Phantoms

Starring:Ben Affleck, Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going, Liev Schreiber, Nicky Katt, Clifton Powell, Rick Otto, Valerie Chow, Adam Nelson, John Hammil, John Scott Clough, Michael DeLorenzo, William Hahn, Robert Himber, Bo Hopkins, Robert Knepper, Paul Schmidt, Dean Hallo, Clive Rosengren
Director: Joe Chappelle
Studio: Dimension
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Either Dean Koontz shouldn't adapt his own bestsellers, or his 1983 novel Phantoms was a pack of horror clichés to begin with, or this movie is 15 years past its due date. What might have seemed fresh at the time of Poltergeist now feels like it was made from a derivative script with pages missing. Plagued by reckless leaps of logic, the movie starts with adequately eerie atmosphere and a perversely twisted performance by Scream 2's Liev Schreiber, but decays into a familiar hash of gross-out effects, resulting from the annihilation of a small Colorado town by an evil force known as "The Ancient Enemy." In a dreary role that insults the twilight of his distinguished career, Peter O'Toole plays a paleobiologist whose crackpot ideas have become tabloid fodder, but he holds the key to conquering the beast. Or does he? Sure enough, an obligatory coda leaves room for anticlimactic doubt. Phantoms has a few genuinely creepy highlights, including a devilish beastie resembling an angry flying scorpion, and horror fans will surely find something to admire, but everyone else is advised to proceed with caution and lowered expectations. --Jeff Shannon

Description

A heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a hot cast of rising stars, PHANTOMS is the latest from master of suspense, Dean Koontz! Five lone survivors in a devastated town must face the unthinkable: a ferocious force of evil lying below the earth for centuries has surfaced with the power to destroy every human being! Left behind are two sisters, the town sheriff (Academy Award(R)-winner Ben Affleck, GOOD WILL HUNTING), his deputy (Liev Schreiber, SCREAM 2), and a noted tabloid journalist (Peter O'Toole). You're in for a pulse-pounding experience as the survivors race to stop this terrifying threat before it wipes humankind off the face of the earth!

Customer Reviews:

Don't Waste your $.......2007-06-17

This is one of the worst and most unwatchable movies I have ever seen-right up there with Battlefield Earth and I Dreamed of Africa. I picked this up at Blockbuster, stupidly paying money for a rental and just could not make myself watch the whole thing. I am a cheapskate and I never do this. It's playing on the WB right now as the requisite bad sunday afternoon movie.

I'll just ask the obvious and say what the #&!! was Peter O'Toole doing in this? Perhaps this past sin is why he was shut out at the Oscars this year.

When will I learn? Every Dean Koontz movie I've tried to watch is awful-interesting premise but really really predictable and intellegence insulting plot and dialogue. You can't really blame the actors, they do the best with what is clearly excremental scripting and directing. Even more pitiful and disappointing than Steven King movies.

Not As Bad As The Reviews Would Have You Believe!.......2006-10-11

Is this an all-time horror classic? No. Is it one of the greatest sci-fi horrors ever made? No. Is it a terrible film? No! In fact, I thought the film was a fun and entertaining flick. This is not a film to get all excited over, however, I did think the film had some pretty good suspense in it. And as for the one star ratings--that's ridiculous. This film was not that bad. In fact I have it in my collection. [As with every film I have written reviews on]. I think the film could have been done better, but hey, it's still a very interesting and suspenseful film.

I must admit I did not read the book. [Most of what I read is non-fiction]. Therefore, I cannot compare the film to the book as many reviewers have. But then most of the books I have read are never like the the films anyway. And as one of the reviewers wrote, 'It does make for a very entertaining film.' I found myself in a bit of suspense, and was looking forward to how this 'Ancient Evil' was going to be dealt with. I really enjoy Peter O'Toole's acting, and thought he did a decent job with his role. As for Ben Affleck, he wasn't as bad a many reviewers have written. I recommend you rent the film first to see if it is your taste. However, I thought it was pretty decent. [Stars: 3.5]

A let down after the book..........2006-04-28

Standing on its own, this movie was pretty bad - poor acting, poor script, silly special effects, etc. However, when compared with the excellent Koontz book it's based on, the movie's dismal quality really stands out. It's as if they took out everything good about the book and threw in some silliness to compensate.

To sum up the movie in one word: terrible. Please do your self a favor and buy the book instead!

Dean Koontz' Phantoms.......2006-03-14

This is the ultimate "Blob" movie. Unlike the original Blob with Steve McQueen (one of my favorite actors) and all the re-makes that have followed... This version is a very sophisticated, eloquent thriller. Although, the evil entity is never refered to as "a blob" or "the blob", and we are spared the sight of the big blob of jello mowing people down. Nevertheless, a blob by any other name is still a blob. The only caveat is that this entity is inteligent and has an over-inflated ego. Great cast, good plot, too bad the quality of this DVD transfer was lacking in clearness and resolution.

Phantoms (1998).......2005-12-31

Director: Joe Chappelle
Cast: Ben Affleck, Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going, Liev Schreiber, Nicky Katt, Clifton Powell.
Running Time: 91 minutes
Rated R for science-fiction violence, gore, and language.

Dr. Jenny Pailey (Joanna Going) is bringing her younger sister, Lisa (Rose Mcgowan), home from L.A. to the small quiet town of Snowfield, Colorado. It's a peaceful environment to live in, with a population of 400, and the town has some nice ski resorts that make it a popular site during the summer. Upon returning, however, they discover everyone either missing or dead, with bodies that have a strange gooey look to it. They try to leave, but find their car and every other vehicle in town dead. Exploring further, they enter a bakery, where they encounter Sheriff Bryce Hammond (Ben Affleck) and his two deputies, Shanning (Nicky Katt) and Stu Wargle (Liev Schrieber). As they look further into town, they discuss what could have possibly caused this massive disappearance and all these deaths. The mysterious cause behind this hasn't ended, however, and as the night progresses, Shanning is taken by an unseen presence. Hammond and the others must now try to survive the night and hope they can get off a message to the outside world of their plight.

"Phantoms", adapted and written by novelist Dean Koontz, is a surprise on almost every level. It's a well-made thriller from Joe Chappelle, whose only previous major credit was "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers", usually regarded as the worst of the "Halloween" sequels. He may have seemed like a dubious choice to direct this film, but he does a fine job, creating heavy doses of suspense through some clever uses in the small-town setting and the suggestion of an unseen force lurking around every corner. The film is overall scary, working best when you have no idea what's causing this terror. The unknown is far more frightening, and Chappelle wisely plays this fun material for all it's worth, creating many eerie sequences, such as a slow exploration inside a hotel, the creepy use of Patsy Cline's "I Fall to Pieces," and an encounter with a giant moth that is positively heart-pounding. For approximately an hour, Chappelle keeps mounting the tension level in, throwing in a good amount of horror and suspense into the proceedings in a relentless manner. Dean Koontz's script is somwhat successful. He builds in some intriguing ideas that are never fully explored, but to his credit, he had budgetary limitations and had to work with a 96-minute running time. As a result, the pacing is often so fast, you'll probably wish the film was at least another 15 minutes long. The script is sometimes heavily reliant on many horror cliches, including people walking into dangerous places alone, which is something a character in this sort of film should learn not to do; however Chappelle still handles these scenes remarkably well, creating suspense in certain spots when it often hasn't worked in other movies. There are also some lapses in logic, but they can be ignored rather easily.

The visual effects are quite good, such as the giant moth and the other strange creature designs. The setting is among the film's best assets. Smalll towns are usually great places to hide an unseen menace and this film pulls it off quite well. Many of the empty buildings, mainly the hotel and the police station, are great set-ups for some well-done setpieces. The cast is fairly good, and is one of the main reasons this thriller is moderately effective. The lovely Joanna Going is good as the film's strong female character. She brings dignity and class to her performance. Liev Schrieber and Peter O'Toole are perhaps the scene stealers, with their mostly successful attempts at humor. Schrieber is mostly over-the-top, and often creepy, while O'Toole is wry and sarcastic. It's a bit odd to see such a legendary actor in a film like this, but he plays the role in the right manner. The only weak link in the acting is Rose Mcgowan, who seems more suited for jokey, "hip" horror films rather than a serious one, and she's sorely out of place here. David Williams' score is creepy and good in creating some tension. It sounds somewhat derivative of the works of Ennio Morricone, but it still blends well into the film. The score is mostly a series of repeating notes, but it actually never becomes a slight annoyance, like John Carpenter's repetitious score in Prince of Darkness. The final scenes is among the movie's flaws. It's slightly darkly humorous, as it is intended to be, but this ending has been done so often, it's become rather tiresome by now. It's obvious Koontz has become influenced by far too many modern-day horror films. "Phantoms" isn't a classic film, since it has its own flaws and doesn't delve deeply into some interesting ideas, but it blends action and horror into a suspenseful and often scary mixture, with non-stop thrills and tension that keep the material fun to watch, even if the story's not always logical.

Phantoms of Death Triple Feature (The Phantom of 42nd Street / Phantom Killer / Phantom of Chinatown)

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Phantoms of Death Triple Feature (The Phantom of 42nd Street / Phantom Killer / Phantom of Chinatown)
Starring: Dave O'Brien , Kay Aldridge , Alan Mowbray , Frank Jenks , and Edythe Elliott
Director: Albert Herman , William Beaudine , and Phil Rosen
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

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ASIN: B00022PZ42
Release Date: 2004-06-08

Description

Three spine-tingling classics of fear and mystery! In Phantom of 42nd Street, an unknown killer haunts the world of the theater, leaving a quotation from a classic drama pinned to each victim's body. Can a theater critic turned detective protect a distinguished actor and his daughter from becoming the next targets? Then a noted philanthropist is fingered as the terrifying Phantom Killer, thanks to a deaf-mute janitor witness. Finally, a Phantom of Chinatown strikes during a lecture on the discovery of a lost tomb and swipes a valuable scroll. Only detective Jimmy Wong (Keye Luke) can find the killer and solve the secret of the missing artifact!

Average customer rating:

Once Upon A Midnight Dreary II

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( O ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

This is the sequal to the original "Once Upon A Midnighit Dreary" It features five short stories involving an Alien invasion, a visit from a hellish demon, a couple tormented by an angry Phantom, and a blood thirsty creature on the hunt. Together they make up one HELL OF A MOVIE!

Gatchaman, Vol. 11: Phantoms and Demon Kings

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Gatchaman, Vol. 11: Phantoms and Demon Kings
Starring: Katsuji Mori , Isao Sasaki , Kazuko Sugiyama , Yoku Shioya , and Shingo Kanemoto
Director: Fumio Kurokawa , Katsuhisa Yamada , and Hiroshi Sasagawa
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ASIN: B000EDWKTC
Release Date: 2006-04-18

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Originally Re-cut and Released in the 70's and 80's as "Battle of the Planets" and "G-Force" Gatchaman is an Anime Legend! Don't miss the series that started it all! Uncut and unedited for the first time ever!

Description

Phantoms - DVD- A heart-stopping, edge-of-your-seat thriller with a hot cast of rising stars, PHANTOMS is the latest from master of suspense, Dean Koontz! Five lone survivors in a devastated town must face the unthinkable: a ferocious force of evil lying below the earth for centuries has surfaced with the power to destroy every human being! Left behind are two sisters, the town sheriff (Academy Award(R)-winner Ben Affleck, GOOD WILL HUNTING), his deputy (Liev Schreiber, SCREAM 2), and a noted tabloid journalist (Peter O'Toole). You're in for a pulse-pounding experience as the survivors race to stop this terrifying threat before it wipes humankind off the face of the earth! Reindeer Games: Director's Cut - DVD - Sizzling hot Ben Affleck (PEARL HARBOR) and Charlize Theron (THE CIDER HOUES RULES) team up with Gary Sinise (MISSION TO MARS) in this action-packed story of high-stakes crime and deception. Upon release from a stint in prison, Rudy (Affleck) impulsively decides to pose as his old cell mate Nick in order to make time with Nick's beautiful pen pal, Ashley (Theron). But Rudy's ruse blows up when he realizes that Ashely was double-crossing Nick ... and he's inescapably part of an armed robbery plot being hatched by her dangerously evil brother (Sinise)! Also featuring Clarence Williams III (LIFE), Danny Trejo (CON AIR), and Dennis Farina (GET SHORTY) -- don't miss this intensely entertaining, nonstop movie thrill ride!

Average customer rating:

Don't Waste your $
Not As Bad As The Reviews Would Have You Believe!
A let down after the book...
Dean Koontz' Phantoms
Phantoms (1998)

Phantoms [Region 2]
Starring: Ben Affleck , Peter O'Toole , Rose McGowan , Joanna Going , and Liev Schreiber
Director: Joe Chappelle
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00004RYM1

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Don't Waste your $.......2007-06-17

Not As Bad As The Reviews Would Have You Believe!.......2006-10-11

A let down after the book..........2006-04-28

Dean Koontz' Phantoms.......2006-03-14

Phantoms (1998).......2005-12-31

Average customer rating:

Phantoms [Region 2]
Starring: Ben Affleck , Peter O'Toole , Rose McGowan , Joanna Going , and Liev Schreiber
Director: Joe Chappelle
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00004VYEZ

Average customer rating:

Phantoms [Region 2]
Starring: Ben Affleck , Peter O'Toole , Rose McGowan , Joanna Going , and Liev Schreiber
Director: Joe Chappelle
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( P ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B00005U1XJ

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