PHANTASM 2 came out 35 years ago today; Why the X-Rated Version Is Canon
Today is the 35th anniversary of PHANTASM 2 being unleashed in theaters back on July 8th, 1988.
In 1988 a movie ticket was $4, gas was .96 cents a gallon, and The Tall Man was terrorizing moviegoers across the country. "Terrifying, Relentless, Unstoppable. This Summer, The Ball is Back!" was the marketing tagline. A fan favorite of the series, many people were exposed to the PHANTASM universe for the first time by seeing PHANTASM 2 either in theaters or on home-video.
In 1988 you could see PHANTASM 2 on the big screen and pay less than a dollar for gas.
As many of you know the film is immortalized in THE PHANTASM SPHERE COLLECTION box set. The set includes the coveted x-rated edition of PHANTASM 2 which features all the blood and gore that the MPAA tried to prevent. For many years this version was only available as a bootleg workprint in horrible quality. Don Coscarelli personally supervised the entire remastering of the film including the x-rated scene that was banned from playing in America.
The Motion Picture Association came down hard on Phantasm 2 during the ratings process. MPAA insiders felt they had made a mistake when they awarded an "R" rating to the first Phantasm, and with Phantasm 2 they were determined to get back their pound of flesh. They slapped an "NC-17" rating on the new film and director Coscarelli had no choice but to remove several bloody shots from his cut. Due to the accelerated summer release schedule of distributor Universal Pictures, there was no time to officially protest the ratings board cuts. Coscarelli had no choice but to excise the controversial scenes. For decades the only version available was this truncated version. But now, The Ball is Back!
Are you excited to see the way Phantasm 2 was meant to be seen? While the set is out of print once in a while copies show up on Amazon.
