New Phantasm Podcast Debuts

Greetings, my fellow phans. It's been a while, I know. How've you been? 

I wanted to make you all aware of this groovy new Phantasm podcast that's just launched called MORNINGSIDE FM. Hosted by phan Chris Dischord, the first episode features special guest Mary Wild, who self-describes as a "Freudian Cinephile Pop Psychoanalyst." Given that background, Chris and Mary engage in a pretty interesting exploration of the series.

Check out the first episode here. There are multiple ways to listen including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and even YouTube.

Wrong Discs Included on New Phantasm Set

Per the official Phantasm Ravager Twitter account, we've learned that Well Go USA apparently packaged the wrong discs in some editions of their newly released Phantasm Double Feature Blu-ray. These discs were supposed to be identical to the one included in their Sphere Collection, but phans have been complaining that they contain older discs instead. What's the difference? The newer discs contain additional special features on both films and the 4k UNCUT edition of Phantasm II. Some phans are quite pissed at this distributor screw-up, which is understandable. When you're paying these prices for movies you likely already own, you want the discs as they were advertised.

The Ravager Twitter account encourages phans to reach out to Well Go USA to discuss how to get replacement discs. They also claim that only SOME of the new editions were affected, but we've yet to hear from a phan who received the correct discs. (Speak up in the comments if your set was packaged correctly!)

pic.twitter.com/P6y2fHGtCC

— Phantasm Ravager (@PhantasmRavager) October 8, 2021

Phantasm is on a Major Streaming Service with a Weird Hitch

This may not be breaking news, but I just yesterday signed up for the Peacock streaming service from NBC Universal and noticed "The Phantasm Collection" listed on the main screen. How cool is that?? The selection of "movie collections" I scrolled through included The Godfather, Harry Potter, Leprechaun, and Phantasm, which is one mighty eclectic grouping of franchises.

The strange part about this was that "The Phantasm Collection" contained the entire franchise minus Phantasm II. Why is that strange? Because Phantasm II is technically the only film in the franchise actually owned by NBC Universal, meaning they had to license the other four. Even stranger is that the "collection" icon features an image of the Tall Man and Perigord Mausoleum from the missing Phantasm II. Even so, it's great to see the series with this exposure. (And kudos to whomever listed them as "Phantasm Philms" on the franchise page. Nice touch!)

Phantasm Exhumed is now on Audible!

If you've been looking for an excuse to revisit either PHANTASM EXHUMED or FURTHER EXHUMED, they've both just debuted as audio books over on AUDIBLE! They collectively total over thirteen hours of Phantasmic-goodness. Not a member of Audible? Not to worry! You can snag one of these audio books for FREE by signing up for the site's free 30-day trial, which allows you to keep your audio book even if you cancel!

Check out Phantasm Exhumed here.

Check our Further Exhumed here.

Phantasm Oblivion & Ravager Get Official Score Releases!

Great news, my fellow phans! Esteemed composer Christopher L. Stone has finally made available for purchase his scores to Phantasm Oblivion and Phantasm Ravager! Though these are only digital offerings as of now, they represent the first time ever this music has been offered in an official capacity. Previously, you had to bootleg this stuff. Fingers crossed we might one day see a slick vinyl release, right?

Both albums are being offered for an economical $8.99. The Oblivion score comprises fifteen tracks and the Ravager score spans ten. And yes, the Ravager album includes the unforgettable "Reggie Rap" from that film's end credits. (C'mon, that track was fire. Admit it.)

You can purchase/download Oblivion here and Ravager over here.

Phantasm Prop Found in Antique Shop? Not so fast, Bub.

Grannie’s Basement of Queens, New York claims to have a rare prop from the original Phantasm and she's willing to part with it for only $2,000. Remember the Greek god statue that hung above the door to the spacegate room in Morningside Mausoleum? Well, Grannie says she's got it, but we're not so sure. Read on for why we're skeptical.

For one, there are several notable differences between screenshots from the film and Grannie's sculpture. Notice the red circles below. On the far left god, the helmet is quite different. There is yet another big difference in the helmet on the middle god. Then notice the two gods on the far right. On Grannie's sculpture, the two helmets clearly connect. Yet in the film, their helmets do not connect and we can clearly see the wallpaper showing through between them.

Beyond that, we have questions. First, how did this prop travel nearly three-thousand miles from Southern California to Queens? Second, how did it escape the massive collection of Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli? Seriously, we've heard tales of this guy's prop storage facilities. Thirdly, who's to say this sculpture wasn't cast and recast a thousand times? Without background information, how can it ever be authenticated - especially with the differences mentioned above.

What do you think? Is Grannie pulling a fast one? Thanks to Scott Pensa for the heads up on these heads!

 

"Das Böse" included in New Phantasm Box Set

Region B phans, rejoice! There's a new Phantasm Blu-ray Collection set to arrive in Germany and it's packing a unique bonus supplement! You can glimpse the new set's packaging on your right, which depicts glorious new artwork from artist Graham Humphreys. While boasting many of the same old special features we've seen time and time again, the six-disc set will also include an exclusive bonus disc containing a Super-8 transfer of the half-hour long "Das Böse."

What is "Das Böse?" Well, that's the title Phantasm went by when first released in Deutschland. The film was later released in a condensed thirty-minute version on Super 8 for German film fans to enjoy in their home.

In all seriousness, who wouldn't want to watch a scratchy half-hour German dubbed version of Phantasm? That sounds like nostalgic-goodness. Grab a Dos Equis and press play!

LISTEN UP - Phantasm Ravager Score Hits the Net!

Now this is marvelous news. Phans have been begging for several years now (Okay, it's only been me. I've been begging) for Don Coscarelli to release the full score for Phantasm Ravager. While Don seems no closer to doing that, we are extremely fortunate that composer Chris Stone has uploaded the full unreleased score to his official website!

You can listen to all ten tracks here. It's around fifty-five minutes in total. And yes, the final track ends with the kick-ass "Reggie Rap" from the film's end credits. Ravager may have divided phans with its bold story choices, but you must concede that it had a stellar soundtrack.

Listen to it here!

ADMIT IT! You NEED these Phantasm Face Masks.

Well, it's finally come to this. We're all hunkering down trying to survive this scourge upon our land. Why not rep our phandom while we do it with some fashionable face masks? Thanks to the designers at TeePublic, we can now do just that. At $15 per, these designs are available for purchase now! Thanks to Scott Pensa for the head's up!

New Phantasm Pin Honors the Fortuneteller

Phans may recall a groovy Fortuneteller pin we posted about on this very blog three years back. That pin is now officially sold out, but fret not - there's a new collector's pin honoring the classic Phantasm character. The latest release from The Sally Hardesty Collection depicts the memorable sign outside the Fortuneteller's home of a hand on a tarot card.

Reasonably priced at $10 each, this 1.25" pin and its variant are limited to a scant 25 copies each. While you're pin shopping, I'd encourage you check out the Sally Hardesty Collection's other horror pins - they're fantastic!

Get yours here!

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!

DOWNLOAD NOW: The Phantasm Armageddon Game!

If you've been following this blog, you're probably aware of Jon Ivan's incredible work on a custom Phantasm game over the past few years. Our last big update was in September, which you can read about here. As the screenshots reveal, there's no shortage of classic characters and recognizable locations from all five films in the series.

Well, it's finally time to play! Jon has debuted the game for download as part of the festivities for the Phantasm Virtual Con, which is unfolding this weekend. Titled Phantasm Armageddon, this release is for PC users only and weighs just over 4gb. Check out new screenshots below and download the game here!

Thanks for all your hard work, Jon!

DOWNLOAD HERE! (4gb)

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!

OFFICIAL: Phantasm Collection Black Edition Cancelled

When word broke earlier this year about Well Go USA's mega-awesome Phantasm Collection, phans were psyched. And why not? This thing is packing beautiful transfers, a treasure trove of extras, and a new silver sphere replica. Plus, it was going to come in both black and white editions sporting Aaron Lea's incredible new artwork.

After several unfortunate delays, the white edition finally debuted through Best Buy last week. The Phantasm Archives reached out to Well Go this morning to inquire about other potential retailers and also the release of the black variant edition. Well Go responded that other major retailers should be stocking the Phantasm Collection by year's end, which is great.

As for the Black Variant edition? It's officially cancelled. A sure bummer, but a small one all things considered. We're still mighty lucky to be getting such an incredible release.

The NEW Phantasm Collection Has Arrived! (sorta)

After much anticipation and several delays, Well Go USA's newest Phantasm Collection has finally arrived - sorta. While most retailers are still awaiting their shipments, Best Buy seems to have lucked out and are already offering the sets online and in-store. (Only the white editions, apparently.)

Although it can be a major pain tracking down one of these sets in-store right now, early feedback from phans is that this is by far the greatest collective offering of the franchise we've seen yet. The newly added bonus features are reportedly wonderful and Phantasm II has never looked better with its stunning new transfer.

Photo snagged from Don Coscarelli's official Facebook.

LIMITED - Reggie/Dwarf Figure 2-Pack from Morningside Customs

It was just last month that Morningside Customs' Mike/Tall Man double-offering sold out damn near immediately. Priced at roughly $250 and limited to only 50 pieces, they were at once a hot commodity on the secondhand market. Well, MC hasn't wasted anytime in following this up with another Phantasm double-figure pack.

Pre-orders have just opened up for a Reggie/Dwarf figure combo. While they aren't saying how many are being made this time around, they're sticking with the same $249.99 price tag. I must admit, this second round of hand-painted figures look just as cool as the last ones. Reggie even comes with a four-barrel shotgun accessory!

You can pre-order yours at Monsters in Motion.

Phantasm.com Now Selling Hammers

Here's something rather unexpected. The official Phantasm store is now offering limited edition replicas of Mike's shotgun-shell-enhanced-hammer from the original film! These replicas ship out in a glass case and are hand-signed by Don Coscarelli. The official site has dubbed this item the "Phantasm War Hammer" and they're each priced at $99.99.

Per the product page: This beautiful prop replica of the Hammer/Shotgun shell device, which young Mike uses to escape his bedroom in the original Phantasm, comes in a lovely glass and wood display case. The hammer handle is autographed by Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli and signature comes with a Certificate of Authenticity. The shotgun shell within is empty and non-operational. This display case containing the Phantasm War Hammer is approximately 15" in length, 8.5" in width and approximately 2.5" tall.

Get yours here. What other prop replicas would you like to see? Reggie's dwarf-destroying four-barrel? Better quality spheres? A life-size space gate, perhaps?

New Look at 40th Anniversary Blu-ray Set

While the Phantasm 40th Anniversary Collection is waaaay past the original October release date and also set to miss the rescheduled release date, we now have a better look at the packaging courtesy Amazon. Boasting an impressive array of bonus features AND a silver sphere replica, this new collection will come in both black and white editions. Here's to hoping we get it before the 50th Anniversary! (kidding not kidding)

40th Anniv. Set Delayed AGAIN? Seemingly, Yes.

Many of you heard about the recent confirmation that Phantasm's 40th Anniversary Blu-ray set had been delayed due to issues concerning the silver sphere replica. (Word on the street is there's an issue importing them from their place of origin. Not the Red Planet, apparently, but mainland China.) Originally slated for release on October 22nd, Don Coscarelli had been promoting December 3rd as the new release date. (This according to a promotional trailer shown at his recent Tucson, Arizona appearance.) We now have reason to believe that the set has been delayed even further.

The always terrific Dark Delicacies has just announced an in-store signing event for the release. Guests scheduled to attend - as of now - include Don Coscarelli, Reggie Bannister, Gigi Bannister, Ken Jones, and David Hartman. The plot twist in all of this is that the event is scheduled for Tuesday, December 10th and yet is mentioned as being a "Pre-Release" signing. That would seem to nix the December 3rd release date, though we've yet to get any official confirmation on that. In fact, the official camp has yet to even acknowledge that the original October 22nd release date didn't happen - except in-person, of course. An announcement would be nice.

As always, will post more news as we get it.