DVD Corner

Phantasm: Ravager Blu-ray Review

“Phantasm: Ravager” was made for the fans.

In the fifth and perhaps last installment of the horror film franchise, the David Hartman directed “Phantasm: Ravager” further explores an element that has been touched upon before as the film delves heavily into a “what is real?” situation here. The story begins with Reggie all by his lonesome tracking down the Tall Man and evading killer spheres before it cuts to Reggie in the hospital suffering from dementia where he is visited by Mike. It appears that Reggie is really in the hospital and that he is dreaming the action oriented story as well as another story in which Earth has been invaded by the Tall Man and his forces. In that timeline, Reggie joins Mike and a resistance group fighting against the Tall Man and co. With all of these timelines and the constant time jumping, the line between reality and fiction is blurred for Reggie.

When it comes to stories that involve dreams and reality, they can be really hit-and-miss. Sometimes they work in a surrealistic way and other times they can be viewed as a cheat. In the case of “Phantasm: Ravager,” it’s a bit of a mixed bag. On one hand, it’s in line with what has come before, but on the other hand, it’s all very convoluted and choppy even for the most dedicated “Phantasm” fans.

Plot oddities aside, there’s still a lot to admire here. For one thing, it is nice to see the Tall Man one last time given that Angus Scrimm has sadly passed away. He will always be one of horror’s best iconic villains. Secondly, there is undoubtedly some cool imagery on display here. Sure, this scrappy little indie film has some iffy CGI and a limited budget, but how can you not grin with delight upon seeing giant spheres, grizzly sphere death scenes and a post apocalyptic Earth?

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 16:9 1080p. How does it look? Given the film’s low budget, the hi-def transfer is surprisingly quite superb.

Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? The score and sound f/x are sharp while the dialogue is a bit soft.

Extras:
* Well Go USA trailers.
* “Phantasm: Ravager” trailer.
* 3 deleted scenes.
* The 8 ½ minute “Phuntasm: Bloopers and Outtakes.”
* “Behind The Scenes”- A featurette that contains film clips, behind-the-scenes footage, interviews, and the franchise’s resurrection. Good stuff.

Overall Thoughts: “Phantasm: Ravager” may not be one of the better installments in the series, but fans will still have much to chew on here.

December 17, 2016 - Posted by nicklyons1 | Blu-Ray review | Angus Scrimm, Don Coscarelli, Phantasm 5, Phantasm Series, Phantasm: Ravager Blu-ray Review