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Unanswered Questions and Bloopers

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[Adrienne and Don at darkroom door]
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Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this page over the past eighteen months. All suggestions have been much appreciated. Unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end and this page has become far too big, so no further contributions will be accepted. There are definitely further Unanswered Questions that may be asked, and there may indeed be other bloopers in the game that are similar to what is already listed below.
Thank you.

Anthony Larme, June 1 1997.

The final batch of new material is denoted by a *


  1. To what degree does Phantasmagoria resemble the 1980 horror film The Shining?
    - There is a fair resemblance. Both productions contain these main plot elements: Husband and wife move into a large, isolated building with a dark history. Evil supernatural forces possess and manipulate the husband to the point where he engages in a murderous rampage. Wife fends off husband (who eventually dies) and escapes from the building with her life. In particular, both Phantasmagoria and The Shining have scenes in which the wife unsuccessfully pleads with her husband to leave the building when she initially falsely believes he is emotionally vulnerable, and a revelation scene where the wife discovers the true depth of her husband's insanity when she stumbles upon seriously perverted examples of her husband's work. Unlike The Shining, however, in Phantasmagoria, the evil menace is clearly defined and may be eventually defeated. Also, the wife in Phantasmagoria has a greater purpose in mind as she is running from her husband other than mere escape (trying to exorcise and banish the malevolent force). And, of course, the film does not contain any twisted torture devices! Nevertheless, Phantasmagoria is obviously indebted to The Shining and I highly recommend the movie almost as much as I do the game.
    - Phantasmagoria is also indebted to other horror fiction writers such as Edgar Allan Poe. Poe's short story The Pit and the Pendulum must have surely inspired the "Throne of Terror" with its horrifying swinging blade that causes much terror in its victims before it descends and kills them. *

    - Stephen King did not like the movie version of The Shining. He also didn't like [lead actor] Jack Nicholson's acting. A few weeks ago [April 1997], a three part mini-series of The Shining was released in the USA. It aired on ABC and starred Steven Webber (from Wings) as the lunatic husband, and Rebecca De Mornay (from Never Talk To Strangers) as the wife. Stephen King put $4 million into this project (roughly the same amount Phantasmagoria cost Sierra). It was filmed in the same hotel that inspired The Shining novel. [Andy Bellatti] *
    - Phantasmagoria also resembles (intentionally or not) Stephen King's short story Jerusalem's Lot. In that tale, a man inherits a large, mysterious old house from a recently deceased relative. As is the case in Phantasmagoria, the mansion has a dark history. The nearby townspeople are reluctant to mention the place, but when they do, they don't speak very highly of it or its former occupant. The previous owner was a man who dabbled in dark magic - much like Zoltan Carnovasch. Like Adrienne in Phantasmagoria, the new occupant explores the house and reads the old diaries and newspaper clippings it contains to obtain information about the history of both the mansion and its former owner. Eventually, the main character comes across a deserted, perverted chapel where a magic book is kept - very much like Adrienne's discoveries in the bricked up chapel on the Carnovasch Estate. Both characters quickly acquire increasingly greater amounts of information concerning the past and eventually come face-to-face with the underlying evil of the story. [Chris Engebretson]
    - If Roberta Williams needed some inspiration from existing works of horror fiction, she could have done far worse. The storyline she created for Phantasmagoria, while being very familiar in some aspects, stands out as an effective chiller in its own right. [Chris Engebretson]

  2. How could a young author and her magazine photographer husband possibly afford to buy the extensive Carnovasch Estate?
    - The mansion came very cheap due to the hauntings. Adrienne and/or Don won the lottery or received a large inheritance. [Matan]
    - Adrienne acts like a "daddy's girl", thus she must have wealthy parents. [Kara Johnson]
    - The couple sold almost all of their possessions to buy the mansion. After all, just how many personal effects belonging to Don and Adrienne can you find? [Kara Johnson]
    - Adrienne is a very successful author as evidenced by antique store owner Lou Ann's excitable reaction upon meeting her. [Robert Nicholas]
    - Adrienne made a lot of money from the sales of her single but extremely popular book. Don received a considerable up-front bonus for his photographic work with some prestigious magazines. They may both be young artists but they had already gotten their respective "big breaks" and were able to afford a home of considerable luxury. [Jerri Ann]

  3. What is the function of the massive wooden beams that project from the lower level roofs of the mansion?
    - These are the result of incomplete renovations from the time when the house's former owners planned to turn it into a museum. [Matan]
    - They were designed by the eccentric builders of the mansion to fit in with the overall Gothic appearance of the mansion rather than to serve any practical purpose. [Nicolas Holzapfel]

  4. Why is a large human face depicted on an outside wall of the mansion just around the corner from the woodpile? [Andy Bellatti]
    - Faces such as that one may also be seen in the Game Introduction, on the archway over the driveway, and in the theatre. They are probably based on masks and props used in Carno's magic shows, confirming the magician's eccentric personality.
    - The faces are a result of previous demonic activitiy. [Matt Arcilla]

  5. The sleeping arrangements in the Carnovasch household were quite illogical. Carno and Hortencia slept on the second floor, Sofia slept on the third floor, and Malcolm slept in the tower room. Why was the baby put so far away from her parents and why could Malcolm not have been given the bedroom Don and Adrienne would occupy a century later? [Kara Johnson]
    - Children were not given as much care and consideration in the nineteenth century as they are today. Note how the nursery is furnished in a spartan fashion and the likely fact that Don and Adrienne's bedroom was used as a guest room.
    - The baby probably slept in the same room as her nanny - in what was to become Adrienne and Don's bedroom. [Jerri Ann]

  6. When did Carno begin sleeping in a separate bedroom to his wife?
    - Soon after the magician turned evil following his demonic possession.
    - In the nineteenth century, wealthy couples rarely slept in the same bedroom. [Kristoffer Hulse]
    - Carno may have been rendered impotent after being possessed and he did not want his wives to find out about this problem. [Sonar]

  7. Carno must have had many servants - where did they sleep?
    - The servants' annexe was demolished during the Carnovasch Estate renovations.

  8. Why did Adrienne and Don choose the relatively plain bedroom on the third floor to sleep in as opposed to the more attractive fully furnished bedrooms of the Carnovasches on the second floor? [Kara Johnson]
    - The second floor bedrooms looked too nicely preserved and historical to be disturbed by a regular human presence.
    - They liked the nicer view from the third floor. [Andy Bellatti]
    - The third floor bedroom looked like the coziest choice and was conveniently located next to a bathroom. [Jerri Ann]
    - The bedrooms looked too gothic due to the overtones of red. (It just wasn't fashionable looking.) [Matt Arcilla]

  9. Are we supposed to believe that Don and Adrienne actually slept in the same bedroom for the entire period of time covered by the game? We think this is unlikely because of Adrienne's increasing fear for and of Don and her husband's rapidly escalating hatred towards his wife. [Kara Johnson] and [The Black Wolf]
    - Don may have slept on the cold floor of the darkroom if he needed sleep at all in his possessed state.
    - At the conclusion to chapter five, Don is shown to be passed out on a couch and clutching a whiskey bottle. Perhaps he was sleeping on that same couch for most of the time period covered by the game. [Michael A. Smith]

  10. Where is Spazz's kitty litter box? [Kara Johnson]
    - The cat was trained to always do his "business" outside.
    - Either under the sofa where he sleeps or on the newspaper next to the fireplace. [The Black Wolf]

  11. What is the purpose of the small room with the manacles in the cellar? [Corrine Wilson]
    - That is where Carno used to imprison his wives to punish them as evidenced by the spooky incidents seen by the player (and sometimes Adrienne) in the vicinity.
    - This is where Carno used to imprison his servants to punish them. [Matt Arcilla]

  12. Why is nothing ever shown on the television apart from static? [Scott Clark]
    - The mansion is not yet suitably equipped to receive television broadcasts.
    - Demonic interference. [Nicolas Holzapfel]

  13. Where is the toilet paper in the bathroom?
    - Concealed near the toilet in a place not able to be seen from the player's third person perspective.

  14. How did the key to the locked door of the staircase that leads to the fourth floor get on the other side to Adrienne? [Scott Clark]
    - Ghostly activity.
    - A renovation worker locked himself in the stairwell/fourth floor area to hide from some ghostly activity. Then, he opened a window and very carefully made his way back down to the ground.

  15. Where was the original formal entrance to the chapel? [Jack Ferriola]
    - Worshippers would not have had to duck their heads to enter the chapel via an access point other than the secret passages. Therefore, it would be logical to assume that the fireplace was just added later after the entire original entrance had been sealed. But surely a room as important as the library would have been heated like most of the other rooms in the mansion? Where would the original fireplace have been? There is no evidence that it was covered up or even existed. This may mean that there never was an original fireplace, but that is a doubtful prospect.

  16. How could a letter opener possibly be the correct tool to use to remove the mortar from between some bricks, especially after its handle breaks off? [cocius@paradise.net]
    - The mortar used was of very low quality and/or the brick wall was of extremely poor workmanship. Besides, Adrienne did not want to "make a mess" by using a clumsier tool to do the work.

  17. How did some of the workmen employed at the estate in the decades following Carno's death become injured and maimed? [Kara Johnson]
    - Through their clumsiness brought about by witnessing a variety of terrifying ghostly phenomena.
    - The house was supernaturally protected. Any effort to alter the mansion's appearance was prevented by the spirits. [Matt Arcilla]

  18. Why does Adrienne emphatically deny that Don asked her to buy drain cleaner during the chapter two introduction when we clearly hear him request some while he is working on the darkroom sink in chapter one? [mpg]
    - Technically speaking, Don merely asks "Do we have any (drain cleaner)?" to which Adrienne replies "I don't think so". Don looks disappointed, but lets the matter drop there. At no point in chapter one does he directly ask his wife to go shopping for this liquid or even look around the house for some. What Adrienne should have done is really a matter of one's personal views on marriage. Some might say that Don should have obtained the drain cleaner himself, while others may believe that Adrienne should have been more helpful and found him such a cleaner without delay. A third view, no doubt held by Adrienne, was that the drain cleaner was not all that necessary. After all, if Don dropped the matter so quickly, just how important could it have been? If not for his demonic possession, the drain cleaner issue probably would not have been raised again.

  19. Why would Carno have built a tunnel between his house and the crypt? [Scott Clark]
    - Before he became possessed, Carno liked to visit the crypt in strict secrecy to gain inspiration for his dark and mysterious magic shows. After he became possessed by evil, such artificial stimulation was hardly necessary, so he did not mind blocking access to the secret passage to the crypt when he had the chapel bricked up.
    - Carno had the tunnel built for funeral processions between the chapel and the crypt. Funeral services for Carnovasch family members were held in the chapel after which the body was transferred to the crypt through the tunnel. [Jerri Ann]

  20. Who rescued Carno from certain death on the night of his final magic show?
    - Carno saved himself. A very brave and quick audience member. Anyone but Gaston or Marie. [Matan]
    - The magician hired someone to watch him during his acts. If anything went wrong, this person's job was to save him in time. The hired helper sat out in the audience each night, posing as a regular audience member. No one else knew that Carno had hired this person - not even Gaston or Marie. Carno did not want anyone to be aware of the insecurity he sometimes felt about his magic act. The night Marie and Gaston attempted to kill him was the first night one of his tricks did not work, so the helper was exposed but Carno's life was saved. [Jerri Ann]

  21. Why didn't Adrienne fill Don in on her discoveries? [Kara Johnson]
    - She did not have many opportunities to seriously discuss anything with her husband following his possession.
    - Adrienne was very upset at Don because of his moodiness and gave him the "silent treatment". [Andy Bellatti]
    - Adrienne did not want to be ridiculed by her clearly irritable husband. [Nicolas Holzapfel]

  22. Why did Malcolm drag Carno's body to the summoning chamber and leave it there?
    - Because it stank! He also didn't want anyone to suspect his "hero" had anything to do with the murders. [Matan]
    - He wanted to seal the demon in the box. [Jeff]
    - Malcolm felt compelled to do this by his own intuition, preparing for the day when Adrienne would need the talisman to banish the demon. Perhaps Carno's spirit guided him in this action. [Nicolas Holzapfel]
    - He did not want people to think of Carno as an evil occultist who dealt with demons (as evidenced by his physical appearance, clothing, and possession of the talisman).

  23. Why is it forbidden to use the fortune telling machine in chapter seven? [Scott Clark]
    - The fortune from chapter six does have an air of finality about it. Perhaps the helpful supernatural powers cannot predict what will happen in the next hour or so because there are far too many variables involved.

  24. In chapter seven, where did the telephone that was installed in chapter six go? [Scott Clark]
    - Don removed it! He did not like the telephone man at all, did he?
    - Don removed it so Adrienne could not call the police. [The Black Wolf]
    - The spirits of the Carnovasch Estate removed it so Adrienne could not call for help and thus get out of her responsibility to banish the demon. [The Black Wolf]

  25. Why does the "Throne of Terror" have two settings for its swinging blade - slow and fast? [The Black Wolf]
    - Carno intended to kill his unfaithful wife Marie with the fast setting. [The Black Wolf]
    - The magician made the slow setting for his act and the fast setting to kill Marie. [Kara Johnson]
    - That way, Carno could terrify his victims and then suddenly just get the killing over with. [Matt Arcilla]

  26. To what degree was the demon responsible for the supernatural occurrences in Phantasmagoria up to the point where it reveals itself after Don's death (apart from possessing Don in ch1)? [Perry Berman]
    - Some people, like Russ Ceccola, author of Phantasmagoria: Official Player's Guide, seem to believe that the demon is responsible for all the supernatural events seen in the game. Supposedly, they are all there simply to cause distress to Adrienne. Personally, I disagree because the visions of the murders are informative as well as distressing in nature. They assist Adrienne in learning about the previous occupants of the Carnovasch Estate and what became of them, while serving as warnings about what might happen unless she does something to set things right. Even the fact that Adrienne is prevented from leaving the house in ch7 might simply mean that the spirits of Carno and his wives did not want Adrienne to have any second thoughts about banishing the demon. Finally, there is no way the conveniently left open secret passage doorway in the theatre could have been set that way by the demon. It wanted to kill Adrienne - not let her escape.
    - The apparitions are the result of the powerful auras of death that linger in certain locations on the Carnovasch Estate. The powerful presence of the demon greatly enhances these auras, allowing Adrienne to see them with disturbing clarity. [Nicolas Holzapfel]

  27. Why didn't the demon appear in its physical form when Carno died as it did upon the death of Don? [Nicolas Holzapfel]
    - The demon only appears in that way when there is a clear subject for revenge in the vicinity. [Nicolas Holzapfel] and [Michael A. Smith]
    - Carno somehow refused to let the demon appear in its physical form when he was dying. [Nicolas Holzapfel]
    - When Carno died, the demon did not revert to its physical form because it had used too much energy to keep Carno alive while he suffered horrendous injuries. This would also explain why it wanted to return to the book so quickly to recharge its powers. [Louie K. and Brad A.]
    - The demon knew that Malcolm was still in the house and it did not want to reveal its physical form when he was around in case the mentally gifted boy realised its true nature and found a way to defeat it. In Adrienne's case, the demon got careless in its uncontrollable rage or underestimation of its opponent's capabilities. [Michael A. Smith]

  28. Given the fact that the possessed Carno murdered his only daughter Sofia, how did Malcolm survive all the time that he spent in the Carnovasch household? [Michael A. Smith]
    - Perhaps he just kept hiding at the first signs of trouble, and was able to avoid any harm. [Michael A. Smith]
    - The demon wanted Malcolm alive so he could possess him in case anything undesirable happened to Carno. [Michael A. Smith]

  29. Who or what created the deep hole that blocks easy passage to the summoning chamber, and how and when was this done?
    - Erosion and construction work disintegrated a flimsy layer of stone above an undiscovered cavern.
    - Supernatural earthquake activity that was caused when the demon was expelled from Carno's body. [Jess Canada]
    - The demon created the hole as a final defiant act before returning to the spellbook following the demise of Carno. It wanted to block human access to the summoning chamber from which it might one day be banished from the mortal realm. [Kara Johnson]
    - Explanation by Phantasmagoria designer Roberta Williams

  30. How did the demon cross the hole?
    - It stretched across like a snake. [Matan]
    - It used its considerable magical powers. [Michelle]
    - It changed into its green mist form and drifted across the gap. [Jess Canada]

  31. Why doesn't Adrienne have a special death designed to suit a negative aspect of her personality as do the wives of Zoltan Carnovasch? [Kara Johnson]
    - Adrienne may die in one of five ways: by getting strangled in the darkroom at the hands of Don (she is murdered by someone she thought she could trust with her life), by releasing the blade of the Throne of Terror herself in a moment of panic (she should not have trusted Don so much so as to find herself in such a distressing position), by Don releasing the swinging blade while Adrienne is manacled to the Throne of Terror (Marie died the same way for offending her possessed husband), by falling down the hole in the passageway to the summoning chamber (same significance as her suicide at the Throne), and by being cornered by the demon (Adrienne released it and is killed by what she carelessly unleashed).
    - The demon enhances the negative personality traits of those it possesses. In Carno's case, this included a sadistic love of irony that was simply not present in Don. [Nicolas Holzapfel]

  32. What are the Latin words to the opening theme chant, Consumite Furore, and their English translation?

    CONSUMITE FURORE
    (Expend Your Rage)
    by
    Mark Seibert

    [Note: M=Men, W=Women]

    Latin English

    M: Consumite
    W: Furore!
    M: Consumite
    W: Furore!
    M: Consu'
    W: Furore!
    M: Venite in facinum, O spiritus tenebrarum
    M: Venite in facinum, O spiritus tenebrarum
    M: Magne Asterothe, te iubeo.
    M: Implete hunc lapidem, implete eum viribus
    Sulfuratis vestris.
    M: Consumite eum iris vestris, istas vires adsumem!
    Iubeo te!

    W: Venite in facinum, O spiritus tenebrarum
    W: Magne Asterothe, te iubeo.
    M: Consumite eum iris vestris.
    W: Consumite! Consumite! 'mite!
    M: Istas vires adsumem. Iubeo te!
    Iubeo te! Iubeo te!
    W: Iubeo! Iubeo te!


    Expend your
    Rage!
    Expend your
    Rage!
    Expend your
    Rage!
    Come into this talisman, O spirit of darkness
    Come into this talisman, O spirit of darkness
    Mighty Asteroth, I command you.
    Fill this stone, fill it with your
    Sulfurous powers.
    Expend your angers on it, those powers I will assume!
    I command you!
    Come into this talisman, O spirit of darkness
    Mighty Asteroth, I command you.
    Expend your angers on it.
    Expend! Expend! Expend!
    Those powers I will assume. I command you!
    I command you! I command you!
    I command! I command you!

    [Qwertz]

    Extract a large WAV file of this song from the game.

    However, Nicholas Chapel adds: "I was looking over the lyrics you give for Mark Seibert's 'Consumite Furore', the Phantasmagoria theme song, and I noticed a few errors in the translation given by Qwertz. While he's fairly well on the mark, there are a few emendations that you might want to make to the translation you give on your page. First, 'consumite furore' does not mean 'expend your rage' (furore is in the ablative case, not accusative). A good translation would be along the lines of 'devour with [your] rage'. Facinum is conceivable, but 'fascinum' is probably more likely. Also, Astaroth is misspelled. Viribus is plural, but it translates as a singular: 'fill it with your sulfurous strength/might'. It's probably best to translate 'iris' as singular, which would render 'consumite eum iris vestris, istas vires adsumem' as 'devour it with your rage'. Adsumem isn't a proper Latin conjugation: the correct form of the verb is adsumam; additionally, a translation that probably gives a better feel than the one given would be 'that strength/might I will take up' (or 'take to myself')."


  33. What are the prophesies given to Adrienne by the fortune telling machine in chapters one through to six?

    Chapter 1
    Evil will walk once more.
    Chapter 2
    Strangers dwell among you.
    Chapter 3
    Evil is watching you. Look for friends.
    Chapter 4
    Keep your secrets to yourself. Trust no one.
    Chapter 5
    We are watching you. You're not alone.
    Chapter 6
    Evil is here! Find your salvation!

  34. What are the Latin words to the demon banishment spell and their English translation?

    DEMON BANISHMENT SPELL

    Latin English

    Tollete dolorem
    Tollete eum
    Spiritus malus
    Ite in facinum
    In facinum sempiternum
    Facine claudete ostium mundi tenebricosi
    Abite tu male!


    Take up the sorrow
    Take it up
    Evil Spirit
    Go into the talisman
    Into the eternal talisman
    Cast the spell and close the door to the dark world
    Go away you evil one!

    [Qwertz]


  35. What are the lyrics of the closing theme song, Take a Stand ?

    TAKE A STAND
    by
    Mark Seibert

    In the heat of the night
    While we'd hold each other tight
    I could feel your love, our heartbeats racin'
    And I'd look in your eyes and I'd see paradise
    It's a dream I've been chasin' so long

    But now your eyes are cold
    And our love is old
    How could things go so wrong, my heart is breakin'
    And all our plans and dreams they don't mean anything
    I don't want to think that it's over, but I can't take anymore

    [CHORUS]
    Gotta take a stand for my life tonight
    Gotta think love over this time
    Gotta take a stand for my life tonight before I lose mine

    By the look in your eyes
    I can tell our love has died
    Wish I could mend our hearts, but I just keep tryin'
    I want you back with me the way I know our love could be
    But I know I'm lyin' to myself, and I can't take anymore

    [CHORUS with minor variations] x 4

    [Qwertz]

    Extract a large WAV file of this song from the game.


  36. What is the likely scenario for the fate of the spellbook, the Carnovasch Estate, and Adrienne following the successful conclusion to the Phantasmagoria storyline? [David Neubauer] and [Megan]
    - Adrienne burns the spellbook before leaving the mansion in a daze. She drives to a friend's place and has a nervous breakdown. Police investigating the disappearance of the phone man find all the dead bodies and Adrienne is arrested, diagnosed a paranoid schizophrenic, and sent to a secure mental institution. Her case soon attracts national attention. After most of Adrienne's story is verified, she is released although the ghostly side of her experiences are never officially acknowledged. Adrienne goes from success to success as an author but she is not able to shake away the stain that something is just not quite right about her. The Carnovasch Estate is boarded up and, with the demonic presence banished, all supernatural activity ceases. [Nicolas Holzapfel]

    - Spellbook: Remains in the summoning chamber forever unless an overly curious person somehow uncovers it. Hopefully, the magic book will never again be used to summon the demon!
    - The Carnovasch Estate: Still owned by Adrienne due to an unsurprising lack of prospective buyers, all access points to the summoning chamber are expertly sealed off by master builders and the mansion and grounds as a whole are placed off limits to absolutely everyone apart from an odd curious tabloid reporter who never manages to find anything of significance apart from lungfulls of dust and cobwebs. With the banishment of the demon, all ghosts and supernatural activity vanished. Adrienne moves back to Boston and gets on with her life. Don, Mike, Harriet, Cyrus, Carno, Victoria, and Hortencia's bodies were all found and given decent burials of course.
    - Adrienne: She gets placed in a mental asylum for a while because the authorities from Boston do not believe one word of her (or Malcolm's) babbled "crazy" explanation for all the death and destruction wrought in the short space of single week at the Carnovasch Estate. While imprisoned, she writes her most realistic and best-selling novel yet and gives birth to a demonic baby conceived following her infamous violent sexual encounter with the now deceased Don. After the unique infant is swiftly whisked away by mysterious men in dark glasses and black suits, Adrienne is apologetically freed and hosts a long series of documentaries on the supernatural - becoming an internationally famous celebrity almost overnight. During a televised seance, she makes her peace with the ghost of her late husband and then goes on to live a long and contented existence.

Note: What is written in reply to the question above has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot of Phantasmagoria 2: A Puzzle of Flesh .






[Adrienne showing the snowman to Don in chapter one]
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[Dot] Bloopers [Dot]


Chapter One / General

  1. The island but not the mansion is shown in the distance at the commencement of the first scene of the Introduction when Don is setting up his camera.
  2. Chapter one begins with a VMD movie that depicts Adrienne showing the snowman Christmas ornament to Don after quickly putting its container aside somewhere off screen. Only minutes later, when the player gains control over Adrienne's actions after never losing sight of her, a quick look around the room reveals the box is nowhere to be found. Don may have taken it with him, but it is never seen again and there are no obvious places where it might have been dumped.
  3. Whenever Adrienne takes a "bite to eat" from the refrigerator, her hands never touch the food that is plainly in sight.
  4. As Adrienne sits down and pets her cat Spazz on the couch by the fireplace in the reception hall, the piece of furniture is shown with normal dimensions. When she stands up however, the once sizable couch shrinks so that it barely comes up to her calves. [Ricky Dixon]
  5. Part of the slim metallic archway at the top of the short flight of stairs in Carno's bedroom disappears whenever Adrienne walks past it. [Jess Canada]
  6. Carno's jewelry box that is usually positioned next to the lamp on the table against the bedroom wall disappears during the movie scene that shows the magician's bed "grabbing" Adrienne. [Matthew Asendorf]
  7. After showing Adrienne his plans for turning the second floor bathroom into a photolab, Don places them into an invisible hole in the wall and they are never seen again. [Lou-Ann]
  8. There is no soap in the well-used third floor bathroom. The toiletries that do exist appear and disappear between chapters for no apparent reason. [Andy Bellatti]
  9. When Adrienne tries to open the attic door, the ectoplasm above the crib in the nursery cannot be seen. [Andy Bellatti] *
  10. The angles of the roof and front of Lou Ann's Antiques Store are impossibly severe, so much so that her building does not appear to have a right side to it when viewed from up close. [Jess Canada]
  11. When we see a side view of Adrienne speaking with the realtor, a window can be seen on the left hand side of the screen. Even though it is clearly daytime at that point, the window is black as if it were nighttime. [Andy Bellatti]
  12. When we see the realtor's filing cabinet up close, a small lamp is seen on top. This lamp is not seen from the normal view. [Andy Bellatti] *
  13. No birds are heard chirping in the trees near Malcolm's house. There are no water or wind based sounds. In fact, the only sounds heard are those made by Adrienne or the dog. This is inconsistent with the other outdoor settings. [Jack Ferriola]
  14. After noticing Adrienne at the gate, Malcolm's ferocious dog barks at empty space rather than the potential intruder to his master's property. [Matthew B. Johnson]
  15. Did "R. Williams" of Oakhurst, California, really send Malcolm the letter examined by Adrienne after she opens his mailbox? Of course not. "R. Williams" is none other than Roberta Williams, designer of Phantasmagoria, and Oakhurst is the place where the game was filmed. Also, note that the date of the postmark on the envelope is the same as the current date if Adrienne examines it in chapter one. It could not have crossed the country that quickly.
  16. As every scene in Phantasmagoria was filmed indoors, the bright ceiling lights of the studio are reflected in the polished surfaces of the BMW. This is particularly noticeable when the vehicle is moving. [Kyle]
  17. The letters read by Adrienne in both Marie's bedroom and in the library do not appear sufficiently deteriorated to be about one hundred years old. Also, they do not carry any fold marks when unfolded. [Andy Bellatti]
  18. While reading the article concerning Carno's "Phantasmagoria Show" from the Illusionist Quarterly, Adrienne adds the word "are" to the middle of one of the sentences.
  19. The large pile of bricks disappear after Adrienne finally clears out a passage to the chapel. [The Black Wolf]
  20. Just before the demon is released, the hinge on the spellbook's box begins to move one way - causing the latch to fall. When Adrienne tries to replace the latch, the hinge is hanging out from the other side. [Zoltan Carnovasch]
  21. At the conclusion to the final movie scene of chapter one, Adrienne heads upstairs despite telling Don that she is going to prepare dinner, presumably in the downstairs kitchen. In that same scene, Don appears to walk towards the wall despite telling Adrienne that he is going to go upstairs to get cleaned up for dinner.

Chapter Two

  1. In the introductory movie to chapter two where Adrienne is seen typing on her laptop computer, the picture of the once happy couple on the stand beside Don's side of the double bed is missing. [Andy Bellatti]
  2. As Don storms away from Adrienne after their fight over the drain cleaner, he strides towards the bedroom fireplace rather than the door. [Andy Bellatti]
  3. When Adrienne asks where the strange music is coming from while standing at the base of the reception hall staircase, she is significantly larger than normal. [The Black Wolf]
  4. Harv the Storekeeper disappears when Adrienne looks at the donation box on his counter. [Andy Bellatti]
  5. When Adrienne looks at the General Store's donation box, the glass on the front door reflects the inside of the building. But when normal view is restored, the outside world may be plainly seen through the door. [Andy Bellatti]
  6. Everything in the General Store that displays a readable price tag costs ninety-nine cents per pound. This applies equally to both vegetable and meat products. [Andy Bellatti] *
  7. The Antiques Store telephone often changes size and position during various scenes involving Lou Ann. [Andy Bellatti] *

Chapter Three

  1. Adrienne's picnic basket, an important prop in the opening movie of chapter three, is nowhere to be seen immediately after that movie has concluded. [The Black Wolf]
  2. As Adrienne asks if anyone is there after she detects unusual movement behind a tree, a low overhanging branch may be seen. That branch disappears forever after Cyrus reveals himself. [Andy Bellatti]
  3. When Adrienne bends over to look through the keyhole in the door to the staircase that leads to the fourth floor prior to getting the key out of her pocket, her jeans are patched, yet they are not in this state a moment later. [Qwertz]
  4. The door to the tower bedroom is barred from the outside, but the door swings inward - thereby making the bar useless as a locking mechanism. [Jeremy Lydell Haugen]
  5. Malcolm's housekeeper, Ethel, appears to slam the door shut on her arm on several occasions. [RJL65]
  6. Every time Adrienne leaves Malcolm's property, she closes the gate right on her arm and displays no signs of discomfort. [Kyle]

Chapter Four

  1. While providing her new housekeeper with a list of tasks to complete, Adrienne asks Harriet to "please empty the wastepaper baskets". Yet, no garbage containers of any size or description may be seen in the entire mansion with the exception of the vase next to the fortune telling machine.
  2. Another task allocated to Harriet is to make Adrienne and Don's bed. This is strange as it has already been made by this point. [Andy Bellatti]
  3. Adrienne is not reflected in the mirror she is standing beside as she examines the necklace that mysteriously appeared in Carno's bedroom. [Andy Bellatti]
  4. The woodpile located just outside the back door never changes its height regardless of the facts that Cyrus is supposed to be helping out by chopping wood from chapters four through to six and the ceaseless consuming of seemingly abundant wood based fuel supplies in the many fireplaces. [Kyle]
  5. Harriet turns into a "giant" if Adrienne turns on the television while she is cleaning the couple's bedroom.
  6. There are no water movements as Adrienne starts to peer through the telescope near the greenhouse as there are both before and after this action. [Andy Bellatti]
  7. When Adrienne enters the greenhouse, the handle of the trowel lying on the floor points to the left. Yet, when she bends down and picks up this implement, its handle faces other directions. [Jack Ferriola]

Chapter Five

  1. There is too much light streaming through the window in the collectibles room as Adrienne witnesses a night time vision of Carno murdering Regina. [Kara Johnson]
  2. When Adrienne witnesses the vision of Carno murdering Regina, the chair in which the unfortunate wife was killed cannot be seen in the real world background. [Andy Bellatti]
  3. While reciting her daily fortune, Adrienne speaks the words "you are" rather than "you're" as is written on the piece of paper.
  4. At the end of the finding of the dead cat/looking for Cyrus movie, the standard outside view of the barn does not include Adrienne's car as it does at all other times. [Andy Bellatti]
  5. After the dragon lamp activates, Adrienne looks at the roof of the conservatory rather than the "dragon" that is suddenly displayed on the wall. [Cesar Bittar]
  6. To raise or lower a moving platform in the secret passages to her current position, Adrienne is required to turn a wheel. When she does this, only her hands move. The wheel itself remains stationary. [Kyle]
  7. In this chapter which takes place at night, the lighting in the passage that leads to the crypt is no different than it is during the daytime chapters. [The Black Wolf]
  8. The location of the makeup room when Adrienne first enters the theatre is the exact reverse of what she would see from her viewpoint next to the hidden panel.
  9. The flip card machine contains cards with the words "Good evening ladies and gentleman" implying that there was only one man in the audience at Carno's final magic show, yet the ghostly announcer mentions "ladies and gentlemen".
  10. As the "Throne of Terror" spins around with Carno struggling to break free in the flip card machine vision, the blade release lever is shown to be in two different positions at separate occasions despite the fact it was only pulled once by Marie. But, in both cases, the lever is not shown in the same position it is when it causes the blade to swing down with one mighty chop in chapter seven.

Chapter Six

  1. While Malcolm recounts his experiences with Carno, we see that he was watching Marie, Carno, and Gaston from the secret passageway leading into the theatre. As Marie is killed, young Malcolm covers his eyes in terror. Yet, the present-day Malcolm says "I'll never forget the look of shocked surprise on Carno's face..." as Gaston rams a pipe through Carno's body. This statement cannot be true for two reasons: As Gaston is killing Carno, Malcolm still has his eyes covered. Also, from the secret passageway, the only things Malcolm would be able to see are Gaston and Carno's backs. [Ricky Dixon]
  2. If Adrienne enters the house via the back door after her second visit to Malcolm and enters the chapel, the opened spellbook case will be found lying at the foot of the altar. Yet, if the chapel is subsequently viewed through the peephole in the secret passages, the case is still on the altar and closed. [Miguel]
  3. Chapter six concludes with a scene depicting Don murdering Mike the Phone Man at night. Yet, chapter seven begins on the same day at 3:30pm, when it is clearly daytime outside.

Chapter Seven

  1. At the very end of the introduction to chapter 7, Adrienne's suitcase is not zipped up. Yet, when the player regains control of her and barely a second of game time has passed, the suitcase has been zipped shut. [Lou-Ann]
  2. If Adrienne takes the spellbook immediately after throwing drain cleaner in Don's face, Don turns around and grabs her, letting his cape drop to the floor as he does so. When the cape hits the ground, it disappears. [Dov Degen]
  3. If Adrienne runs from the bottom of the main staircase in the direction of the dining room or back up the stairs during the chase sequence, the telephone that was installed and placed on top of a small table near the front door in the previous chapter is nowhere to be seen.
  4. The small white teddy bear from the nursery is nowhere to be found if that room is entered during the chase sequence. [Andy Bellatti]
  5. During the chase sequence, when Adrienne runs into the conservatory, there is a view of the bedroom door. It is pictured as closed, but Adrienne never did that after leaving the room at the start of the chapter. [Jeff Wright] This phenomenon cannot be explained by the house locking Adrienne in because the door to her bedroom is closed regardless of whether or not she tries to leave the house and thus activates that supernatural reaction. [Andy Bellatti]
  6. Cyrus' corpse falls onto Adrienne when she races to the crypt during the chase sequence and is still there when she races from the crypt, but, when Adrienne pushes the gargoyle onto Don on her way out, the body is nowhere to be seen. [T.D. Burapavong]
  7. When Adrienne gets the rosary beads during the chase sequence, she puts them in her left pocket, but, during the demon banishment scene, she removes them from her right pocket. [Sheri]
  8. When Adrienne dashes from the crypt, back through the secret passage, she seems to run over Cyrus's body which appears to be little more than part of the floor. [Homer]
  9. Adrienne is physically much larger as she runs from the crypt to the chapel during the chase sequence compared to her size in the same secret passage earlier in the game.
  10. When Adrienne encounters her deranged husband wearing Harriet's scalp in the theatre, the "Throne of Terror" is missing from the stage. [Andy Bellatti]
  11. At various points within the theatre makeup room component of the chase sequence, Don's vest that lies on the floor appears to grow and shrink in size. [Andy Bellatti]
  12. As Adrienne runs back towards the theatre after stabbing Don with the fireplace poker in the make-up room, the chair at the dressing table is missing. [Andy Bellatti]
  13. After emerging from the secret passages on the third floor during the chase sequence, Adrienne is shown to run around the corner of the conservatory and into the hallway twice in succession - exactly the same movement is depicted from two completely different viewpoints. [T.D. Burapavong]
  14. When Adrienne runs downstairs from the third to the second floor during the chase sequence, her forehead passes through the entryway to the staircase.
  15. In Phantasmagoria version 1.0, the spellbook is not on the table when Adrienne returns to the darkroom during the chase sequence. This circumstance occurs whether she has collected it previously or not.
  16. According to the introduction to chapter one, Don gave Adrienne the snowman Christmas ornament. Yet, in different scenes at the "Throne of Terror", Adrienne states that she was given the snowman by her husband and that she gave it to Don. It is possible to have both these scenes occur consecutively in the same unsuccessful ending scenario.
  17. In the scene where Adrienne is running "down the stairs" to the summoning chamber, it is painfully obvious that she is actually running on the spot with the rendered graphics moving behind her. [Michael Vale]
  18. When we see the demon's slimy trail as it descends towards the summoning chamber, chasing after Adrienne, the distance between the hole and the bend in the passageway is much shorter than it was when Adrienne traversed the same area moments beforehand. [Kara Johnson]
  19. At the very end of chapter seven, Adrienne has the opportunity to leave the door to the summoning chamber unbarred. Yet, a few of the losing scenarios depict the demon breaking through a barred door, regardless of Adrienne's earlier actions.
  20. Carno's corpse disappears without a trace during the demon banishment ritual after Adrienne takes the talisman from it.

The final batch of new material is denoted by a *

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this page over the past eighteen months. All suggestions have been much appreciated. Unfortunately, all good things must eventually come to an end and this page has become far too big, so no further contributions will be accepted. There are definitely further Unanswered Questions that may be asked, and there may indeed be other bloopers in the game that are similar to what is already listed above.
Thank you.

Anthony Larme, June 1 1997.

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Contents

Title - Introduction - Gameplay - Plot Synopsis - Sound and Visual Effects - Main Characters - Censorship Issues - Miscellanea

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