The Phantom – Why This Pulp Comic Book Movie Deserves Better

In the nineties, Hollywood still hadn’t quite figured out how to make superhero movies. Sure, the Batman films were successful, but they were divisive among comic book fans, especially once the Joel Schumacher films, with their bat nipples, hit theaters. With big superhero properties mostly tied up in legal limbo, Hollywood studios started looking at the pulp heroes of the thirties, hoping to make their next huge superhero franchise. The Phantom, which came out in 1996, was one such film. 

On the surface, this idea makes a certain amount of sense. The Indiana Jones movies were highly inspired by pulp novels and broke box office records. The first attempt to make this kind of film was Universal’s The Shadow in 1994, but it didn’t do as well as expected. Still, Paramount had high hopes for The Phantom, which would be based on Lee Falk’s comic book strip. To play the titular “Ghost Who Walks” Paramount opted against casting an established star. In fact, before Billy Zane was cast, largely on the strength of his performance in Dead Calm, the one-and-only Bruce Campbell almost nabbed the role. 

Alas, The Phantom was a box office dud, only grossing $17 million at the box office. Yet, when it hit home video it became something of a cult hit. What made the movie connect with a new audience? In this retrospective review, we check out how this pulp flick has some top tier scenery chewing from Treat Williams as the baddie, an early role for the impossibly gorgeous Catherine Zeta-Jones, as well as an influential soundtrack by David Newman. The film also paved the way for Billy Zane to nab his most iconic role to date, as the bad guy in James Cameron’s Titanic. So join us as we “slam evil” and look back at The Phantom!

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