Ten out of ten stars go to an old friend. That's what I consider the "Phantasm" cast and crew to be, old friends. None of the "Phantasm" sequels have been able to live up to the legendary mystique of the original. What else is new though? Very few sequels ever are able to match originals? Nonetheless, "Phantasm" sequels are overall better than the majority of horror sequels. And in part four, Mike and Reggie continue their struggle to unravel the mysteries of the Tall Man, and save Mike from becoming a flying sphere. <br /><br />But back to old friends... I guess you could say that I'm one of those people that, "Gets Phantasm". I understand why some people might not find any redeeming values in this film series; but to me this film and the characters it portrays are dear friends. Perhaps it's my own life experiences that enable me to level with the "Phantasm" plight. The "Phantasm" experience lies within each of us to most appropriately interpret. <br /><br />I, like many other "Phantasm" friends, have found solstice and understanding in Coscarelli's phantasmal imagining. I've been able to find solutions to my own real life problems and relive past memories through the help of all of the "Phantasms". Part four is definitely a highly nostalgic imagining that die hard fans will certainly appreciate and understand. Others may have problems with part 4 and I understand, but don't know how to convert these people.<br /><br />This film was produced for slightly less than $1,000,000 in 1997! And while I'll be the first to admit that this fourth installment has it's fair share of problems, I commend the production team for a job well done. Part four is just smart film making, plain and simply, done on a minute budget. Coscarelli is a talented film maker; he's really quite a master of visual imagery and camera manipulation. <br /><br />Just think of the staggering number of movies in any genre that are made every year for ten or twenty million, yet still are total garbage. Most of what comes out of Hollywood is overpriced garbage anyway: In 1998 and in 2009. Part four is far from being garbage at any production cost level. Everyone that worked on this movie worked on it because they cared about the people involved and expected something more than money out of it. The actors and production crew were there to make a movie for the fans that have supported the "Phantasm" legacy.