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Negative Spaces, Pt. 1 — Phantasm

June 9, 2026 · 60 min

Show notes

20-year-old Kane Parsons is now the youngest director to ever hit No. 1 at the box office thanks to his A24-backed horror film Backrooms, which made back its budget several times over in the first week of release and is already inviting talk of sequels. All of that offscreen context makes it a natural pairing with 1979’s series-spawning cult hit Phantasm, but it has plenty of onscreen connective tissue to Don Coscarelli’s super-indie horror adventure as well. So this week we do our best to make sense of Phantasm, a movie that emerged out of a dream and often feels like it, and discuss some of the memorable moments that smacked us in the face and drilled into our brains like a Sentinel Sphere. Then in Feedback, we answer some criticism of our own criticisms of The Mandalorian and Grogu. 

 

Please share your thoughts about Phantasm, Backrooms, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to [email protected], or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730.

 

This episode is presented by⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. Use code NEXTPIC26 for 15% off.

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