Reggie Bannister is kind of the Robert Duvall of horror. In the first Phantasm, his character (also named Reggie) was relegated to the role of the goofy sidekick. This time he’s practically the star, getting even more screen time than the main character. You’ll see Reggie’s name oft mentioned on horror forums too. There’s just something about his unassuming persona that clicks.
Yesterday I said Phantasm II was my favorite in the series, though most of the heavy lifting was done in the previous film, which had enough world-building to spare for a sequel. But Phantasm II has the distinctly 80s horror look which really takes me back. This is the first time I’ve seen it on anything other than VHS. The film looks stunning.
The sequel picks up exactly where the previous one left off, concocting an unlikely conclusion to the cliffhanger, which has Reggie blowing up his own house to save Mike’s life. The film skips forward several years to show Mike (played by James Le Gros now) is all grown up. Reggie picks him up from the mental institution, but on his way home his house explodes (again), thereby motivating Reggie to help Mike murder the Tall Man.
So Mike’s been having visions about the Tall Man for years. Somehow, he’s been psychically linked to a blonde by the name of Liz (Paula Irvine) who shares his visions. I’m not sure how this happened, but the pair fell in love long before ever meeting. Reggie, fresh from the funeral of his wife and kids, also finds love in the form of a banging brunette they meet on the side of the road. I love Reggie to death, but this woman is way out of his league—not to mention his age bracket, so it’s disappointing none of the leads are even suspicious of her.
Once the climax begins, it’s a fine spectacle. The movie is much better paced than the original and it doesn’t blow its wad until it’s good and ready. Phantasm II makes a little more sense than its predecessor, too, and looks better to boot, but perhaps it’s not quite the milestone I remembered it being. Neither is it a pointless sequel. The first one was packed to the brim with ideas and this one feathers out the edges.
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