Phantoms
1998
Director: Joe Chappelle
Stars: Ben Affleck, Peter O'Toole, Liev Schreiber, Rose McGowan, Valerie Chow
I would have normally never have rented this movie -- it just seemed too cheesy to me -- but there is a running joke in Kevin Smith's (Clerks, Mallrats, etc.) films about it, and I wanted to check out Valerie Chow (the hot terrorist from High Risk), so I gave it a shot. Despite the tongue-in-cheek promotions for this film (no doubt to try and capitalize on the success of Scream) it's a farily serious little horror/sci-fi movie that should satisfy fans of both genres.
The story is pretty simple; Rose McGowan and her sister come to a small Colorado town only to find that all the inhabitants have been killed in mysterious ways. With the help of the sheriff (Ben Affleck) and a scientist (Peter O'Toole), they eventually piece together that there is something even more sinister than a serial killer at work. What they are fighting is a creature (ala The Thing) that can absorb its' victims and then assume their form -- now they must try and find a way to stop it before it takes over the world.
What I liked most about Phantoms is that it took itself seriously. Too many recent horror movies have used way too much comedy in them, which makes the horror parts dull in my opinion. There is some comedy in here, mostly through Liev Schreiber's wise-ass deputy character, but from the start, Phantoms creates a dark and moody atmosphere that is a welcome alternative to the squeaky-clean "horror" films Hollywood has been churning out. Happily, there is also a good deal of blood and guts displayed on-screen. While not a gorefest, again, it's nice to see something other than a few squirts of fake blood.
I wouldn't go so far as to call this a classic by any means, but Phantoms definitely is a nice effective horror flick that's worth your time.
RATING: 7
Note: for those wanting to see Valerie Chow (who goes under her "Hollywood" name of Rachael Shane here), you will be disappointed, as she only has a few lines -- spoken while she is in a big bio-suit.
A review of the DVD for this movie can be found here