Incredible Tall Man Balloon Art

I've always found balloon characters impressive, but this takes the art form to another level entirely! Enter Brad Wood, better known on Instagram as BradTheBalloonGuy. He's managed to create a full balloon version of the Tall Man complete with silver sphere and dwarf! Dig the detail here - the Tall Man's eyebrow is even raised! Of his phandom, Brad writes: "I love this series! It's so weird and awesome!"

Check out more of Brad's spiffy creations here!

Impressive Phantasm Display in Upcoming Horror Museum

First, a most heartfelt Happy Birthday to Phantasm! The original film was first released to theaters forty-two years ago today.

Second, dig this! A monstrously talented Italian phan named Antonio Amodio is currently creating a fantasy-horror museum in Taranto, Italy. For this Herculean task, he's put together an impressive Phantasm display featuring the Tall Man! Antonio shares that he's personally created the many figures in his museum and that they're all made to 1:1 scale. This wild Phantasm display has a lot of detail in it, some of which you can glimpse in the photos below. Aside from the Tall Man, there's a sphere'd head, a severed finger in a box, a dwarf minion, and a framed photo of the Tall Man from many years back.

Click on any photo below to see it larger. Outstanding work, Antonio!

Killer New Tall Man Figure - Limited to 30!

Dig this and dig it quick - the marvelous Luther Berry of LB 3D Design has just released a new Tall Man figure as part of his Evil Entities figure line. This spiffy 8" retro Mego-style figure comes individually numbered in a resealable clamshell case with a custom art card. Limited to a scant THIRTY figures, there are only FOURTEEN left as of this writing and they just bloody went on sale. Priced at $125 each, this Tall Man is bound to find a good home in some phan collections.

Get yours here before they're gone!

Impressive Etch-a-Sketch Art of the Tall Man!

From the Instagram page of Mike James aka PirateKiller1985, dig this terrific new artwork of the Tall Man and a silver sphere! All I can say is.... WOW! Mike not only sketched incredible detail on the Tall Man himself, but even on the mausoleum behind him as well. And how appropriate that he also sketched a silver sphere on a miniature Etch-A-Sketch. This is just too nice to shake clean. If you'd like to see more of Mike's impressive Etch-a-Sketch creations, visit his IG page.

It looks like Mike was recreating an iconic image from the set of 1988's Phantasm II. I've included the original shot at the bottom of this post for comparison purposes. Again, way to go, Mike! You've won the internet for today, hands down.

New AUTOMATONS Book Features Tribute to Angus Scrimm

Readers of this blog might remember me talking about a film called AUTOMATONS over the years. This post-apocalyptic indie from 2006 was written and directed by James Felix McKenney of Glass Eye Pix fame and featured our dear Tall Man Angus Scrimm in a starring role. I was a big fan of the movie when it first debuted on home video eleven years ago. (Check out my original review here.)

To celebrate the project's thirteenth anniversary, Pulp 2.0 Press has now released the official book of the film, which features a behind the scenes look at its unique production along with cast/crew interviews. Among the books features is a special tribute to Angus Scrimm, who played "The Scientist." Being such a big fan of the movie, I cannot wait to check out this book.

AUTOMATONS: The Book of the Movie is now available from Amazon for a very reasonable $9.99. Get your copy here! To learn more about Automatons, visit the Glass Eye Pix website.

Now Available: Tall Man/Dwarf Combo Figurines, Limited Stock!

Phans, dig this! Chicago-based artist Charlie Lonewolf regularly creates and sells his own custom horror statuettes and they are fantastic. Last year, he briefly offered a spectacular Tall Man/dwarf combo, but these very quickly sold out to the disappointment of many. Now he's back at it and this is your chance to nab one for your own collection.

The Tall Man is about 5.5 inches tall and made of resin. The combo figure pack costs $42 plus shipping. Get yours on Charlie's Etsy store and also check out his Instagram page to see his other marvelous offerings!

Fingers crossed for a Reggie or Mike statue next!

EDIT: Annnnnnd they're sold out!
 

Vinyl Announcement: Angus Scrimm in "The Grandfather"

Here's some terrific news for fans of the Tall Man. Holy Mountain Printing has just released a vinyl pressing of Angus Scrimm's performance in "The Grandfather," an episode of the audio drama series Tales from Beyond the Pale. This particular installment was written and directed by the marvelous Graham Reznick, a friend and collaborator of Scrimm's. If you missed this gem when it was originally released back in 2010, I'd highly recommend you check it out. You can read my review of the episode here.

The album comes in split-color vinyl (limited to 400 copies) and glow-in-the-dark (limited to 100 copies). The split-color is $20 and glow-in-the-dark is $22. The photo below originated over on the Glass Eye Pix website.

Angus Scrimm wrote liner notes for countless albums throughout his career at Capitol Records, but this is - to my knowledge - the first time his voice has been featured so prominently on an actual vinyl album!

Get your copy of "The Grandfather" vinyl here!

Bloody Good Work: Carpenter Whittles the Tall Man

Phantasm phan Jon Denton (IG username: PootieDude) has a real talent for hand carving things out of blocks of wood. He's made several cool characters lately including Freddy, Jason, and even Frank-N-Furter from the Rocky Horror Picture Show. But most recently, he's whittled the Tall Man from Phantasm! Check out the sweet pics below including his final painted version.

I'm a little jealous as I sometimes struggle folding a piece of paper evenly, but this guy is able to make incredible works of art with his bare hands and a blade. Hit up Jon's Instagram account to see more of his work!

Mark Shostrom Reveals Tall Man Melting Makeup Ingredients

Thirty-odd years later, makeup effects legend Mark Shostrom has revealed the ingredients to the grotesque makeup that melted the Tall Man at the end of Phantasm II. Phans will recall that Mark supervised makeup effects on both Phantasm II and Phantasm III, which were arguably an effects high mark for the entire franchise. Angus Scrimm lovingly dubbed Mark "the Julia Child of Makeup" for his use of food products in the melting sequence. We've long known Mark incorporated chicken skin in the melting makeup, but here's a complete list of items used!

• Knox gelatine
• Karo syrup (Tall Man blood)
• Yogurt (in moderation)
• McCormick food colours
• Raw chicken skin

Mark further comments: "Since chicken skin often has salmonella and is incredibly greasy, I had to wash it with Ivory liquid and hot water for at least 30 minutes. I wore rubber gloves for this. Angus wore full face, neck and hand prosthetic I had sculpted; these were foam latex and painted with PAX and rubber mask greasepaint. All the food stuff went on afterwards. The only glue that would work to stick the chicken skin to his rubber neck prosthetic was super glue (I never glued them directly on his skin). I also have a good Jambalaya recipe but I've never tried that one on an actor."

To learn more about Mark's incredible career in makeup effects (including more Phantasm'y goodness), visit his official website or check him out on Facebook.

Talented Phan Creates Spooky Tall Man Makeup

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Phantasm has the coolest phans. Instagram user PotterMakeup has concocted a pretty spooky looking Tall Man look on himself using only makeup, a white wig, and a black suit. (Bonus points for including the red tie pin - an essential part of any Tall Man cosplay!)

Visit PotterMakeup's page to see that, in reality, he looks nothing at all like Angus Scrimm, which only highlights how incredibly transformative this makeup job truly is! This talented phan has also created a number of iconic characters from throughout pop culture including Doc Brown, Rocky Balboa, Hellboy, both Laurel and Hardy, and so many others. "You play a good game, boy!"

Can we get a Regman makeup next? Fingers crossed!

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Angus Scrimm's Final Movie Hits Home Video

I'm a little late with this one, but Dances with Werewolves - which contains Angus Scrimm's final screen performance - was finally released onto physical home video on February 28. Angus appears in a supporting role as Neumann, a vagrant character. The Dan Golden-helmed project marks the Tall Man actor's final film as his part was shot long after he wrapped work on Phantasm Ravager. Golden and Scrimm previously worked together on 2006's Satanic, which also starred horror icon Jeffrey Combs. Grab your DVD copy of the film here.

The film's IMDb plot summary reads, "When Cassie flees an abusive relationship, and falls victim to a moon-worshiping 600 year old Romanian Countess; a troubled paranormal investigator of Native American heritage finds himself in a deadly love triangle with a battered-woman werewolf."

Watch this: "Dear Angus"

Here is something truly special - an intimate memorial tribute to the late great Angus Scrimm by longtime friend and series crewmember Kristen Deem. If you've ever wondered about the man behind the Tall Man, this is the most revealing and personal look you'll ever get. Wonderful stuff. Thank you for making this, Kristen.

This marvelous memorial tribute to the iconic horror actor first appeared on Arrow UK's incredible Phantasm Blu-ray collection, which can be purchased here for Region 2 players.

40th Anniv. Tall Man "Coin Pop" Now Available!

Now available from mega-phan Scott Pensa: this marvelous looking 40th Anniversary Tall Man "Coin Pop" collectible! This limited edition piece mimics the style of the popular Funko Pop! figures. The spheres contain "40th Anniversary" lettering to commemorate the occasion. Silver sphere editions are limited to 100 and cost $20 each. Gold sphere editions are limited to just 40 (only 22 remaining) and must be purchased with a silver sphere edition ($40 per set).

Each Tall Man "Coin Pop" is numbered on his foot and they stand on their own with ease. Shipping is $7.90 for priority USPS with tracking (USA only). Contact Scott at scottyrascal@yahoo.com to get yours!

Scratch-N-Sniff Tall Man Stickers - Sure, why not?

I thought I'd seen it all. Really, I did. Then I came across this tonight: Scratch-and-sniff Phantasm stickers! An easy $3.59 will get you a 48-pack of these stylish adhesives, which emit the sweet aroma of strawberry licorice when scratched. A shame they don't come smelling like lavender. Doesn't that seem like the obvious choice? The Wacky Whiffers Etsy product page comes with a warning: Stickers are extremely strong and potent in scent!

Horror fans should delight in learning that other Wacky Whiffer stickers include Freddy Krueger and Chucky the Killer Doll among other horror icons.

Angus Scrimm's Last Film Arriving on Halloween

Writer/director/producer Dan Golden has gotten in touch with some exciting news - Angus Scrimm's final film appearance, Dances with Werewolves, will be available Halloween 2017 on Amazon, iTunes, Google Play and Vudu VOD. Angus appears in a supporting role as Neumann, a vagrant character. This project truly qualifies as the Tall Man actor's final film as his part was shot long after he wrapped work on Phantasm Ravager. Golden and Scrimm previously worked together on 2006's Satanic, which also starred Jeffrey Combs.

The IMDb plot summary reads, "When Cassie flees an abusive relationship, and falls victim to a moon-worshiping 600 year old Romanian Countess; a troubled paranormal investigator of Native American heritage finds himself in a deadly love triangle with a battered-woman werewolf."

You can check out the film's trailer here, which has a glimpse of Scrimm's performance.

Gorgeous Tall Man Canvas Prints Now Available From Chris Ness

Phans of the Tall Man, get ready for this: artist Chris Ness is finally offering 16" x 20" canvas prints of his striking Tall Man painting from several years back. Each limited edition canvas print is hand numbered and signed by the artist. These beauties are printed on high quality giclée canvas, which feature UV light protection to prevent fading and cracking. Chris has personally overseen this printing process to ensure that these match the color and quality of his original painting.

This ace artwork was recently featured in Kristen Deem's "Dear Angus" tribute to our fallen Tall Man on Arrow's Phantasm Blu-Ray Collection 

The canvas prints are going for $80 plus $14.50 priority USPS shipping.

Hit up CINEMA ART BY NESS on Facebook to snag yours!

ICYMI: Tall Man Digitally Altered on Phantasm III Blu-Ray

With Mark Shostrom at the makeup effects helm, Phantasm's II and III boast some of the franchise's most memorable and nightmarish visuals. In the second film, the Tall Man is killed by live embalming. In the third film, the heroes' attempt to freeze him, which causes his cranial gold sphere to burst from his skull. It's a terrific sequence.

Some eagle-eyed phans may have already caught this, but I'm sure others haven't. If you purchased the recent Well Go USA Phantasm Collection, you may have noticed a digital enhancement to the Tall Man in Phantasm III. Check out the screenshot comparison below, though please forgive the poor quality of the captures. In restoring Phantasm III, the technicians digitally replaced the frozen Tall Man's eye. In the theatrical version, he appears to be staring downward. In the updated Blu-Ray, the Tall Man is looking direct at camera.

How do you feel about such digital modifications? Do they matter or should the original special effects be left untouched? And, in case you also missed it, there were much larger changes made to the original Phantasm for its recent restoration including an all new silver sphere.

VIDEO: That Time Angus Scrimm Spoofed the Tall Man

In 1989, Angus Scrimm joined the cast of Jim Wynorski's Transylvania Twist, a fun, rompy spoof of the horror genre. The film also starred Robert Vaughn and even a posthumous Boris Karloff (using repurposed footage from an old Roger Corman production). Twist lampooned everything from the classic Universal Monsters to more recent terrors like Freddy, Jason, and Leatherface. The film is of particular interest to Phantasm phans.

In one marvelous scene, Angus Scrimm parodies most famous role by pitching a silver sphere toward a victim like a baseball, which brings new meaning to the phrase "You play a good game, boy!" The Tall Man actor was initially unsure how Don Coscarelli might feel about such a spoof, so he ran it by Phantasm's creator prior to filming, who gave it his full blessing. Check out the scene below! And if you dig it, be sure to check out the entire movie!

Rare Phantasm Items Hit eBay

If you haven't heard, Phantasm series crewmember Kristen Deem is moving and parting with some rare items from her personal Phantasm collection. We've already seen two authentic Phantasm II silver sphere props come and go. She has now added a handful of new items to her ongoing eBay auction. Pictured above is a one-of-a-kind Tall Man mask that Kristen made from a production lifecast back in the 80's. She originally gifted this unique item to her dear friend Angus Scrimm. As you can see, the likeness is incredible! 

Kristen Deem served as storyboard artist/unit publicist on Phantasm II, assistant to Angus Scrimm on Phantasm III and as script supervisor on Phantasm Oblivion. She can be prominently seen throughout the bonus materials for both recent Phantasm Blu-Ray Collections. Below you'll find a list of her items currently for auction.

Angus Scrimm Lifecast Bust 1986

Angus Scrimm's Jim the World's Greatest VHS Tape and Dialogue Cues

Phantasm Japanese Poster / Record Album / AVCO Embassy Christmas Card

Angus Scrimm Angel Records EMI Cassette Opera Collection

Large Rare Phantasm II British Poster by Guild Film Distribution

Don Coscarelli Film Posters - Jim the World's Greatest, Kenny & Co, Phantasm, Beastmaster

Very Rare Survival Quest Promotional Poster

Phantasm II British Lobby Cards

Authentic Phantasm Japanese Poster