Phantasm IV: Oblivion (1998)

Mike travels through time and dimensions to find the Tall Man's origins.

Director:

Don Coscarelli

Writers:

Don Coscarelli (characters), Don Coscarelli

Stars:

A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
A. Michael Baldwin	...	Mike
Reggie Bannister	...	Reggie
Bill Thornbury	...	Jody
Heidi Marnhout	...	Jennifer
Bob Ivy	...	Demon Trooper
Angus Scrimm	...	The Tall Man / Dr. Jebediah Morningside
Christopher L. Stone	...	Music & Dwarf Creatures (voice) (as Christopher Stone)
Chloe Kay	...	Background Player
Sylvia Flammer	...	Background Player
David Gasster	...	Background Player
Sasha Kassel	...	Background Player
Aidan Kassel	...	Background Player
Eric Avary	...	13th Morningside Volunteer Infantryman
Andy John	...	13th Morningside Volunteer Infantryman
George A. Craig	...	13th Morningside Volunteer Infantryman

Storyline

Taking off immediately where the last one ended, in this episode Mike travels across dimensions and time fleeing from the Tall Man, at the same time he tries to find the origins of his enemy, and what really happened the night that his brother died. Meanwhile, Reggie (accompanied by a beauty he picked up on the road) battles the spheres and the undead in a quest to find Mike before the Tall Man can complete his transformation.

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Plot Keywords:

ice cream truck | alien invasion | interdimensional being | supernatural being | zombie cop | 

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Taglines:

The sequel with balls!

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Genres:

Fantasy | Horror | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for horror violence/gore and some strong language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 October 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Phantasm: Phorever

Filming Locations:

Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$650,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Starway International Inc.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The dagger seen in the film is the same prop used in Phantasm (1979).

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Goofs

(at around 54 mins) Reggie tells Jennifer that he has been chasing the Tall Man 'for several years". However, the events of the past three films (Phantasm, Phantasm II, and Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead) have been portrayed as directly continuous leading back to Mike being released from the mental hospital in Phantasm II with the events of the subsequent films taking place over the course of only a few months.

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Quotes

Jody: I didn't abandon you Mike. I was taken.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits say 'PHANTASM', then the roman numerals 'IV' (for four) come cascading down from above onto the screen right below the word 'PHANTASM', then the subtitle 'OBLIVION' appears, with the roman numeral IV forming the 'i' and the 'v' in the word OblIVion

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Connections

Featured in Cinemassacre's Monster Madness: The Phantasm Series (2019)

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Soundtracks

Have You Seen It?
Lyrics by Reggie Bannister
Performed by Reggie Bannister (as Reggie B) & the Jizz Wailin' Ya' Doggies
From the CD album "Fools Paradise"
Courtesy of Plan 10 Recordings
Executive Producer Terry J. Svejda
Produced by Doug Agee
Alpha Sound Services Geneva, Il.

User Reviews

Yes, this film leaves many gaps yet there are good points..

I admit this isn't the most well-made film and the loose ends, unexplained occurrences, and inconsistencies are enough to make one lose faith in the series, yet after the beautiful beginning cinematography done in panoramic view, where the Tall Man stalks the halls of the cemetary, the scene where Reggie is attacked by a mutant police officer, another scene where Reggie survives not one but two of the balls, and the most surprising scene of all, when Michael, after going through a dimensional gateway, encounters what appears to be the Tall Man's "good" alter-ego! There are pros and cons to this movie. Please give it a chance..you might find at least one thing you do like about it.