Phantoms

Phantoms (1998)
Director: Joe Chappelle

Cast: Ben Affleck, Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going, Liev Schreiber, Nicky Katt, Clifton Powell.

Running Time: 91 minutes

Rated R for science-fiction violence, gore, and language.

Dr. Jenny Pailey (Joanna Going) is bringing her younger sister, Lisa (Rose Mcgowan), home from L.A. to the small quiet town of Snowfield, Colorado. It's a peaceful environment to live in, with a population of 400, and the town has some nice ski resorts that make it a popular site during the summer. Upon returning, however, they discover everyone either missing or dead, with bodies that have a strange gooey look to it. They try to leave, but find their car and every other vehicle in town dead. Exploring further, they enter a bakery, where they encounter Sheriff Bryce Hammond (Ben Affleck) and his two deputies, Shanning (Nicky Katt) and Stu Wargle (Liev Schrieber). As they look further into town, they discuss what could have...

Good Adaptation
I think this is a good adaptation of Dean Koontz's book. As for scary, anyone that thinks "The Village", "Final Destination", "I Saw What You Did Last Summer", or "Blair Witch Project" are scary but think that "Phantoms" is bad, you just don't have a clue. The suspense slowly builds with no clear goal of how to destroy the creature. Excellent music helps build the suspense. If anything is lacking in the movie, it is the creature.

The creature is not quite as good as it could have been with a larger budget. My guess is they didn't want to spend alot of money on CGI. It is still well done and the acting is definitely good. The directing, camera work, and sets are good too. The camera work reminded me of some of Hitchcock's work. All-in-all certainly worth more than the five dollars and ninety-nine cents I paid for the DVD.

Affleck was the bomb in phantoms.
Word, b****, Phantoms like a motherf***er!

Click to Editorial Reviews