Superhero movies of the ’90s were completely different to the blockbusters of today, and only a handful of them were hits at the box office. Sadly, 1996’s The Phantom wasn’t one of them, but you can revisit the pulp-classic adventure movie with a new 4K Blu-ray release. Starring Billy Zane as the legendary hero, The Phantom is priced at $45–or $25 for the standard Blu-ray–and it’ll be released on April 14.
The Phantom (4K Blu-ray)
$45 | Releases April 14
This new edition of The Phantom is a 4K restoration that uses the original camera negatives. The updated version was approved by the film’s director, Simon Wincer, and the Blu-ray comes with reversible cover art and an O-card slipcase protective cover.
The first Blu-ray cover is based on the film’s theatrical release poster art, featuring the hero delivering a knockout blow–and a nasty skull-shaped scar–to any villains on the receiving end of his fist. The second cover is based on the teaser poster, an atmospheric shot of Zane’s character seated on his throne inside of his jungle lair.
There aren’t many special features listed for this release, but several are brand-new. Wincer is joined by filmmaker Douglas Hosdale for an audio commentary track, there’s a lengthy interview with Zane about the making of the movie, and composer David Newman talks about the film’s score. The original theatrical trailer for The Phantom rounds out the selection of bonus materials.
The Phantom special features
- Limited-edition reversible art and O-card slipcase
- Audio Commentary by director Simon Wincer and filmmaker Douglas Hosdale (new)
- Kismet in the Jungle: Interview with Star Billy Zane (new)
- Slam Evil – Scoring The Phantom: Interview with composer David Newman (new)
- Theatrical trailer
The Phantom (Blu-ray)
$45 | Releases April 14
The standard Blu-ray edition of The Phantom has the same cover art and includes the same special features as the 4K version.
Plans to bring The Phantom to the big screen had been in the works for years, with Gremlins director Joe Dante aiming to bring the comic strip character to life in a cheeky manner on the silver screen. After he was fired from the project, Wincer took over, and the project took on a more serious–yet still self-aware–tone, with Zane landing the lead role. The movie loosely adapts story arcs from the original 30s strips, but it does retain the core mythology of the source material.
Zane stars as Kit Walker, the latest in a long line of masked avengers known as the Phantom. Regarded as an immortal hero and known as the “ghost who walks,” Walker fights evil in the jungles of Africa and travels to New York City to stop a criminal genius from harnessing the power of three magical skulls. Unlike other superhero movies of the decade, The Phantom wears its inspiration on its sleeve and is unashamedly pulpy at times, echoing the two-fisted adventures of classic radio serials.
