How Phantasm's Tall Man Inspired Star Wars' Captain Phasma
Here's how Phantasm's Tall Man helped inspire Star Wars villain Captain Phasma. The Tall Man from Phantasm may not have the level of fame of horror icons like Freddy Krueger, but he's got a loyal following nonetheless. The character debuted in 1979's Phantasm, which saw a teenage boy named Mike discovering that local mortician the Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) is an evil being from another dimension. He, his brother Jody and their friend Reggie then team up to stop his plans, but while that description makes the movie's plot sound straightforward, it's anything but.
Phantasm itself was inspired by a dream director Don Coscarelli had about being chased by a flying sphere, and the movie has that same nightmarish tone. The late, great Scrimm is iconic as the Tall Man, and the movie remains a cult favorite. Phantasm also became a movie franchise that produced four sequels, with the last being 2016's Phantasm Ravager. Aside from the Tall Man himself, the series has several famous elements, including Reggie's quad-barrel shotgun and the Tall Man's chrome spheres, which chase unlucky victims around before drilling into their skulls.
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One major fan — or «phan» — of the cult horror is J.J. Abrams, who helped organize a 4K restoration ofPhantasm when he wanted to screen it at his production company Bad Robot. Abrams also took on one of the most beloved series of all time when he signed on to helm Star Wars: The Force Awakens. While the eventual sequel trilogy would receive mixed notices,The Force Awakens was greeted with largely warm reviews. In addition to bringing back old favorites like Leia and Han, the sequel introduced new heroes and villains like
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