The Phantom (1996)
- Thread starter comonbub
- Start date
I grew up reading Lee Falk's Phantom and Mandrake comics as a kid, so I have always been a big fan of the character. I know many refer to the movie as campy with its over the top villain, but despite some of its campy elements I loved the film and Billy Zane did a good job portraying the character of The Ghost Who Walks. Though when I watched it for the first time I wasn't too pleased with their choice of the skull ring having supernatural powers. David Newman's score to the movie is also fantastic.
I am still hoping a new Phantom movie will get made someday, as an Australian production company already had secured the movie rights to it few years ago. King Features Syndicate probably has got it back by now.
Thanks to a friend, I managed to get this autographed photo from Billy Zane in 2011. Though my friend spelled out my name to him, he missed out the second V and added a B instead, still awesome to have it and that skull mark was a nice touch.
I am still hoping a new Phantom movie will get made someday, as an Australian production company already had secured the movie rights to it few years ago. King Features Syndicate probably has got it back by now.
Thanks to a friend, I managed to get this autographed photo from Billy Zane in 2011. Though my friend spelled out my name to him, he missed out the second V and added a B instead, still awesome to have it and that skull mark was a nice touch.
The Phantom ranks up there with The Shadow and Van Helsing for me.
All three are good movies that just barely missed the mark.
The Phantom - Treat Williams was WAAAAAAAAY over the top.
The Shadow - Individually, the elements were great, but they didn't mesh together well.
Van Helsing - The casting for Dracula was horrible. They should have made Dracula like Gerard Butler's version from Dracula 2000 (another underrated movie). The version in Van Helsing was almost a pastiche of moustache-twirling villains. The other monsters were well fleshed out and even tragic. Dracula was evil for evil's sake, and kinda reminded me of the villain in Mystery Men in camp levels.
All three are good movies that just barely missed the mark.
The Phantom - Treat Williams was WAAAAAAAAY over the top.
The Shadow - Individually, the elements were great, but they didn't mesh together well.
Van Helsing - The casting for Dracula was horrible. They should have made Dracula like Gerard Butler's version from Dracula 2000 (another underrated movie). The version in Van Helsing was almost a pastiche of moustache-twirling villains. The other monsters were well fleshed out and even tragic. Dracula was evil for evil's sake, and kinda reminded me of the villain in Mystery Men in camp levels.
Darth Lars
Master Member
It felt weird to see The Phantom wearing purple and with that weird ghost-face printed on his chest. Also, without the striped "underpants on the outside" of his leotard, he looked naked..
Because of cheap printing over here in the 1950's, The Phantom was printed blue and has stayed that way over here every since. I grew up with the Phantom comics, with a blue Phantom. My brother was a member of The Phantom Club and had a blue The Phantom costume when he was a kid. The comic is still going strong, and I buy a magazine every now and then: three magazines this year so far.
And yes.. the movie was "meh", nothing special.
Because of cheap printing over here in the 1950's, The Phantom was printed blue and has stayed that way over here every since. I grew up with the Phantom comics, with a blue Phantom. My brother was a member of The Phantom Club and had a blue The Phantom costume when he was a kid. The comic is still going strong, and I buy a magazine every now and then: three magazines this year so far.
And yes.. the movie was "meh", nothing special.
comonbub
Sr Member
Oh well...I think it's good just because of the nostalgia I guess. I had just found out that Zane wore a hairpiece for it in a recent interview. Hopefully they do a remake of this soon. I never read the comic so this is all I know of the Phantom. I just like the concept that his family had been playing it off as the same guy for 400 years hence, ghost who walks.
I remember watching it and thinking "meh". Not great but it didn't suck either. I had never heard of the character prior to the film so maybe that's why it didn't register. I did, however, like the concept of the suit and name being passed on as each "Phantom" dies to give the illusion of immortality.
Blaxmyth
Sr Member
Gosh, that made me realise just how much the Phantom character has been a major part of the comics scene here in New Zealand. Back in the 50's and 60's prior to the arrival of Marvel, Phantom comics were one of the main issues, along with Disney, Superman and Batman. Even now it still appears regularly. The Phantom comics were always in black and white, with only the covers in colour. We're used to seeing him in purple, unlike in Sweden.
The movie? Loved it, even though I have to work really hard to imagine Hero keeping place with the plane...
The movie? Loved it, even though I have to work really hard to imagine Hero keeping place with the plane...
Gosh, that made me realise just how much the Phantom character has been a major part of the comics scene here in New Zealand. Back in the 50's and 60's prior to the arrival of Marvel, Phantom comics were one of the main issues, along with Disney, Superman and Batman. Even now it still appears regularly. The Phantom comics were always in black and white, with only the covers in colour. We're used to seeing him in purple, unlike in Sweden.
The movie? Loved it, even though I have to work really hard to imagine Hero keeping place with the plane...
Only comics I read as a kid were Superman, Batman, and Archie. :lol
I'm totally lost when it comes to 90% of the other stuff!
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