"Phantom of Death" is one of those movies that makes you wonder if the director called in sick for its entire production. Its sprawling, shambolic pacing and editing seems to do everything it can to prevent you from caring about what's going on on-screen. Some of the cuts finish one seen with an actor mid-sentence, and then cut to another location where the actor finishes what they were saying as if no such change had occurred. The effect is jarring and sophomoric.
One thing that can be said for the movie is that the make-up is top notch. The movie concerns a killer who is rapidly ageing due to some rare illness. Why that would make him want to kill anyone isn't satisfactorily dealt with, but nevertheless, the effect is believable and horrible.
The actor who plays the killer is also quite good in the role. The problem is, he isn't the centre of the movie. The movie has no centre. Any time you think you have detected what the movie is really about, you find yourself in error. Yes, it's a giallo/slasher, but there's none of the mystery of the former and little of the lurid sex and violence of the latter. You don't know the victims, or the killer. The portrayal is incomprehensible, and deadly boring.
Not one of the killings is memorable, and the movie has minimal nudity and no sex, if I remember correctly. I finished watching this moments ago and I've already forgotten.
It's not every day you see a Donald Pleasence movie and find yourself pitying other actors in the movie more, but here we are. At least he didn't have to act all spooky while uttering the name "Michael Myers", and he gets one good scene, running down the street shouting "Where are you, you bastard!"
One thing that can be said for the movie is that the make-up is top notch. The movie concerns a killer who is rapidly ageing due to some rare illness. Why that would make him want to kill anyone isn't satisfactorily dealt with, but nevertheless, the effect is believable and horrible.
The actor who plays the killer is also quite good in the role. The problem is, he isn't the centre of the movie. The movie has no centre. Any time you think you have detected what the movie is really about, you find yourself in error. Yes, it's a giallo/slasher, but there's none of the mystery of the former and little of the lurid sex and violence of the latter. You don't know the victims, or the killer. The portrayal is incomprehensible, and deadly boring.
Not one of the killings is memorable, and the movie has minimal nudity and no sex, if I remember correctly. I finished watching this moments ago and I've already forgotten.
It's not every day you see a Donald Pleasence movie and find yourself pitying other actors in the movie more, but here we are. At least he didn't have to act all spooky while uttering the name "Michael Myers", and he gets one good scene, running down the street shouting "Where are you, you bastard!"