[Nosferatu@Cult Labs]

Originally Posted by Frankie Teardrop

PHANTOMS - A Dean Koontz movie adaption, 'Phantoms' is a straight ahead, no nonsense (OK, actually plenty of nonsense) mainstream B-movie that is as unoriginal and uncomplicated as it is enjoyable. An apparently deserted township soon reveals itself to have been taken over and assimilated by an unknown menace. People run around. Ammo gets fired. Tentacles fly. Peter O' Toole turns up. I like the way it pretty much dives into the action, although the first part sustains more tension than the second, when the military hit town and 'The Thing' references begin to mount up. It's not overly gory, but does offer a decent fusillade of fx (doggie bladder etc etc a la, again, 'The Thing). It has that nineties kind of slick, linear stylelessness about it, but 'Phantoms' hammers its no-frills-but-some-thrills message home without too much flab or that many lulls. Not one for the time capsule, maybe, but ample entertainment if you can spare ninety minutes of existence.

You didn't mention Ben Affleck!