Phantasm II (1988)

   
Written & Directed by: Don Coscarelli

Starring:

James LeGros .... Mike Pearson
Reggie Bannister .... Reggie
Angus Scrimm .... The Tall Man
Paula Irvine .... Liz
Samantha Phillips .... Alchemy

Release Date: Theatrical: July 8, 1988

*Photos courtesy at www.beyondhollywood.com

 

Rating:

 

It is eight years after the horrible incident when Reggie (Reggie Bannister) told Mike the horrible news that his brother dies in a car accident but it was actually created by these hellish creatures from antoher world led by a person named the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm). Mike (James LeGros) spent time in a psychiatric clinic but is convinced that the Tall Man is still out there digging up graves.
After Reggie's house explodes, him and Mike are travelling around the country trying to track down the Tall Man bringing all kinds of weapons before he wreaks havoc against a beautiful woman that is in danger named Liz (Paula Irvine) that Mike is always having dreams about although he has never met her but both of them communicate through each others minds.
He also experienced an image of a dead corpse in an abandoned mortuary that he also dreamt about afterwards.
Then suddenly Reggie picks her up and she is fully alive and she introduces herself as Alchemy (Samantha Phillips). Both of these experiences that Mike is having is leading towards where the Tall Man is residing.
Meanwhile, Liz discovers that her Grandmother (Ruth C. Engel) has disappeared after her Grandfathers death and enters a mortuary where the Tall Man is residing in order to find her but she is terrorised by him and one of his creatures.
Mike tries rescue her but then the Tall Man kidnaps her again and is sent to a crematorium. It's now up to Mike and Reggie to rescue her again from his evil clutches before it's too late.

 

The film shows some good battle scene's that involves Reggie battling those little elf like creatures in the house and then running out with a good background shot on the house exploding.
There's a good conversation sequence between Reggie and Mike Pearson at a graveyard arguing what the truth is and the Tall Man terrorising them as it looked quite strong.
There's a good shot with the Tall Man coming up from behind Liz and placing a hand on her telling her the funreal is about to start like he did in the first film.
Great shots of the mortuary as well as Reggie and Mike checking things out plus a good shot on Alchemy gagged and leaning down near a corner along with a neat effects shot on some creature forming on her back which looked icky and creepy.
We have a good shot on Grandpa returning from the dead lying in bed staring and talking ghostly towards Grandma and a nice screaming reaction from her.
We show an interesting scene with Mike and Alchemy lying in bed together telecommunicating with one another as they are dreaming which almost makes you think of A Nightmare On Elm Street.
Meanwhile we have a scene between Reggie with a lustful scene between
Liz
which looked corny and quite phony and unbelieveable. Just way too much.
We have a good scene between the Tall Man coming up towards a preacher and acting cold and deadly towards him.
A good shot on a steel ball attacking and killing this preacher as he reacts well to all of this.
Great shot on Liz with a dwarf trying to drag her and then a nice shot on the Tall Man picking her up by the neck.
We have some good shots on Liz lying down and getting pushed in a cremtory fire with her suddenly leaping to life and whacking a mortician with a shovel and trying to defend herself to get away.
There's also a good shot with a steel ball with the camera behind it aiming towards the mortician and hitting his hand as well as the steel ball drilling his hand. There's another great scene with another steel ball grinding through his body with him screaming.
Also terrific dark shots on both Alchemy and Mike hiding in a dark storage room with a steel ball looking around with a neat red light effect on it.
Another great camera shooting behind a steel ball aiming towards the two of them running away trying to slam a door each time with the ball breaking them open each time.
A good shot on Reggie holding a chainsaw challenging his enemy in a corny kind of way as the scene borrows heavily on Tobe Hoopers chainsaw fighting scene from Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.
There's a great moment with the Tall Man trying to push both Reggie and Mike into the metal bars to the other world.
Great effects shot with the two of them on some rocks and a creature from a barrel crawling towards Mike and then Reggie struggling with him and then pulling him away.
A great scene with Mike trying to kill the Tall Man with his own steel balls.
Bottom line is that the sequel is a little disappointing as I expected it to be a little better than this. During this time period there were alot of corny horror flicks and sadly this sequel became one of them. There are some good effects in this film with the odd monstrous moments too plus some deadlier steel balls with the blades pointing out for the kill. So it's fun to watch but not even as close as good as the original. Oh well. Coscerelli heavily borrowed elements from other horror flicks and used it in this one too to top it all off.

The acting is quite dated and not as effective like in the first film but it's still passable. James LeGros (Mike Pearson) this time plays the role of but however, doesn't fit the part too well. He still can deliver his character as much as he can.
Reggie Bannister
(Reggie) still can act kooky and a natural ham with his part. When he acts menacing though he seems a little too comedic but again I think it was intentional. does well acting menacing by shooting his flamethrower towards his fellow actress in a certain scene. He also does well by opening up a door with a chainsaw showing menacing actions.
Angus Scrimm
(The Tall Man) still pulls his weight as the Tall Man but doesn't seem as dark with his performance like in the first film. He can still prove to be menacing.
Paula Irvine
(Liz) really proved herself to be a mysterious one in the film and showing her stuff quite well too.
Samantha Phillips
(Alchemy) has a great presence to her part in the film as a new cast member. She had the right looks too to top it all off.

There is a full naked corpse of Alchemy lying on a table in an abandoned Mortuary.
Alchemy
is then naked while fornicating with Reggie but is wearing panties.

A creature forms out of the back of a blonde woman who is gagged.
A steel ball cuts off a priests ear.
A hand is cut off by one of the Tall Man's people and a steel ball cut's through his body.
Another one of the Tall Man's people is hacked by a chainsaw.
The Tall Man's face starts to melt away.
The side of Alchemy's head is sliced off.

The music is very late 80's cheese sounding composed once again by Fred Myrow with some help by Christopher L. Stone. There are some good metal scratching sounds and the updated keyboard chiming sounds.

The Tall Man: You think that when you die, you go to Heaven. You come to us!

Reggie: Come on. Lets go kick some ass.

[Reggie revs up his chainsaw, about to take on one of the Tall Man's henchmen]
Reggie: Come on, you mutha!

[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]

[Mike & Liz are in the back of a hearse after escaping the mortuary & the Tall Man. Reggie has just been attacked by Alchemy in the hearse's front & thrown out of the car]
Mike: One minute... we're gonna wake up. This is only a dream.
Liz: That's right... it's only a dream!
[the barrier to the hearse front suddenly slides down. The Tall Man is sitting at the wheel and glaring back at them]
The Tall Man: No! It's not!
[the back window breaks, and Mike & Liz are pulled out by the Tall Man's dwarf zombies]