Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

Director:

Don Coscarelli

Writers (WGA):

Don Coscarelli (characters)
Don Coscarelli (written by)

Release Date:

13 October 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The sequel with balls!

Plot:

Taking off immediately where the last one ended, in this episode Mike travels across dimensions and time fleeing from the Tall Man...

Plot Keywords:

Tall Man | Undead | Mausoleum | Person On Fire | Roman Numeral In Title

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
Christopher L. Stone	...	Music & Dwarf Creatures (voice) (as Christopher Stone)
Chloe Kay	...	Background Player
Sylvia Flammer	...	Background Player
David Gasster	...	Background Player
Sasha Kassel	...	Background Player
Aidan Kassel	...	Background Player
Eric Avary	...	13th Morningside Volunteer Infantryman
Andy John	...	13th Morningside Volunteer Infantryman
George A. Craig	...	13th Morningside Volunteer Infantryman

Also Known As:

Phantasm IV
Phantasm IV: Infinity (USA) (alternative title)
Phantasm: Phorever (USA) (working title)
Phantasm: oblIVion (USA) (video title)

MPAA:

Rated R for horror violence/gore and some strong language.

Runtime:

90 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:18 (Nova Scotia) | Australia:MA | Germany:16 (cut) | Germany:18 | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Lone Pine, California, USA

Trivia:

One very difficult scripted sequence required filming on Wilshire Boulevard, the largest street in Los Angeles, only it had to be devoid of any people. As closing this major thoroughfare would be impossible and massively expensive, Don Coscarelli and his crew came up with a novel approach. Just minutes before sunrise on Thanksgiving holiday morning, the crew was ready to film, guerrilla-style, with the key actors A. Michael Baldwin and Angus Scrimm. They took over the street, without permission, and had ten uninterrupted minutes of filming with absolutely not a soul in sight. They only had that roughly ten minutes to film, but still managed to shoot the scene as they wanted it.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Michael meets Morningside, as he backs away, he backs into an old lady sitting in a chair. Morningside touches her hand, then walks behind the chair and gestures with his right hand towards Michael, yet when the camera goes back to the old lady, she's still holding his right hand.

Quotes:

The Tall Man: Ice cream man, it's all in his head.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories (2006) (VG)

Soundtrack:

Have You Seen It?

Best sequel in the series

What makes this series so consistent is the fact that the same writer/director, Don Coscarelli, is responsible for all four entries. Some phans prefer the second film for its tendency to lean more toward being an action film, while others like the cartoonish, over-the-top aspects of the third entry. Personally, I think this one (IV) is the best sequel. I love the fact that it is more in the moody, psychological vein of the original, which is by far the best in the series in my opinion. IV uses some beautiful locations- a rocky beach, a desert with intricate rock formations, and a completely unpopulated downtown Los Angeles (I'm assuming that's what city it is). These serve as really interesting backdrops for Mike, Reggie, Jody and the Tall Man (all the original actors returned, too). All this is beautifully shot by D.P. Chris Chomyn, who did a great job. The plot is not completely clear, but also not complex. The Tall Man is after Mike with the intent to turn him into another "Tall Man" sort-of undertaker. Meanwhile there's a subplot where Reggie encounters a beautiful female on the road (as he does in both other sequels). The dialogue is sparse and much of the meaning is implied. One of the most impressive things about the film is the way they were able to incorporate so much unused footage from the original (19 years earlier) into the story. Despite the time difference, the new film and the old footage work together perfectly, and that is a really cool thing to behold. The film actually ends with a flashback- a poignant and subtle scene that is unlike the endings of the other three movies, leaving the series with what could be a perfect close. But if Coscarelli and Co. want to come back and do another one, what Phantasm phan is gonna dispute it?! Not me!