, which flies directly to the Tall Man's head and inserts a drill into the front of his skull. A yellowish fluid flies from the back of the sphere, but after it stops, the Tall Man rips the sphere from his head & crushes it like a beer can]

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Storm (2005)

Slick Sequel.

Second installment of the Phantasm series, coming nine years after the original. Concerns two psychically connected teens LIZ (PAULA IRVINE) & MIKE (played this time by JAMES LE GROSS who is replacing Michael Baldwin)who must run from the evil Tall Man and his flying blood sucking spheres not to mention his grave digger henchmen & his ugly dwarfs. Helping them in their quest is a hitch hiker named ALCHEMY(SAMANTHA PHILLIPS) & former ice cream man turned warrior, Reggie (REGGIE BANNISTER) whom returns from the original film. The film has bigger and better effects than in the original (Loved the heat seeking POV'S from the spheres). But lacks the scares & grittiness of the original. The film does give us something different to watch (The first half is pure road movie while the last half delivers some action with chainsaw duels etc.) it fails to match the originals power. A good try nonetheless and better than most horror films which are being churned out today. Followed by PHANTASM 3 - LORD OF THE DEAD

*** (stars)