WATCH THIS - The Trailer for Phantasm-Con

On the heels of last week's news that Reggie & Gigi Bannister are throwing a virtual Phantasm Convention for May 1 & 2, 2020, we now have a killer trailer for the event! Best of all, it opens with a humorous message from the Regman himself. Dig the video below.

Get your tickets and learn more about the event on the official website!

Virtual Phantasm-Con Set for May!

Just when the COVID quarantine was starting to drive you mad, here's something for Phantasm phans to look forward to. Announcing PHANTASM-CON, a virtual phan convention set to unfold across May 1/2, 2020. This unique project is still coming together, but you can view the first details below and check out the website here! It already looks like the cyber-event has gained participation from several phamily members you don't regularly see at physical conventions, so that's a huge plus.

Here's the original Facebook post by organizer Gigi Bannister:

Want something to, as Reggie says, "Raise the vibe?" in the world? Where will YOU be on May 1-2, 2020? In your living room, in your comfy pants, eating #IceCream, drinking #DosEquis,and watching your FAVORITE horror movies WITH your FAVORITE horror celebrities, that's where! Details COMING SOON... BOOOOOYYYY! (Benefitting #CrestlineCreativeArtsFoundation raising funds for PPE [#PersonalProtectionEquipment] for #FirstResponders and #Veterinarians during the #CoVid19 Crises!

Bet You've Never Seen This Phantasm Autograph Before

This past weekend saw the always phenomenal Texas Frightmare horror convention unfold in Dallas. While there weren't any Phantasm stars in attendance this year, that didn't stop mega-phan Scott Pensa from getting a Phantasm-related autograph from an unlikely celebrity - Evil Dead filmmaker Sam Raimi!

You may or may not already know that Raimi had a small cameo in 1988's Phantasm II as a bag of ashes being poured into an urn at Perigord Mortuary. According to legend, Raimi had unsuccessfully lobbied Don Coscarelli for a bigger cameo in the first Phantasm sequel, preferably as a sphere-victim. You can see a screenshot of Raimi's cameo below as well as the photo Scott had printed out for the director to sign.

This might be one of the rarest and most unique Phantasm autographs I've ever seen. Great stuff, Scott!

"Hot as Love" Reggie Cosplay from Monsterpalooza

This weekend saw the terrific Monsterpalooza convention unfold in Pasadena, California. In attendance was true phan David Hanger, who chose to go in full cosplay as Reggie Bannister from the original Phantasm! Hot as love! You can see that David's even rocking a tuning fork, which is essential weaponry for any fight against the Tall Man and his forces of evil. Great work, David!

View this post on Instagram

#ReggieBannister #cosplay I wore to @monsterpaloozaofficial. Thank you @littleshopofgore doe the awesome #Phantasm #enamelpin.

A post shared by David Hanger (@david.hanger.16) on Apr 13, 2019 at 7:47pm PDT

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Reggie! #phantasm #mosterpalooza

A post shared by Freaky Fandoms (@freakyfandomspc) on Apr 13, 2019 at 5:39pm PDT

Phantasm Ravager Premiere Date Nixes Con Appearance?

News comes in this evening from the Monster Mania Convention Facebook page that Reggie Bannister will unfortunately have to cancel his upcoming appearance at this September's Monster Mania 35 event... due to the Los Angeles premiere of Phantasm Ravager! The convention posted this announcement earlier tonight and hours later re-confirmed it for those wondering if perhaps a typo had been made. Monster Mania 35 is currently scheduled to go down from September 30th to October 2nd, meaning we might should expect Ravager to premiere sometime that weekend.

Monster Mania's posting also mentioned that they hope to assemble some of the original Phantasm's cast for a convention in Hunt Valley sometime next year. Their Cherry Hill/Hunt Valley shows have long been good to Phantasm phans, having hosted cast and crew from the films multiple times over the past fifteen or so years.

What is still unknown is whether or not this is a public-facing screening of the final Phantasm sequel or something exclusively for cast, crew and their families. Fingers crossed this means something good for the film's path to distribution and that we'll hear more soon!

(Thanks to Justin Stephens for the scoop!)

Did Reggie wear his Ravager Wardrobe to Comic-Con?

HollywoodHorror.org posted to social media this morning a picture of Reggie "Hot as Love" Bannister from a panel at the currently in-session San Diego Comic-Con. Something looked vaguely familiar about the Regman's appearance and then I realized... we've seen him in a green/white plaid shirt before! Before as in multiple images and screenshots from the long awaited Phantasm Ravager. Did Reggie manage to sneak a subtle nod toward Ravager into his Comic-Con appearance? Or does the man just own a lot of green plaid?

(Do keep in mind when making your judgements that the shirt in the pictures below is seven years YOUNGER than the shirt we'd have seen at Comic-Con, so even if it is the same shirt, it's likely faded/been worn to time.)

Reggie Bannister made it to @comic_con! @hollywoodscifimuseum #Phantasm

A photo posted by @no_headline on Jul 22, 2016 at 8:21pm PDT

Phantasm: Remastered Coming to Chicago

Information has recently surfaced on two special screenings of Phantasm: Remastered for later this summer. Don Coscarelli will personally be bringing the flick to Chicago's Flashback Weekend this August. This special edition of the original film will play on Friday night and again on Saturday night, August 5th and 6th. The convention's website promises that each screening will also include an extended trailer for Phantasm Ravager. 

The film won't be shown at the actual convention, but rather at the nearby Carmine Muvico Rosemont 18. If memory serves, this theater is within easy walking distance of the convention hotel. Flashback also promises that each screening will be introduced by Coscarelli himself.

Chicago's Flashback Weekend has long been a special place for the franchise, having hosted the official 30th and 35th anniversary reunion events. Don Coscarelli is the only Phantasm-related guest announced so far, but there are other exciting reunions happening that weekend as well including Scream and Wishmaster. (Well, Wishmaster's Bob Kurtzman provided special effects on the second and fourth Phantasm's, so that makes two Phantasm guests, actually!)

Phantasm Ball at Texas Frightmare

The upcoming Texas Frightmare Convention has announced a "Phantasm Ball" party taking place Friday night, May 1st. If you're going to be in the area, this is one party you surely won't want to miss. As a reminder, Don Coscarelli, David Hartman, Bob Ivy and the main cast from the original film will all be in attendance!

Texas Frighmare writes on Facebook: "We're VERY excited to announce our annual Friday night party. Taking place May 1st from 9pm-1pm in the Filmmakers ballroom at the Hyatt Regency DFW....the Phantasm Ball!  GGC Productions spins the tunes. Decor and more by Dark Hour Haunted House. Groovy Phantasm disco art by Mirthquake. Admission is FREE for VIP and PREMIUM pass holders. $10 for WEEKEND pass holders, $15 for SINGLE DAY pass holders and $20 for non-pass holders." The event will feature:

-Reggie Bannister and Bill Thornbury musical performance! 
-FREE Phantasm Themed Photo Booth 
-Trivia Contest- Winner will be served ice cream by Reggie Bannister! 
-DANCE CONTEST judged by Kat Lester! 
-Costume Contest: Prizes for best Phantasm theme and best overall costumes 
-Cash Bar

GALLERY: Scrimm & Exhumed at DOTD 2015

Well, the 2015 Days of the Dead convention has come and gone in Atlanta, Georgia where both Angus Scrimm and Phantasm Exhumed appeared. It was a terrifically fun weekend spent reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. I manned the Exhumed table all three days with series crewmember/book photographer Kristen Deem. We signed many books that were bought at the show and a right many that phans brought from home having already purchased and read through. It was a pleasure meeting everyone and if you stopped by the table with a kind word, thank you. Now... how's about a slew of twenty or so pictures from the weekend?

Click here to see the gallery!

(and find out which Rob Zombie regular is actually a phan!)

Phantasm Cast headed to Kentucky

The Phantasm crowd is being summoned for yet another reunion in 2015, this time in Lexington, Kentucky. A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Reggie Bannister and Gigi Fast Elk Bannister have been announced as guests for the ScareFest Horror & Paranormal Convention happening this September 11-13 at the Lexington Convention Center. With the show still a long eight months away, there are surely plenty of guest announcements yet to come. A little silver sphere whispered to me recently that this fine Phantasm reunion may grow larger yet - time will tell!

Phantasm heads to the Lone Star State

This isn't exactly breaking news, but it would be negligent of me not to at least mention it here on the Archives. There is another gigantic Phantasm reunion brewing and set to unfold at the Texas Frightmare Weekend in Dallas from May 1-3. The lineup includes usual suspects Don Coscarelli, Angus Scrimm, A. Michael Baldwin, Reggie & Gigi Bannister, Bill Thornbury and Kathy Lester. As a rare treat, stuntman and actor Bob Ivy will also be in attendance. Phans will recall Ivy's infamous hearse stunt from Phantasm III and performance as the Demon Cop from Phantasm Oblivion. He also played the titular mummy in Bubba Ho-Tep and provided stunts for the upcoming Phantasm Ravager!

It's an impressive lineup and sure to be an unforgettable weekend. It's also pretty impressive that Texas Frightmare has managed to nab Scream star Neve Campbell! ("Do you like scary movies?")

Scrimm & Exhumed are coming to Atlanta!

Move over, Walking Dead!! Tall Man actor Angus Scrimm and Phantasm Exhumed author Dustin McNeill (yours truly) are heading to Atlanta from February 6-8 as part of the Days of the Dead convention. I'll be on hand selling and signing copies of my book. If you happen to have already purchased a copy, bring it by the Exhumed table and I'll gladly sign it for free. I'll also have some additional Phantasm goodies available at the Exhumed table.

Days of the Dead is offering a pre-sale on Scrimm autographs in order to reduce the wait time of phans and guarantee them a spot in line. The Tall Man's autograph queue often reaches above an hour, sometimes topping two hours or more, so the pre-sale is a great opportunity. The price is reasonable too - $30 per item.

Days of the Dead Atlanta is also featuring a Lost Boys reunion with Corey Feldman and a sizable Devil's Rejects lineup. Hope to see you there, boooooy!!

* Update: Series crewmember and book contributor Kristen Deem will also be in attendance to sign books!

(Above photo by Natalie Tomaszewski. Thanks Nat!)

2014: A Look Back in Phantasm

It's been a long and terrific year for Phantasm phans, the best in recent memory. As 2014 draws to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to partake in an on-again, off-again tradition here at the Phantasm Archives - a yearly review. This one is a little more personal to my own experience, though several other great things happened related to the franchise. The items listed here are just my big five. Looking over this past year, I cannot help but be even more excited for next year. 2015 is going to hold many great things for phans, no doubt! 

Click here to read the list!

Phantasm Exhumed headed to New York City

Scrimm Photo by Casey Tejavej

Next month, the New York City Horror Film Festival will honor actor Angus Scrimm with their prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award for his work on the Phantasm franchise and in numerous other genre classics. Previous recipients include Rob Zombie, Lloyd Kaufman, Robert Englund and Wes Craven. Even better, the Tall Man himself will be on hand to receive the award at a special presentation!

Yours truly will also be in attendance signing copies of PHANTASM EXHUMED with the Tall Man and series crewmember/book photographer Kristen Deem! The festival is also honoring Norman Reedus, better known as Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead. Reedus will also be signing copies of his new book THANKS FOR ALL THE NICENESS.

More details available on the Fangoria website. I look forward to seeing some "phans" in the Big Apple!

Quiet Times

While things may have been quiet around these parts lately, the world of Phantasm has been anything but quiet! This past weekend saw Don Coscarelli and the entire cast reunite in Chicago for the Flashback Weekend convention. Yours truly was also there manning a table for my new book, Phantasm Exhumed!

Expect a whole slew of photos and videos across the next week as I get it all organized. In the mean time, here's one of my favorite photos from the event as snapped by Scott Pensa. The Tall Man and I spent many an hour working on this tome and I'm mighty proud to finally have him sign my copy.

Also, if you haven't picked up your copy of the book yet... it's only $16.57 right now at Amazon! I'm also finally offering author-signed copies over on the book website.

Fan Spotlight: A Tale of Two Cuda's

This week kicked off with not one, but two phan-owned Cuda's coming to my attention, impressing me and making me very jealous of both owners at the same time. The first car belongs to Phantasm Community member AARudy, who stopped by to show us pictures of his latest project, which is to build a screen accurate Phantasm II Cuda. The muscle car received a new paint job this week as part of its restoration and is already looking great. AARudy also ran into Don Coscarelli recently, who not only sphered him but also autographed the glove box cover! I'm definitely looking forward to seeing AARudy's project as it continues. Click any photo to see it larger.

Second, we have superphan Phil Sawyer's fantastic looking Cuda, which series star Michael Baldwin had a chance to look over at last month's Fantacon convention in Albany, New York (fifth picture shows Lisa Hodges, Michael, Phil and Heather Hodges.) Be sure to check out the terrific looking grill-spheres in the third picture. Phil is no stranger to the Phantasm Archives - he sent in photos of his homemade Tall Man and Reggie figures back in 2011. Click any photo below to see it larger.

Michael Baldwin appearing at FantaCon 2013

Northeast Phantasm fans have all the luck. It's just been brought to my attention by convention cohort Phil Sawyer (phantasmphil on the Phantasm Community forum) that Michael Baldwin has been booked to appear at FantaCon 2013 in Albany, New York this September 14th and 15th. Michael will be joined by a number of Night of the Living Dead guests, Tom Savini and more. Visit their website for more information!

UPDATED: Monster Mania 18 Pics & Videos

This past weekend's Monster Mania 18 convention in Baltimore, Maryland has come and gone and I really must once again applaud Dave Hagan and his team for organizing yet another classy show. Dubbed "Return to Crystal Lake," it was primarily a reunion for the Friday the 13th crowd, but also featured non-Friday celebrities Lance Henriksen and our very own Angus Scrimm. Amusingly, the Tall Man actor was a top contender for longest autograph line of the weekend, surpassing even the roomful of actors who'd played Jason Voorhees. Angus' only competition for the most popular celebrity title was the equally popular Friday series creator Sean Cunningham.

Continue reading for a dozen or so pictures and a humorous video of Angus making his way to the VIP Party on Friday night.

With Angus on Thursday night.

Gallery: Texas Frightmare Convention

The monstrously big Texas Frightmare Weekend played out this past weekend in Dallas, Texas. Among the show's many highlights were Phantasm guests Angus Scrimm, Michael Baldwin, Bob Ivy and Don Coscarelli. Phantasm Archives friend and native Texan Fred Russell was on hand for the event and has shared with us these fantastic photos of the cast, a fine Hemi-Cuda and several unique hearses that showed up (click any image to enlarge it). Continue reading to view his photos.

Angus Scrimm returning to Monster Mania

Angus Scrimm has been confirmed as a guest at Monster Mania 18, which has been dubbed "Return to Camp Crystal Lake" for its plethora of Friday the 13th guests. The event will take place June 3-5 in Hunt Valley, Maryland. More details are the show's official website. MM's ringleader, the great Dave Hagen, has been more than generous to phans over the years by bringing (sometimes repeatedly) Angus, Michael Baldwin, Reggie Bannister, Bill Thornbury, Kathy Lester and Don Coscarelli all to the East Coast.