THE PHANTOM

Hey, what can I say? I just LOVE movies about 1930s comic book heros. Call it the little boy in me. They take me back to that very innocent era that was my childhood. They make me recall the thrill I used to get when my father would give me that weekly dime every Friday evening, and I could go down to the local candy store and pick up a copy of the latest CAPTAIN MARVEL, SUPERMAN, JUSTICE SOCIETY OF AMERICA and BATMAN.

Ok. Ok. Its no RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK. But the producers and director of this wonderfully campy film are no Steven Speilbergs. But if you are in the mood to be entertained and see a masked and strongly virile hero fight for truth, justice, democracy, and the American way, rent this sweet little film chock full of action, stunts, and marvellous special effects.

Billy Zane is really good as The Phantom, and he is a strikingly handsome dude with a great body. The women should enjoy that aspect of the film. He is also dashingly romantic. Treat Williams makes a great campy villain. Kristy Swanson appears to be the right heroine; pretty and smart. Somehow the folks who cast these 1930s comic book movies always seem to do a great job of picking the perfect people for the roles.

I know many people are not turned on to THE SHADOW, DICK TRACY, THE FLASH, or THE ROCKETEER. But I am. So The Phantom was right up my alley.

Oh yeah, Patrick McGoohan has a cameo as The Phantom's ghost father.

Unfortuately The Phantom did not do well at the box office when it initially appeard several months ago, and went almost immediately to tape.