Phantoms (1998)

Director:

Joe Chappelle

Writers (WGA):

Dean R. Koontz (novel)
Dean R. Koontz (screenplay)

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Genre:

Thriller | Horror | Drama

Tagline:

For centuries they told us the terror would come from above. We've been looking the wrong way.

Plot:

150 dead and 350 missing in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, Colorado. And that's only the beginning...

Plot Keywords:

Colorado | Town | Small Town | Shotgun | Gory Violence

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Ben Affleck	...	Sheriff Bryce Hammond
Peter O'Toole	...	Dr. Timothy Flyte
Rose McGowan	...	Lisa Pailey
Joanna Going	...	Jennifer Pailey, M.D.
Liev Schreiber	...	Deputy Stuart 'Stu' Wargle
Nicky Katt	...	Deputy Steve Shanning
Clifton Powell	...	Gen. Leland Copperfield
Rick Otto	...	Scientist Lockland
Valerie Chow	...	Scientist Yamaguchi (as Rachel Shane)
Adam Nelson	...	Scientist Burke
John Hammil	...	Scientist Talbot
John Scott Clough	...	Scientist Shane
Michael DeLorenzo	...	Soldier Velazquez (as Michael Delorenzo)
William Hahn	...	Scientist Borman
Robert Himber	...	Scientist Walker

Also Known As:

Dean Koontz's Phantoms (USA) (complete title)

MPAA:

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language.

Runtime:

96 min | Argentina:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Ireland:18 | New Zealand:R16 | Australia:MA | Finland:K-16 (video premiere) | Germany:16 | Norway:18 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:PG | UK:15 | USA:R | Argentina:16

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Company:

Dimension Films

Trivia:

The "flatworm theory" used in the movie (that flatworms can eat the remains of their own kind and absorb their knowledge) is based on actual tests given to flatworms which involved seeing how quickly they would make the "correct" turn at a Y-intersection after eating the previous experimenters. The results were more inconclusive than the film says.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Lisa is in the bathroom, she drops a cigarette into the sink. The position of the cigarette changes in the next shot.

Quotes:

Jenny: It almost got Lisa.
Lisa: No, it wanted Deputy Wargle first, it wants men like him most of all.
Jenny: What do you mean it wants men like him?
Lisa: Well, its the devil don't you think, come up from hell tonight? I think he wants to dance with us.

Movie Connections:

References The Thing (1982)

Soundtrack:

DON'T COUNT ME OUT

Solid horror storyline compensates routine production.

Reasonable supernatural horror, the action taking place in a small town where all the inhabitants have vanished or are dead.

The first half hour builds up tension quite well as two sisters return to the town only to find a few dead bodies and some dismembered body parts. Ben Affleck comes on the scene as a very young looking Sheriff, and the plot sort of meanders along until the introduction of Peter O'Toole as an expert in strange phenomenon. The horror turns out to be an evil entity from the depths of the earth, having similar Devil characteristics to those seen in 'Quatermass and the Pit'.

The film is forgetable but is still better than most horror/monster movies that are churned out these days. 'Phantoms' rarely resorts to cheap humour or trite one-liners and, despite the presence of Affleck, doesn't fall back on any romance to pad out the plot. The horror theme stays strong throughout, and while there are obvious ideas lifted from other films - 'The Andromeda Strain' and particularly the metamorphosising dog from 'The Thing'- at least the film remains true to its roots.

The second half of the film begins to wilt but fortunately things are wrapped up quite quickly, and while the performances, effects and script are all routine, the story element itself is allowed to dominate and this is strong enough to carry the film past the average mark.