Phantoms (1998)

One hundred fifty dead, and three hundred fifty missing in the tiny mountain town of Snowfield, Colorado, and that's only the beginning.

Director:

Joe Chappelle

Writers:

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

Stars:

Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Peter O'Toole	...	Dr. Timothy Flyte
Rose McGowan	...	Lisa Pailey
Joanna Going	...	Jennifer Pailey, M.D.
Liev Schreiber	...	Deputy Stuart 'Stu' Wargle
Ben Affleck	...	Sheriff Bryce Hammond
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
William Hahn	...	Scientist Borman
Robert Himber	...	Scientist Walker

Storyline

Dr. Jennifer Pailey and her sister Lisa visit the a small town in the Rocky Mountains. The sisters find no one but a few corpses, then join Sheriff Bryce Hammond and his deputies, Flyte, a British academic, and the remains of an Army commando unit. Together they uncover a sub-terrainain life-form that absorbs its victims while gaining their knowledge. Making it extremely intelligent, and because of the victims perception of it, it believes itself to be the devil. Flyte suggests that the creature's body is almost identical chemically to crude oil, and could be killed by bacteria used to break down fossil fuels. Together they plan to use the Enemy's extreme arrogance and god complex against itself. Hammond finds it has assumed the form of the boy he accidentally killed during an drug raid. When the boy grabs the glass vial from him, he shoots it and exposes the creature to the oil eating bacteria.

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Plot Keywords:

oil | quarantine | devil | hazmat suit | eaten alive | 

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Taglines:

This Time Terror Comes From Below

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for sci-fi violence/gore and language

Details

Country:

USA Japan

Language:

English

Release Date:

23 January 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Dean Koontz's Phantoms

Filming Locations:

Colorado, USA

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$3,065,951, 25 January 1998, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$5,657,370, 15 February 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Miramax,Dimension Films,Fuji Creative

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

An adaptation of the novel was originally set to be made in the late 1980s or early 1990s by New World Pictures and Allied Vision Entertainment, but was shelved after New World filed for bankruptcy.

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Goofs

The spare tire on the back of Jenny's white Jeep disappears and reappears numerous times while driving into Snowfield.

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Quotes

Ancient Evil: Tell the world the end begins here.
Ancient Evil: I am Baal. I am the eye.
Ancient Evil: One of your species has theorized my existence.
Ancient Evil: It's like a puppy learning a difficult trick.
Ancient Evil: He is your Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Ancient Evil: Only in me can you achieve immortality.
Ancient Evil: Not in God.
Ancient Evil: Not in Christ.
Ancient Evil: Only in me.

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Connections

Referenced in An Evening with Kevin Smith 2: Evening Harder (2006)

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Soundtracks

Don't Count Me Out
Performed and Written by K. Perry
Courtesy of Zomba Music Services
Published by Jim Long Music (ASCAP)

User Reviews

Not bad...but should be credited as a remake

This may have been based on a Dean Koontz novel, but Phantoms should acknowledge itself as being an unofficial remake of an old Hammer Studios film, X The Unknown, with which it shares it's main antagonist. The only real difference is that Phantoms lends a more mystical slant to the idea (though primarily just at the beginning of the movie).

As a horror film, this movie is fun...very reminiscent of a good old 50's or 60's horror movie that immediately immerses you in the situation. The one problem with the film is that each character is interesting by themselves, but they don't really gel together that well as a whole. Peter O'Toole is at his quirky best, and Ben Affleck is always enjoyable, so it's really hard to complain about that.

The SFX are okay to middling, but work well with the atmospheric cinematography.

Definitely worth a rent!