More Ravager Reviews including FANGORIA

Four new reviews have come online for Phantasm Ravager and you can find pullquotes/links to each of them below. The first three are overwhelmingly positive while the last one is titled "Phantasm Ravager Disappoints," - yet even that one manages to find several very positive things to say about the sequel. That brings me to a point I'd like to make.

Negative reviews exist. Ignoring them or not reading/talking about them doesn't make them go away. Sure, they will most likely be drowned out by a flood of positive notices, but they still exist and that's perfectly okay. We are Phantasm phans, not sheep. We are allowed to be critical thinkers and judge each installment for ourselves. Not liking one film or one element of Phantasm doesn't make you any less of a "true phan," whatever the hell that is. Plus, reading differing opinions of these marvelous films can inform and enlighten our own understandings of what we do and do not like about them. They are simply part of the conversation about any film.

So... having said that, I'll continue to post both positive and negative reviews here.

"Phantasm: Ravager is easily the most surprising of the sequels to the original film, but for venturing so far off the Phantasm reservation it proves itself to be a most worthy sequel and perhaps the best of the franchise after the original." - Flickering Myth

"The last 15 minutes of Ravager saw me nearly moved to tears before pumping my arms, jumping up and down, and cheering triumphantly." - Horror Freak News

"RAVAGER reminds you of how magical the PHANTASM series has always been, and it is definitely a bittersweet goodbye to one of the best horror series of all time. Farewell, PHANTASM; it’s been a pleasure to live vicariously through ya." - Fangoria

"Still, it's impossible to overlook the fun that you see all these guys having, and their hearts are all in the right place. The production was made little by little by a small group of people; truly an indie work." - Screen Anarchy

RAVAGER REVIEWS: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

More reviews for Phantasm Ravager are starting to come in and it's interesting how much they vary in their assessments of the project. Unlike in decades past with earlier sequels, most of these reviewers are actually claiming to be phans of the franchise, so we can't much claim mainstream bias against the franchise or even genre. Some are digging it, others are not. Obviously everyone's mileage is going to vary based on personal preferences. It is hilarious to see Variety saying nice things about the movie having ravaged Phantasm II so many years ago.

THE GOOD
"Franchise fans should enjoy this latest installment as the cinematic equivalent of a greatest hits album." (Variety)

"As a whole, Phantasm: Ravager is a triumphant conclusion to this franchise." (The Daily Dead)

THE BAD
"And while dream logic and convoluted mythology are part of the charm of the Phantasm movies, even hardcore Phans may walk away from this one feeling unfulfilled." (The AV Club)

THE UGLY

"It’s no small thing to state that Ravager is garbage. Straight, undiluted garbage. It’s easily the worst of the franchise, and even one of the worst sequels in any major horror film franchise." (Geek League of America)

Review: Silver Sphere Replica by BAKERProps

Phantasmic salutations - your friendly neighborhood Chief Archivist checking in today with a different kind of review. I’ll be taking a look at a sphere replica made by Michael Baker of BAKERProps. I’ve come across numerous sphere replicas of varying quality at conventions over the years, so I immediately recognize this ball as being spectacular. If Don Coscarelli ever gets around to sanctioning an official sphere replica (Lord knows why he hasn’t yet - there have been so many interested parties), this is the kind of ball you would hope for.

Let me say first that I have no idea exactly how sphere makers actually produce these replicas. Magic, I suppose. I interviewed Michael several years back and I’m no more educated on the process nor less mystified by the final product. There are no seams on this sphere, no smudges, scratches or defects of any kind. I challenge anyone to find an angle to gaze upon this ball from which it doesn’t look outstanding. My personal favorite vantage is looking at it direct from the drill-bit, which recalls the poster art for Phantasm Oblivion.

The ball is heavy, but in a good way and as you’d want it to be. After handling the lightweight plastic sphere case from the UK box set, I was happy to find this orb couldn’t be blown away by an errant gust of wind. The blades are terrifically movie accurate as well, unlike the stubby stabbers of the plastic ball.

What I also appreciate about this particular ball is the sturdiness of the blades and drill. You can touch them without fear that they are going to pop right off. They are also about as sharp as you’d expect a deadly silver sphere’s attachments to be. Back in 2007, I received a replica from someone who contributed effects on Phantasm II (an assistant, not Kerry Prior or Mark Shostrom!) and one of his blades plopped out within minutes of my simply holding it. Nine years later and that sphere isn’t around anymore - I eventually tossed it in the trash.

In summary, I would strongly recommend you turn to Sphere Master Michael Baker if you’re looking for a high-end Phantasm sphere replica. Sure, you could grab one off eBay or Etsy, but it’s not going to come anywhere near this level of authenticity. The ball I now have is so good, it might could fool even the Tall Man. I will gladly display it upon my desk for a long time to come, but if I happen to hear even the faintest buzzing or humming coming from it, a swift relocation to my freezer will occur. Not taking any chances!

(Feel free to click either of the photos above to enlarge them, but please excuse my amateur attempts to photoshop myself out of the ball's reflection!)

Beyond the Music of Phantasm

Given all of the crap on the radio today, I thought it would be nice to take a moment and review the released work of Phantasm's musically-gifted cast members. Although we know Michael Baldwin to be a talented whistler/singer/musician and Angus Scrimm has been known to write and carry a tune, it's Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury and Kathy Lester that have released albums of their work.

Continue reading for a rundown of cast member musical releases.

REVIEW: Satan Hates You

Although it's been out on DVD for a few months, I've just now managed to post my review of Satan Hates You, one of the more recent projects from the MonsterPants crowd. The film is noteworthy for being the first teaming of Angus Scrimm and Reggie Bannister since 1998's Phantasm Oblivion. Both the film itself and this review have been a long time coming with Scrimm first mentioning his performance in the film to us in our 2007 interview with him. Five years later, how does the resulting film rate? Read on for more.

REVIEW: Angus Scrimm in RED 71

In advance of its DVD release next week, I've sat down to review the 2008 film-noir indie by director Patrick Roddy, Red 71, which features Angus Scrimm in a supporting role as a coroner. I'll say it again in my actual review below, but I think a handful of movie-goers will come to Red 71 for Scrimm and wind up staying for the film itself, which I found to be absorbing entertainment. If nothing else, phans should get a laugh out of seeing Scrimm's light-hearted turn as coroner as opposed to scary mortician. Click here to read my review of the film and as always, click on any image to see it larger.

REVIEW: RITUAL, (Phantasm music video)

Click on Any Image to Enlarge It



If you haven't already heard The ADN Project's sweet cover of the Phantasm theme, I suggest you immediately give it a listen by clicking the link above, but then return here once you're caught up. The ADN Project's rocked-out rendition of Fred Myrow's theme has become a fast fan-favorite, garnering more than 14,000 views on YouTube and even enjoying a stint on the main page of the official Phantasm website. Now the man behind the song, Andre Noe, has directed and produced a music video accompaniment to ADN's cover that shines bright with the flare and production value of a short film. Read on for my review of his efforts.

Review: Scrimm in The Grandfather

The Grandfather is the latest release in Glass Eye Pix' audio drama series Tales from Beyond the Pale. Starring Tall Man Angus Scrimm in the title role, the episode runs thirty-nine minutes and costs a scant $1.99 to download from the official Pale website. Continue reading below for a review of the episode.

REVIEW: Scrimm in I SELL THE DEAD

Earlier today, I had the opportunity to see Angus Scrimm's latest work in Glenn McQuad's I Sell The Dead, which also stars Dominic Monaghan, Larry Fessenden and Ron Perlman. My assessment? Fantastic! Certainly a Scrimm performance to savour. Continue reading for my full, in-depth review.

REVIEW: Romano's Shock Festival

(Full Disclosure: Although I have a small cameo in this book on the fake poster for Sister Disco, it was not in the preview edition I reviewed and thus did not influence my judgement.)

Fans of the Phantasm series have been pretty aware lately of a writer named Stephen Romano. He's been collaborating with Don Coscarelli on numerous projects (Incident On and Off A Mountain Road as well as unproduced scripts for Bubba Nosferatu and Phantasm V) in addition to having penned several acclaimed books. His latest creation, Shock Festival, is about to hit book store shelves and I've prepared a review for the Archives.

I was e-messaging with Stephen nearly a year ago when he first told me about his plans for the new book. He'd spent a good while of his recent life creating posters, lobby cards, quads, artwork, magazine articles and advertisements for a whole slew of fake movies. Not just any fake movies, but films that would give your local grindhouse theater a run for their money. As he finished telling me his concept, my only thought was: "This is bloody brilliant." His response: "I know, right?" Continue reading for my assessment of the finished product.

REVIEW: Scrimm in Automatons

Today I sat down to review the DVD release of Angus Scrimm's latest collaboration with the Glass Eye Pix fellows, a micro-budgeted science-fiction film called Automatons. It's an experimental indie that warns us of the horrors of war and features our favorite Tall Man in a very strong supporting role. Continue reading for film screenshots and my DVD review.

"If we are unable to produce children from our loins ever again... then let this brutal conflict be our offspring!" - Angus Scrimm as the Scientist