HORROR 101 with Dr. AC: PHANTASM (1979) TURNS 45!!!

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When Phantasm premiered in early 1979, it was unlike anything horror fans had seen before. It was a coming of age tale that also dealt with death, loss, and abandonment. It had science fiction elements, Villainous morticians, bizarre magic, and gory set-pieces, all centering around a mysterious estate and an evil, if convoluted, plot to steal and enslave the dead, with terrific special effects on a minimal budget. The film was a huge hit in theaters, and found an even wider fanbase on television and home video, ultimately leading to four sequels and a labyrinthine mythology surrounding the Tall Man and his army of brain-sucking chrome spheres.

Writer/director Don Coscarelli (The Beastmaster) made Phantasm in his late 20s, hoping to connect with audiences by making them jump with fear, and subsequently built his script around the idea of having a big scare every 10 minutes. He was also intrigued by the works of Dario Argento, and the idea of incorporating nightmare logic into the story, where things didn’t have to make sense as long as they were INTERESTING.

Tonight, join AC and his amazing panel of guests (Matthew Amador, John W. Bowen, S.A. Bradley, Eric Fritzius) as they celebrate 45 years of Phantasm and its creators, a tight-knit group who, over the course of five films, have reflected our world back to us through a crazy funhouse mirror where four-barreled shotguns and 1971 HemiCudas are your best friends... right alongside your best friends.