As a kid, I remember a movie that featured a cobwebbed wood building, with a silver orb running around, sheathing out knives at it’s would be victim.  Later in that same movie, I remember the man in that same house, taking a person’s finger that was cut off, sticking it in a box, and later dumping it down the disposal.  From that same box jumps a spider, which too, is thrown down that drain.

When I saw this movie, I was strangely transfixed from the beginning.  Something was familiar about it, but I couldn’t remember at the time.  Even that morgue was very familiar.  When I saw the orb, I began to wonder if this was the movie.  Slowly, I waited for the finger scene.  I saw it.  This was it.

Enter Phantasm.

Jody (a very womanly name for a man) is taking care of his brother Micheal (a very womanly looking boy)  after the death of one of their family friends.  Micheal sees the undertaker pick up the casket with ease and chuck it into a herse.  He does some exploring around the morgue building and sees some things that are shocking.  A weird man chases him, an orb with knives appears out of nowhere, and the morgue’s owner, simply known as Tall Man, vows to settle the score.  With four of his fingers severed, Tall Man is left incapacitated for a short time while our would be hero takes one and runs off out of the building.  Weird dwarves in cloaks attempt to stop him, but he escapes.  He finally convinces his brother with the evidence.  A battle with the finger turned vicious fly ensues.

I won’t spoil anymore of the movie.  This is a must watch.  It is different from most horror movies.  I would say it is more of a thriller meant to inspire chills down your spine and creep you out.  Surreal is the word some people use.  Best of all?  This was made in 1979.

Yozuki’s Drive - 10