Phantasm II (1988)

After watching the first Phantasm movie the other day, I had to watch part 2. I love how this one pretty much picks up where the first one left off, but through the mind of a psych patient, and then we get a time skip. It was really well written. This movie has some of the best practical effects, use of camera angles, and creates some fantastic senses of false security before throwing in jump scares. Some of the kills and effects are so freaky! The orb that scrambles the guys insides before popping out his mouth, the first time they find Liz and the thing coming out of her back, melting the tall man, and the guy whose cremated alive. Speaking of being cremated alive, that's one thing that I love about this series. It doesn't just rely on creepy imagery and jump scares. It plays off of the real fear of what happens after death, and the fear of being buried/cremated/embalmed/what have you, while still being alive. Those are things that a lot of people are freaked out by, and they touch on those in some of the most unique and interesting ways possible. This movie also has a few humorous touches, which help break the tension and make it even more enjoyable, like Reggie's "oh shit" moments. I've seen this movie a couple times, but I just picked up on the Easter egg of in the cremation room, the ashes are labelled "Sam Raimi". Nice touch, and great nod to one of the best and most well-known horror directors out there. I absolutely love this film! It's so good! I definitely recommend giving it a watch if you haven't.

Image credit: Movie poster for Phantasm II, directed by Don Cascarelli, distributed by Universal Pictures in 1988.