Scared of the Tall Man from the Phantasm?

Question

i keep having dreams about the tall man... probably because i live across from a cemetary. anyway, i saw the movies but never quite understood what the tall man's purpose was. was he the devil or something?

Answer 1

I think he was originally a kindly human who somehow developed the basic technology used by TTM in the other movies.  He then disappeared from Earth and then reappeared either a century or slightly less later now transformed into the TTM.  He has travelled between worlds, so there's no telling how much non-Earth time has passed for him.

TTM recovers the bodies of the dead, then makes them slaved by shrinking them into dwarves - it's suggested that these bodies retain their souls, but that these souls have been mutilated much as their bodies have.  Because TTM has an attitude - unlike his minions - it seems reasonable to assume that he's independent as opposed to a slave or agent of a higher power, although this is hardly conclusive.  TTM's methods are largely scientific, though he does have powers which appear to be supernatural.  In P2, he tells an unfortunate priest that they don't "send you to heaven - they send you to US!"  He was satanic in that perfect way - quiet, determined and unstoppable.

Actor Angus Scrimm (not his real name) also appeared on "Alias" a few times working for SD6 as this lie-detector technician.  I almost didn't recognize him, but then it leaped at me.

Answer 2

One theory is the Tall Man is a supernatural entity from another dimension that is inhabiting a human body. Another theory is the Tall Man is a human who was turned evil through the effects of inter-dimensional travel.

The Tall Man's purpose is the accumulation of power.