What am I missing here?

Its because it has a dream like quality. The hero is a young teenager. The cast is also people that "Seem like the Boys Next Door". The scene where the teem bust out of his bedroom with a bullet it one that most us have never forgotten. The scene where the cut off finger turn into a flying creature is still very chilling even if the effect seems dated

I think it has to do more with the fact that it's mysterious. This lends to multiple viewings and multiple theories of what's going on. You can view the movie as a piece of metaphorical, surrealistic art that is full of symbols and clues. What's real vs. what's not; like the box that the psychic lays on the table. I think because of this it holds so much more weight than some of the straight-up horror films that have been released - even today. It's a killer, it's a ghost, they're aliens, they're monsters. In Phantasm, you're never quite sure what to believe and what to trust. There's never an explanation to dumb it down.

"This is the strangest life I've ever known." - Jim Morrison

Actually it is one of those things you saw as a kid and it really blew you away but does not necessarily hold up as well once you are an adult.

Just watched it for the first time ever. I must say the effects and the villain I was very impressed by. Also the dreamlike quality and the mysterious nature of the film basically not explaining anything. I've had dreams just like this film before. Not making any sense but yet you're not really questioning it. I did like that about it. I just wished it didn't drag. Some scenes are way too long. I was quite bored throughout most of it. But I see how this film influenced others like Nightmare on Elm Street. So I do appreciate it for that. But I think I'm good with just this one viewing. Don't think I need to see it again necessarily.

I hyped Phantasm up to a girlfriend of mine, we watched and she didn't get it either, said it was funny, cheesy, but not scary. I love it though, I'm not saying it has the same effect now as it did on me when I was 10 years old, but I still find the whole film unsettling and, yes, still scary.

That whole funeral home/goings on behind the scenes of funerals thing - very, very creepy to me!

There's nothing anyone can say to make you enjoy something if you don't. Don't beat yourself up over it.

To me, it was always the whole 70s vibe of the thing. It's just a very fun and likable movie with a can-do spirit, despite its low budget. That alone sets it way above the crappy horror that mostly went straight-to-video in the 80s. Those films were often just exploitative garbage.

My friends and I used to get together and watch this in college like it was "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." (ok, minus the costumes!) We knew every line. There is a humor Phantasm that isn't all unintentional and really unique to a movie like this (Mike hitting Jody on the foot with the hammer, for instance. "Ahhhh! You hit my f-ing foot, man!").

What else does it have? I would cite the following:

1. Soundtrack - a little derivative of The Exorcist, but that's okay. It's really cool music all the same.

2. Western/Noir spirit - much like John Carpenter's films, I would not be surprised if Don Coscarelli wasn't at least partially influenced by the Western genre in terms of this film's structure. Our gunslingers are basically the trio of Mike, Jody and Reggie in pursuit of the Tall Man. There's also a bit of gumshoe noir-ish tone to it as well.

3. Style - the design of the flick is remarkable given its budget. The flying ball, the mausoleum, the "space gate" room, etc.

4. Horror - Despite the cheesiness of some of the effects (the flying finger bug, for instance), there are some genuinely freaky moments, such as the ball sequence, the Tall Man, the graveyard, Mike's dream, etc. The fact that it's all interspersed with some excellent humor creates a terrific balance; being able to laugh after the scares is a great combo. It's helps relieve the tension and make it like a rollercoaster ride. "Jaws" accomplished the same thing.

5. The car - Come on...that Hemicuda is pretty awesome.

I realize the story doesn't fully make sense, but the filmmakers almost seem to know that it really doesn't matter (Mike: "They gotta crush 'em because of the heat, and the gravity. And this is the doorway to their planet!", Reggie (snapping fingers): "Yeah!").

I'm huge fan of classic horror movies and forgive my lack of eloquence, but this movie sucks. What mystery are people talking about? The Tall Man is an alien that squishes dead people to re-animate them as slaves on another planet...that's the entire plot in 18 words. Some of the shots/effects are memorable like the ball but why this is so beloved is beyond me. I can handle bad writing and shoddy acting if the characters are interesting at least...none of them were.