After waiting forever for a dvd release of II & III, as well as an anamorphic release of IV, I just found that a boxed set of all four films has been released in the UK. In America, it's still zip. Is there any movement on this front?

BTW, anyone know the actual diameter of one of those silver spheres? The original design, that is.

ii was wondering the same thing muyself the other day. if im not mistaken the films were put out by couple different studios, so the legal wrangling involved might be enormous. so im not holdng my breath

BOOOYY!

:thumbsup:

"You think when you die you go to heaven? You come to US!"

If that final film ever gets backing, I hope it happens while Angus is still alive. Otherwise, what's the point?

Found the sphere diameters. The silver sphere is 12.1 cm, and the gold is 15.9 cm. Anyone know wht kind of drill bit that is? I intend to build a silver sphere. Won't be soon, though, I have the most basic kind of airbrush, a starter really, and I'm told I'll need a more advanced one for Alclads.

I've read that Universal has no interest in releasing the movies aside from the first. There's an internet petition someone started, and ya know how much that's worth.

A better strategy might be to get a company like Blue Underground or Anchor Bay interested in a boxed set, and let them talk Universal into negotiating.

That's 4 inches in diameter for you metric impaired guys.

Two or three guys have made sphere replicas over the years, you can find web pages on it. Krystal Keepsake chrome plated plastic balls and plated plastic Christmas balls have been used. BE SMART and use vinyl or mylar blades! Be wary of metal blades!!

I wish PHAN 2 and 3 were out on DVD too. I'm stil waiting for an specl edtn of RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD 2.

Os

I know of one site, The Sphere Factory, but as of a few days ago looked like it was no longer online. Printed out the how-to pages a couple years ago, though. Been searching for those Christmas balls, but the Michaels' here never carries them at Christmastime! No matter, figre I can get plastic or acrylic half-domes online. Have you seen in person the metallic finish Alclads give? Better than chrome. Ought to make it look really heavy-duty lethal!

I sent an e-mail to the suggetion box at Anchor Bay about the movies. Can't hurt.

I swear it's true, in the past two years, somehow I found a page on building the motor sphere from Phantasm 4 but I can't find it after searching an hour.

Not much but here's a cool pic of a fan sphere http://www.reelcollectibles.com/gallery/phantasm.html

Another item you could use to make a sphere is a polished aluminum ball that separates in half sold by magic dealers called a Zombie. Typical size is 4 inches and used to cost $30. This is the deluxe version floating ball while the magician controls it with a scarf trick.

Os

Haven't watched Phantasm in quite a while. Maybe time to re-watch it. I've never seen any of the other films in the series, how do they hold up to the original?

Os, that is one cool sphere! I'll print out this page and keep that in mind about the floating sphere.



Owl - honestly? They don't hold up. The first is a cult classic for good reason. I do like the sequels for a number of reasons, but I think they mostlyonly appeal to Phantasm fans specifically, while the original is accessible to horror fans in general. I like them for the imagination, for continuing the mythology, for the characters, for the Tall Man and the spheres, for the music...and also because I have a taste for such movies that have something that works for them but are still underdogs.

The first, though, had something special going for it. A sense of humor that was almost flippant and always seemd organic to the film, true horror that was always coming from unexpected places, imagination that blended sci-fi and fantasy...and the movie was strikingly original (part of the problem with the sequels - you can only be original once) with a sense of spontaneity, in an atmosphere that captured the dream experience and dream logic over the length of a whole film better than maybe any other movie I've ever seen (check my user name, ya gotta know I love that). That, and the cast had impeccable chemistry. You can't plan that, it's magic. The way everything came together in the first film was magic, and they've been trying to find that blend again ever since.

The second film was a little too ugly and mean, lacking the light whimsical touch. The kid, Mike, is older and played by another actor.

Phantasm 3 made another try at the mix by upping the humor, some of which is strained and some hitting the mark (there's a scene early on with a nurse I won't give away - but the sound effect involved felt was a very flip touch that made me think of the old movie!). The secondary characters are unconvincing and intrusive, though, and throws the film off in a different way from the second. Original cast is back.

Phantasm IV: Oblivion I've only seen once, so far (kept waiting for an animorphic release to buy) and comes closest to re-invigorating and reinventing the series with a sci-fi/fantasy twist involving the Tall Man (again, I won't give it away) and plot developments concerning Mike. Each movie builds a little with a new twist that gets explored in the next, leading up to...we may never know, unless the final movie gets financial backing. However, as you can guess from the original it's all very nebulous, open to interpretation, deliberately disorienting and without logic (or more appropriately, working from dream-logic). The only down note here is the loss of composer Fred Myrow and his famous theme. Myrow sadly passed away before the fourth film.

Rumor has it that the final film is meant to be an apoclalyptic vision of America torn apart by a no-man's land of coutryside infected by the Tall Man's minions, into which Mike has disappeared and Reggie sets out to rescue him. As writer/producer Don Coscarelli is a good friend of Bruce Campbell, Campbell is meant to be in the picture. Coscarelli has been wanting to make it for years now, but as yet has not been able to get backing.

Give them a shot. I don't think they are as good, but there's plenty of dreck out there you could do worse with.

I just like the movies to see people get torn up by the spheres. Also a new type sphere is introduced in each movie I guess. I liked the scene where the spheres group together on the walls and cieling like bats.

I like Reggie the ice cream man and the fact that he and the two brothers are all underdogs fighting this unstoppable force. Of course the TWO brothers thing does'nt exist much after the first film. Reggie and Mike still make a good team later though (with whoever else joins them). The rest keeps my attention.

I tried making several of the spheres with varying results. I used to have one in a (screaming face expression) rubber head I got at Spencers Gifts. Pic's on my site.

Os