"Sittin here til midnight at Crypticon in Seattle Washington!" says Reggie Bannister via Facebook. Crypticon is a horror convention happening RIGHT NOW and already video of The Reggie Bannister Band's ...
Scrimm & Coscarelli Help Fangoria Celebrate 30 Years
2009, what a year: Phantasm turns 30, and so does the magazine that's traced the franchise for a very long time. So what better way to illustrate that multi-decade association ...
Phantastic Origins: Phantasm Super 8 Sequel
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, perhaps continuation is the ultimate form of flattery.
Fan films were once seen as pointless exercises in fandom, but several progressions have been ...
Making Poison
Behind Phantasm Collaborator’s Music Video
After catching viral music video “Her Blood Is Poison” I repeatedly thought about its stark black & white images. I didn’t have to look too far ...
The Tenacity And Virtue Of Reggie
A supporting character in the original 1979 Phantasm, Reggie Bannister's character of ice cream vendor Reggie was created (along with the other characters) for "single use". When the sequel rolled ...
“Sittin here til midnight at Crypticon in Seattle Washington!” says Reggie Bannister via Facebook. Crypticon is a horror convention happening RIGHT NOW and already video of The Reggie Bannister Band’s opening show gig has filtered onto the internet. But far from jerky phone-cam footage, it’s high-quality all the way and well-framed.
You can view the event across 2 videos here and here, but I was so taken by the Suspiria-like lighting and youthful energy of The Bannister that I had to take some screencaps and present ‘em below.
2009, what a year: Phantasm turns 30, and so does the magazine that’s traced the franchise for a very long time. So what better way to illustrate that multi-decade association than enlisting the creator and “anti-hero”? Don Coscarelli & Angus Scrimm, as Fango Hall Of Famers, have each written a delightful piece. Scrimm schools you on the classics of horror’s past, while Coscarelli reminisces about the now-treasured Fango #2. Both extend a congratulatory hand to the premiere modern horror rag. Fangoria’s 30th Anniversary issue (#284) is above worth the semi-gloss paper it’s printed on, and is on sale now!
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, perhaps continuation is the ultimate form of flattery.
Fan films were once seen as pointless exercises in fandom, but several progressions have been made in recent times: the critically acclaimed film Son Of Rambow (dramatizing two neighborhood kids making their own Rambo fan film) and the increasing co-operation of original cast and crew members in various Star Trek fan films/series. The distinction between pro and fan has blurred. Fan films are driven by passion and many times get people to pick up a camera and shoot something who might normally not. Making a fanfilm also offers a pressure-free project that could lead to embarking on original creative endevours.
Dennis John had the honor of creating the first Phantasm fan film, a sequel short, which he did back in the very early 80’s, not long after the original Phantasm was unleashed to the public. This was long before the digital revolution, editing tools and YouTube instant distribution of today so should be commended for the effort. I tracked down Dennis and asked him for the skinny on what looks to have been a project with heart:
On the short:
“I made it when I was in high school, I’m 44 now, so this was a sequel to the original before there was a real part 2. It was filmed on super 8mm silent film, only about 5 min long. I filmed and did the make-up fx, and had friends play the characters. I had a set up movie theater in my basement, and showed it on my projector, playing music through a tape recorder.”
On the story:
“Basically the story continues right from where the original ends, Mike gets pulled into the mirror, we then show Tall Man laugh (a friend with bald head and wig), then Mike is trying to crawl from under his bed, arms are trying to pull him back. I guess my thinking then was he was transfered from beyond the mirror to under his bed. Tall Man tries to pick him up, Mike knees Tall Man in the nuts. Mike runs out of his room. The story continues… chase… spheres… etc. The cast was, Tall Man, Mike, Dwarf, Zombie.”
Interestingly, Dennis had titled his 25+ year-old fan film Phantasmagoria at the time. Dennis tells me he’d like to show it online someday, somehow. For now though, we’ll just have to picture it through the innocent camera lens of our imaginations.
2009, what a year: Phantasm turns 30, and so does the magazine that’s traced the franchise for a very long time. So what better way to illustrate that multi-decade association than enlisting the creator and “anti-hero”? Don Coscarelli & Angus Scrimm, as Fango Hall Of Famers, have each written a delightful piece. Scrimm schools you on the classics of horror’s past, while Coscarelli reminisces about the now-treasured Fango #2. Both extend a congratulatory hand to the premiere modern horror rag. Fangoria’s 30th Anniversary issue (#284) is above worth the semi-gloss paper it’s printed on, and is on sale now!
