Phantoms (film)
In the quiet ski resort village of Snowfield, Colorado, a group of survivors finds only corpses scattered across the streets. Dr. Jennifer Pailey and her sister Lisa stumble upon the severed heads of the town baker and his wife inside an oven. Sheriff Bryce Hammond, a former FBI agent, arrives with deputies Stu Wargle and Steve Shanning to investigate the killings. The group takes refuge in a nearby hotel where they discover writing on a mirror that reads Timothy Flyte. Shanning leaves to investigate a strange sound outside but never returns. His gun, hat, and shoes remain behind while the rest of him is gone. Later, Lisa encounters Wargle in the bathroom before they return to the morgue to find his body missing.
Producer Joel Soisson spent ten years pursuing the rights to Dean Koontz's 1983 novel before securing them for production. Steven Lane initially purchased the rights as part of The Howling series before Soisson took over the project. Dimension Films handled production in conjunction with Japanese company Fuji Creative, making the film a co-production between the United States and Japan. Filming occurred on location in Georgetown, Colorado during late 1996. Over five sets of reshoots happened later in 1997 at the Hotel de Paris Museum which served as both bakery and hotel settings. Post-production originally targeted mid-1997 completion but delays pushed the release date from the 24th of October 1997 to January 1998. Actor Ben Affleck underwent cosmetic dental work for Armageddon during filming, resulting in noticeably whiter teeth in some scenes compared to earlier shots.
The creature known as the Ancient Enemy functions as an Earth-based amoebic life form that mimics absorbed victims while gaining their knowledge. It creates Phantoms as temporary detachments before absorbing them back into its main body. The enemy's physical form is physiologically almost identical to crude oil and can be killed by bacteria bio-engineered to ingest fossil fuels. Visual effects combined practical makeup with computer-generated imagery to depict shape-shifting Phantoms and the liquid-based Mother Mass form. General Copperfield vomits a sample before melting into a puddle of liquid when attacked through a manhole. Soldiers investigating sewers are killed by the creature while a dog transforms into a monster that converts scientists except for Flyte.
Rose McGowan claimed she was sexually assaulted by Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1997. She attended the festival promoting Going All the Way which also starred both McGowan and Affleck. After the alleged assault, McGowan did a photoshoot for Phantoms where she revealed what happened to Affleck. He allegedly responded by saying he had already told Weinstein to stop engaging in this behavior. Affleck never publicly addressed the allegation McGowan made about him. In early 2018, Weinstein's lawyer Ben Brafman released an email claiming to disprove the allegation though the matter never reached court. The film featured Peter O'Toole, Rose McGowan, Joanna Going, Liev Schreiber, Ben Affleck, Nicky Katt, and Clifton Powell in its cast.
Phantoms opened theatrically in the United States on the 23rd of January 1998 across 1,859 theaters. The film earned $3,065,951 during its opening weekend before grossing a total of $5,755,333 worldwide. Buena Vista Home Entertainment released the movie on VHS on the 19th of August 1998 and later on DVD in 1999 with a reissue in 2001. Private equity firm Filmyard Holdings took over Miramax and Dimension library in 2010 after Disney sold off Dimension Films in 2005. Echo Bridge Entertainment released the film on Blu-ray on the 1st of May 2012. Paramount Pictures acquired rights to Miramax properties in April 2020 and made Phantoms available on their streaming services Paramount+ and Pluto TV. Scream Factory released a collector's edition dual-format 4K UHD and Blu-ray set on the 16th of July 2024 with approval from director Joe Chappelle for the 4K scan.
Roger Ebert gave the film one star out of four saying if only we could learn to think more kindly of those who digest us this movie could have ended happily. Godfrey Cheshire of Variety wrote that it is perhaps most enthralling in its early sections when the enemy remains unspecified and horror stays purely psychological. The film was referenced in the 2001 movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back which included meta-references to Miramax and the film industry. Later home media releases and streaming availability kept the film in cult horror discussions despite initial mixed critical reception. Dean Koontz adapted his own novel into the screenplay though literary references to H.P. Lovecraft present in the book were largely absent from the final cut.
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Common questions
Who directed the 1998 film Phantoms?
Joe Chappelle directed the 1998 film Phantoms. The production involved Dimension Films and Japanese company Fuji Creative as co-producers.
When was the film Phantoms released in theaters?
Phantoms opened theatrically in the United States on the 23rd of January 1998 across 1,859 theaters. The movie earned $3,065,951 during its opening weekend before grossing a total of $5,755,333 worldwide.
What is the creature known as the Ancient Enemy in Phantoms?
The creature known as the Ancient Enemy functions as an Earth-based amoebic life form that mimics absorbed victims while gaining their knowledge. Its physical form is physiologically almost identical to crude oil and can be killed by bacteria bio-engineered to ingest fossil fuels.
Did Rose McGowan make allegations against Ben Affleck regarding Harvey Weinstein?
Rose McGowan claimed she was sexually assaulted by Miramax boss Harvey Weinstein at the Sundance Film Festival in January 1997. She revealed what happened to Affleck after the alleged assault though he never publicly addressed the allegation McGowan made about him.
Where did filming for the movie Phantoms take place?
Filming occurred on location in Georgetown, Colorado during late 1996. Over five sets of reshoots happened later in 1997 at the Hotel de Paris Museum which served as both bakery and hotel settings.