It had been a while since last checking out the original Phantasm (1979). How would it hold up again after the many booze-soaked Midnight movie viewings from yesteryear and how valid were otherwise foggy remembrances of the movie’s craziness and outlandish action? Well…..It turns out that I have a great fondness for writer, director and producer Don Coscarelli‘s brain child. Expect bizarre brushes with the living dead and other dimensional creeps that are novel in their presentation and influenced a lot of filmmakers. But my tastes are different than yours and on a current viewing, I noticed that the film drags a bit in spots and can get repetitive especially when you start digging into the well of five movies created for the Phantasm cycle. I mean, how many times can the characters find, confront, get bettered and then lose The Tall Man (Angus Scrim) and his dwarf and zombie minions? How heroes appear and then are lost in different dimensions and time periods that are confusing to say the least. But I recommend that you immerse yourself in the lunatic vision of Coscarelli and see if you can figure out what The Tall Man is up to.
All posts by Andrew Swartz
“Alien: Earth” (2025) – Episodes 6, 7, 8 – Very Solid
I think the first season of Alien: Earth finished very strongly with a number of interesting new developments and a plethora of creepy and frightening alien lifeform encounters and brutal slayings. I think the handling of new life forms and their often deadly qualities is handled better in this series than in, say, “Prometheus” (2012). These alien monsters are scary and other worldly. They are magnificent. As a matter of fact, they remind me of some of the disgusting life forms unleashed in “The Mist” (2007). Things we may have the misfortune of running into in our nightmares.
Well, it looks like all the opposing groups have been defined and are gathering on the island to iron out their differences. It may be a very chaotic, violent second season.
One final question which hasn’t been answered in Season One. Is there anything that can even slow down the Alien Xenomorph? Maybe next season.
More Notes after Viewing “Alien: Earth”, Episode 5
The trajectory of the series took a backward journey to explore the events leading to the activities aboard The Maginot, the Weyland-Yutani spaceship which has managed to secure a plethora of exotic alien species.
Once again, it was a pleasure to revisit some of the familiar interiors of the ship which bring us back to their origins in the film “Alien” (1979). It seems that we even manage to summon up memories of “Alien: Resurrection” (1997) what with some of the wise cracking characters and flippant attitude encountered with The Maginot’s ship’s doctor. I thought the jaded attitude was a bit extreme and misplaced but then we only get to spend a few charming moments with him before his aborted “operation”.
Overall, I prefer the crew of The Nostromo. I think one of the things striking things about this series as we are well past the half way mark in the season is that there is not a character on the show that I truly care about. Probably because I am too jaded myself.
Musings On “Alien: Earth” (2025)
A limited television series revisiting the Alien franchise has been released for those who are interested. I have only seen two of the episodes but there have been some intriguing concepts introduced as well as providing some familiar and possibly soothing images and style from the 1979 origin movie.
Through my scant viewing thus far, I have noted that the horror of a lurking xenomorph/Alien creature yields attacks and violence of a shocking, extreme nature. Bodies are ripped asunder, and entrails are littered about with liberal abandon. Whether this appeals to you or not, beware that the xenomorph is accompanied on a research vessel that specializes in obtaining living samples of a multitude of other worldly abominations ready to unleash Hell upon the denizens of Earth.
The research ship itself harkens back to the view screens, architecture and claustrophobic tight spaces of the Nostromo mining vessel from Ridley Scott’s 1979 film. We see a recreation of the Mother computer room, the same graphic fonts appearing on the data screens and some of the look and sound we observed 46 years ago for the first time. Cool! It doesn’t hurt that Ridley Scott executive produced this series.
Once again, those humans combating the at large and on the loose xenomorph are too slow moving, dim witted, or utterly in shock and overwhelmed to even raise a weapon against the beasts before getting dispatched limb from limb. How reassuring! Some things never change.
There is also the introduction of a new type of synthetic being which will house the consciousness of a human being into the superior physical structure of an android. Let me see a few more episodes to try and figure out what is going on with that whole storyline.
In the meantime, we can be content to receive another round of Alien mythology and shenanigans. We’ll give it a go!
Guitars Treated Badly
Pete Townsend impaled a low roof in a small club and received racous applause. It may have been a mistake on his part but the crowd loved it and he was probably a bit pissed about damaging an expensive guitar but an art form of sorts was invented: guitar smashing. Pete will go on to name this an act of auto destruction, a concept taught to him by an instructor at Art College. Frustration, angst, Art, crowd pleaser, the video below shows you some other fellows who got in on the act of guitar abuse including Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore, Kiss’ Paul Stanley and Jimi Hendrix who sprayed his axe with lighter fluid and barbequed the six-stringer. To each his own method of destruction!
Brian Wilson, 82
Musical visionary and wunderkind, Brian Wilson has passed. A lot of my favorite pop songs were penned by him and his contributions to the craft and advancement of songwriting and musical production are considerable. Timeless classics such as “Good Vibrations”, “God Only Knows”, “Marcella”, “Fun Fun Fun”, “Help Me Rhonda”, the list goes on, will forever remain with the music listening public and remind us of the immensity and breadth of Brian’s talent and genius. R.I.P., Brother.
“Lady Frankenstein” (1972) – Debauched Baroness
Either you will find this enjoyable or feel revulsion at its sordidness. Here is a version of “Frankenstein” that elaborates on the general tale and ends up pouring on excessive violence and twisted themes.
Dr. Frankenstein is practicing his favorite past time, namely, sewing together bits and pieces of dead bodies and reanimating the resultant corpse. Into this unnatural environment is the arrival of Frankenstein’s daughter, returned from university. She has an admiration for her father’s studies and wants to prolong his legacy by doing a bit of body stitching herself. Never mind that she is a bit afflicted with her own mental issues and a raging libido. After her father is destroyed by his own patchwork being, his daughter uses what she learned from dear old dad to affix her handicapped husband’s superior brain in the strong, flawless body of a half-witted servant who hangs around the castle and to whom she is madly attracted.
In the meantime, Frankenstein’s monster runs amok around the countryside, dispatching and murdering townsfolk. Anxious to build her own Perfect Man, Lady Frankenstein doesn’t give the rampaging monster much thought but first wants to fulfill her own creative, corpse building ambitions and take time to praise the great work of her father. Oh yeah. And jump in and out of the sack. lol.
This picture clearly borrows from Hammer Films and their reliance on gore and sexy women and the Italian Horror cycle which proliferated in the 1970’s. Roger Corman pitched in some money to make sure this travesty got completed and his New World Pictures distributed the film in America. Noted actor Joseph Cotton shilled for a paycheck in this bungle.
See also: “Horror of Frankenstein”, “Andy Warhol’s Frankenstein”.
“Fall of the House of Usher” (1960) – More or Less Poe
This is one of my favorite entries from the Edgar Allen Poe cycle that director Roger Corman engaged in during the 1960’s. Granted some of the special effects appear a little two dimensional and there is the perfunctory dream/nightmare sequence experienced by one of the film players that is shot with color filters and diffusion to capture a horrific pre-waking stage but, in this instance, the effect is very strong and effective.
Vincent Price appears as Roderick Usher who inhabits a mansion on a gloomy stretch of land with his sister, Madeline. There is a malignancy that holds sway over the house, the family and the property. A history of corruption, madness and barbarism seems incorporated into the Usher bloodline. Roderick and his siter are merely carrying on this malaise through their rapidly advancing physical and mental ailments.
Madeline’s beau, Philip, appears at the Usher doorstep to escort his beloved away and off to married life. Roderick refuses to permit this as he fears his sister will succumb to her infirmities if “ushered” away, as it were. Therein lies a majority of the story’s conflict: a war of wills and sanity between the three central characters.
Very cool interior sets and a magnificent Price performance make this a worthy viewing experience even if the story doesn’t exactly conform to Poe’s short story.
“The War of the Worlds” (1938) – A Very Fine Radio Drama
This radio play, based on author H.G. Wells’ “War of the Worlds” novel, has stood the test of time. We are presented with a gripping tale of alien invasion by a seemingly unstoppable force that brings the Earth to its knees but not before a wholly unexpected ally assists us in eluding planetwide destruction.
Based loosely on Wells’ classic science fiction novel, upstart talent, Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater production cast of radio and ultimately theater and film performers, craft a masterful adaptation of the story. America is the spot of a succession of meteorite impacts across the country which house metallic vessels hiding Martians. Not only are the Martians intent on dominating our planet and its resources but they have a penchant for human flesh as well. Not a pleasant prospect for the average Earthling.
This is a well-paced and cleverly designed radio program that initially masquerades as being a typical evening in front of the radio (These were the days before television and computers and when the mind’s eye was actively utilized to visually interpret the words coming out of the radio’s speaker.): Dance band music is interrupted by increasingly intense news broadcasts and the interjected opinions and reporting from experts who are analyzing what the whole invasion thing means and if the Human Race stands a chance of survival.
Very vital and well structured, this is one of the best radio plays in my mind. Not only that, but this production caused quite a stir with late tuners-in of the broadcast back in 1938. An actual panic ensued in certain populations of listeners who actually believed the radio drama was truly happening! What better endorsement to the authenticity and melding of fantasy radio play, gritty news programming, and outrageous showmanship. Hollywood was soon to open its doors wide to welcome Orson Welles’ creative vision and bless him to bestow his magic on Tinseltown. He managed to pull off another legendary artistic masterwork with film “Citizen Kane” but after that, the door slammed shut on his theatrical nose.
Jamie Muir, RIP: Crimson Dynamo
Legendary drummer/percussionist, Jamie Muir, has died. Muir performed on one album, “Lark’s Tongue in Aspic” (1972) with King Crimson and accompanied them on the road before pulling up his stakes and heading for a more spiritual existence. After joining a monastery, he would retire from music but reappear to play and perform again in the 1980’s.
It was while supporting Crimson that Muir created his unique image as a prowling, stage stalking percussionist and drummer alongside Bill Bruford. Muir utilized bird whistles, gongs, slabs of metal and bells to accentuate King Crimson’s sound. Muir would climb up amp stacks and strike his sheet metal and gongs oftentimes with a heavy chain. Another one of Muir’s tricks was to use stage prop blood capsules that he would chomp down on and then spit out the contents. Wow! A lunatic that Ozzy Osbourne could admire.
We celebrate this unique madman!
“The Abominable Snowman” (1953) – Stellar Radio Drama
This is a very well done drama enacted on the old “Escape” radio program. William Conrad plays an adventurer who with his two partners are in pursuit of the capture of the elusive yeti, or as it is referred to in this yarn, “the abominable snowman”. Matters get out of hand as the climbing party experience one misfortune after another including bone chilling cold, raging winds, high elevations and several run ins with the title character.
William Conrad is very effective in his part ranging from bravado to severe humbling after the expedition crumbles around him. Cool soundtrack and sound effects round out this effectively chilling radio play from “Escape”.
“Alien Factor” (1978) – Look On The Bright Side
A very low budgeted entry here, reportedly costing $3,500.00 back in the early 1970’s, this is an ambitious if very flawed work but enough about that.
There are three aliens on display terrorizing the countryside and a lot of interesting special effects work including stop motion animated creatures and pulsing prisms of color that are kind of cool.
Another gnarly attraction is the appearance of a rock power trio named “Atlantis” playing a tune in a bar. An awesome moment!
I also am a fan of the grating electronic soundtrack for this flick. Check it out. You can get a copy on green vinyl through ebay. I’m there!
The Day Dennis Hopper Blew Himself Up (1983) – Rapid Descent Toward Completely Bottoming Out.
Actor/director/photographer/art collector Dennis Hopper was pretty much down on his luck in 1983 and decided to stage an old stuntman’s ploy of “blowing yourself up”. I am sure there is some danger associated with this act like what if the protective blast resistant backing you’re nestled against gives way or the powder used in the explosive detonation burns you a bit. Anyway, Hopper chose to go through this publicity stunt to drum up some attention to a career that was faltering badly due to excessive drug use and drinking.
Hopper makes it out alive and probably needed a drink or some form of toot after the stunt got pulled off and he was still in one piece.
Better career opportunities did appear for the wild man actor and he resumed his film directing and acting gigs after he shed himself of partaking in mind altering substances. Good for him. He definitely wasn’t getting anywhere with acts like this sideshow.
“Andy Warhol – Exploding Plastic Inevitable” (1966/67?) – Mixed Media Stuck Against the Wall.
Andy Warhol was famously known as a leading practitioner of the Pop Art movement in the 60’s and as a constant admirer and pursuer of Celebrity/celebrities through the course of his life up until his death. Warhol was also interested in all kinds of art, namely, sculpture, painting, filmmaking and music.
All of these art forms were utilized by Warhol in an idea he had for a mixed media freakout event. Films would be projected onto walls, dancers and Warhol film actors and pulsating, colored lights and strobes would illuminate a performance space that was sonically assaulted by the cacophonic drones and feedback laced underground rock created by New York band, The Velvet Underground.
It was all a heady mix and very cool to observe but as you can hear from the accompanying soundtrack of the band, the recording is overdriven and drenched in distortion and isn’t the best way to judge the band live, if it is in fact a live recording or just a doctored studio recording with effects added.
We will take it for what it is, an amazing document of a free-wheeling freakout from times past!