Phantoms (1998)

One of my all time favorites.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

Sadly the basis of the book was not translated very well to the big screen, now that special effects are much improved, it may be time to rekindle the dying embers of what should have been a great film.The taunting of the people in Snowfield, the arrival and setup of a cordon, the reason why Santa Mira police were there in the first place were all dismissed. Sadly in many ways, the whole point of the movie wasn't really realised because they were so focused on getting to the end that they seem to have entirely forgotten about the story, no suspense moments whatsoever, no what's gonna happen next..It was a major disappointment sadly because it didn't get the treatment it deserved; it should have been so much better, one can only hope that the script is redone; with a better understanding of the book and the nature of the story.

"Phantoms" chronicles a doctor, Jennifer (Joanna Going) taking her L.A. sister, Lisa (Rose McGowan) to stay with her in the quaint Colorado mountain town she has settled in. Upon arriving to the town, it is clear something is wrong— everybody seems to have vanished, and the ones who do remain have died under inexplicable circumstances. Enter Ben Affleck and Liev Schreiber as a sheriff and his deputy who come to save the day, but things become more and more complicated after the arrival of an academic theories (Peter O'Toole).In the style of Miramax's late-'90s/early 2000s horror films, "Phantoms" was directed by Joe Chappelle, who had previously directed the middling "Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers" in 1995. With "Phantoms," Chappelle employs a similar visual style to his "Halloween" sequel, which includes flashy cinematography and editing techniques. "Halloween: The Curse..." is one of the most despised films of its franchise, but I've always appreciated Chappelle's visual aesthetic which, while sometimes one dimensional, still has its own unique sensibility."Phantoms" starts out phenomenally: breathtaking overhead shots of the Rockies, moving toward a small community nestled in the mountains in the dead of winter. What the film does extremely well is create a pervasive apocalyptic feel that upholds its entire first act, and it is surprisingly riveting. "Silent Hill" and even films like "Dawn of the Dead" have shown us that there are few things eerier than empty streets that shouldn't be empty. An entire town, furthermore— especially one as isolated as it is in "Phantoms"— is even more quietly oppressive. The unease and intrigue is immediately established, and there are plenty of fun and chilling gimmicks as Going and McGowan wander through the Colorado wasteland.The film shifts gears about halfway in, and veers toward "Predator" territory with a philosophical and scientific bent to it, brought to us by none there than Peter O'Toole. While this shift is necessary for the film to run its intended course, it definitely creates a rift in the narrative that isn't as well-situated as it could have been. There are some fantastic moments in the last half of the film, but there is a sense that you are almost seeing two different movies.Joanna Going and a late '90s, post-"Scream" Rose McGowan play the ostensible lead characters, though there is a bit of confusion as to who constitutes "protagonist" in this film. Affleck and Schreiber are great, with Schreiber being especially abrasive and leery on the audience. O'Toole is fitting as the token Brit professor.Overall, "Phantoms" is very much enjoyable as raw entertainment; it has star power and is stylishly directed, and its first act is wildly atmospheric and nightmarish. Unfortunately, I do feel the film spins its wheels a bit too much as it delves into the second half, and sabotages the very tone that makes the first half so unnerving. No less, it is a fun film with enough memorable highlights to be worth a watch. 7/10.

Dr. Jennifer Pailey (Joanna Going) and her younger sister Lisa (Rose McGowan) arrive in the remote town of Snowfield, Colorado, only to find the inhabitants either dead or missing, having fallen foul of a subterranean creature that believes itself to be a god. While searching the town for signs of life, the sisters meet local sheriff Bryce Hammond (Ben Affleck) and his deputies, but even with the lawmen's added firepower, survival looks unlikely—at least until the arrival of a team of government agents and their unlikely expert on the 'ancient evil', tabloid journalist Dr. Timothy Flyte (Peter O'Toole).Based on the novel by Dean Koontz (who also wrote the screenplay), Phantoms starts off very promisingly with the Pailey sisters' nail-biting search of the town's seemingly deserted buildings: a few delightfully grisly discoveries, some truly eerie sounds and the gradually dwindling daylight keep the level of tension high and the viewer right on the edge of their seat. An attack by a bizarre flying critter that leaves Deputy Stuart 'Stu' Wargle (Liev Schreiber) minus his face and several subsequent well-executed supernatural scares serve to heighten the horror.Unfortunately, with the introduction of O'Toole as Flyte, matters start to go downhill, the plot becoming more and more far fetched, eventually losing all sense of credibility during the inevitable showdown with the monster that involves the use of a handy experimental chemical that can break down the structure of oil—which just happens to be what the Lovecraftian creature is largely comprised of.However, despite its flaws, I'm happy to rate Phantoms a more than reasonable 6/10 simply for the wonderfully atmospheric first half, which surely served as inspiration for the successful 'Silent Hill' series of computer games.

Dr. Jennifer Pailey (Going) brings her younger sister Lisa (McGowan) to her small Colorado town in an attempt to keep her out of trouble. When they arrive they find everyone in town dead minus a few others including Sheriff Bryce (Affleck) and a handful of others. Fearing an outbreak of some kind, the small band of people tries to find logic and a common thread. One victim has scrawled the name Timothy Flyte in blood on the wall. Flyte (O'Toole), is a tabloid writer who wrote a story about an ancient evil that comes up from the depths of the earth every 100 years or so, and devours anything in it's way. Flyte, and the Army is called in and the entity takes on the form of the people's fear. Lisa calls it the Devil and now it thinks it is and it seems intent on killing everyone. Dean Koontz adapts his own novel into this screenplay and Director Joe Chappelle makes the first 20 minutes incredibly tight with jump scares and thick atmosphere. The girls walking around a dead town in fright is simply chilling. Horror fans will enjoy many elements at work here including some cool monster designs, gore and even suspense. The cast is solid with Peter O'Toole giving the picture a sense of class. Elements of the story could have made this very cheesy but Chappelle manages to steer the film away from that. The middle drags a little and there is an unnecessary and stupid final twist that threatens the films effectiveness. By far, the most chilling scene in the film is when Flyte is going to meet the being face to face. It is brilliantly executed and chilling as hell! This memorable moment almost deserves to be in a better film it is that good. 'Phantoms' is a fun and entertaining monster/creature film.