Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead (1994)

Continuing to watch movies that have shaped me and starring some of the people I met at Monster-Mania, like A. Michael Baldwin. With that in mind, I decided to dive into the third installment of one of my favorite horror franchises, Don Coscarelli’s Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead from 1994.

Plot/ The Tall Man, that imposing menace from Morningside Mortuary, is back and once again haunting the thoughts of the now-adult Mike and his friend, ex-Ice Cream vendor Reggie. The two continue their hunt for the mysterious figure and in his path of destruction encounter a variety of dangerous situations, friends and enemies. They also must contend with the resurrected dead plus a growing number of the infamous and deadly silver spheres which aid the Tall Man as he sets his sights on indoctrinating Mike and finishing the fight begun so many years ago.

If you are like me and enjoy this series, you should enjoy this installment. Yes, it is again a bit different than the previous installments, but it does a great job at keeping true to the original idea. It is definitely a gory and exciting entry in this creative horror fantasy. Again, the scenery, acting and plot are solid. The scripting is inventive, mixing the darkness and story of the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) with a slight dose of dark humor. Is it a perfect flick, No! But, it is definitely fun and a movie that should be enjoyed by fans of horror and the Phantasm series.