Read a Page from Phantasm's Long Lost Script!

The following is a special treat and arguably one of the rarest items I've posted here on the Phantasm Archives across the past ten years. Series crewmember Kristen Deem was recently cleaning out some old boxes from her collection when she stumbled across a script page from the original Phantasm!

Why is this so significant? Because Phantasm's original script is the holy grail of series collectibles. Although the film was changed, re-written, and condensed throughout production, it DID have a script at the start of filming, albeit one without an ending. Some cast received this incomplete draft early on while others only received script pages on the day their scenes were to be filmed. In researching the original film for my Phantasm Exhumed book, I found that no cast member from the original film had kept any part of its script.

Presented here for your viewing pleasure is a page from Phantasm's script. Notice that Jody calls one of the dwarves a "dog in heat" instead of a "gopher in heat" as in the film. A much bigger difference is that the dwarf-driven hearse speeds past Mike and Jody much earlier in this draft than in the finished film. Thanks to Kristen Deem for sharing!

Ravager's David Hartman Releases New Album!

It seems like just yesterday I was writing here on the Archives about Phantasm Ravager director David Hartman's debut musical album "The Art of Monsters" by Zorgon. I mean, it practically was yesterday as the album dropped in March of this year. Now get this - Hartman has wasted no time in churning out a follow-up Zorgon release called "Walking with Monsters." The album hit iTunes and Amazon yesterday and appears to be MP3 only at the moment.

If you happen to like 80s synth or the musical stylings of Daft Punk or John Carpenter, then this album is for you! "Walking with Monsters" is currently a great value at just under $10 for nineteen tracks, which is more than an hour of terrific music. I've already given it a listen and am immediately declaring "Blood Cop" and "SynthCave" to be my favorite tracks.

Check it out on Amazon here!

eBay Turns Up Grossest Phantasm Prop Yet!

Phantasm series crewmember Kristen Deem is moving and parting with several rare items that have been in her collection for decades. We've already seen two fantastic sphere props hit the auction block.... and now she's offered up literal pieces of the Tall Man's melted skin from the ending of Phantasm II. Read on for all the gory details!

Kristen writes on the auction page: "On March 21, 1988, principal photography for "Phantasm II" had wrapped and we were well into filming a series of "insert shots," SPFX sequences, etc. These shots are generally close-up or FX shots that take awhile to film and are left until after the main cast and crew have completed their work. On March 21st I spent the day working at our Chatsworth warehouse, and watched them film Angus Scrimm recreating his "meltdown" scene (where the Tall Man is dissolved from the inside out by hydrochloric acid-spiked embalming fluid). After this, I also watched the SPFX team use a blowdryer on a gelatin prop hand to simulate the Tall Man's hand melting/bleeding). 

After filming ended that day, Mark Shostrom removed the "meltdown" latex patches/appliances from Angus' face, and Angus gave a sample to me as a keepsake (most everything went into the garbage because all sorts of perishable items were used on these appliances--milk, chicken skin, etc. The latex patches I have are mainly just latex covered with makeup, taken directly from Angus' face. From what I can seen in the plastic bag, there is a large patch (almost 2.5 inches wide) and then a much smaller patch. Everything has been stored unopened/untouched for twenty-nine years in plastic zip-lock baggies from that day. I don't remember exactly what part of his face these came from."

I double dare the winner to open that plastic bag once you get it. Imagine all that sealed in freshness! Get your bid in on this bloody good item here!

BREAKING: Phantasm DVD Collection Coming This Fall

Here is some late breaking news for you: Well Go USA is apparently releasing the entire Phantasm series as a five-disc DVD package this fall. Both Amazon and Video ETA report the "Phantasm 5-Movie Collection" will be hitting store shelves on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. The suggested retail price is an economical $29.98.

Phans should recall that Well Go released a six-disc Blu-Ray Collection several months ago (pictured right). That initial offering was limited to a scant 10,000 copies, all of which quickly sold out from retailer inventories. The Blu Collection is now firmly out of print and fetching high prices on the secondary market. This DVD collection appears to contain one less disc, though the specifics of the other five discs have yet to be revealed.

We'll be sure to update here once packaging and supplements are announced! Special thanks to Anthony DiPaola for the head's up!

Rare Phantasm II Production Item Hits eBay

The eBay fun continues! Phantasm series crewmember Kristen Deem has posted another rare treasure to the auction website. This time it's a whopping 193 pages of music spotting notes from Phantasm II's post-production! So not only is this bundle production used.... it's also one of a kind! Considering how much people love both Phantasm II and its fantastic action-horror score, there's bound to be interest in this.

Kristen writes in the item's description: EXTREMELY RARE copy of the "Phantasm II" post production music spotting notes. Includes entire script action/dialogue, along with Code and Time counters (from ADR Post Production and Music editing) dated May 20 - May 21, 1988. This private notebook has been in storage in my closet for over twenty-eight years. I was a crew member on "Phantasm II" for almost one year, credited as Storyboard Artist and Unit Publicist. But I wore a lot of other (uncredited) hats on the production as well. My final assignment on the film was during post production in May and June 1988. I was called into Todd AO studios on the Disney Studio lot in Burbank, where I got to meet and sit with Fred Myrow, the composer (for P1 and P2)--a real honor for me. Over the course of a few weeks, I got to watch Angus Scrimm looping ADR sessions, and to watch Mr. Myrow working with Don Coscarelli on inserting music into the final cut of the film (I can't describe how powerful and overwhelming it was watching them loop the end credit music in that huge sound stage). 

For my assignment I was tasked with creating the "music cues" timing notes--logging both dialogue and timing so that foreign exhibitors could translate/dub the film into their own languages. I think these music spotting notes might be a final extension of my work as it mirrors a lot of what I did back then. In any case, it looks very thorough and is quite fascinating to read. Booklet is 193 pages long, with one page of handwritten notes. Pages are very slightly yellowed with age, and jacket has some very minor wear on corners (from shipping cross country from my residence in Los Angeles). I am moving by the end of this month and am reluctantly getting rid of most of my "Phantasm" collection due to transportation/storage considerations. This booklet is probably the most unique and rare item of my collection, likely never seen before in public."

Get your bid in here!

Forget Blu. You need Phantasm Ravager on VHS!

Forget DVD. Forget Blu-Ray. Forget high definition entirely. You need Phantasm Ravager on good old VHS cassette!

Specialty biz Retro Release Video is now offering a cool VHS package for the latest Phantasm film, complete with vintage looking artwork! Considering that Ravager is the only film in the series without a proper VHS release, this kind of makes things right with the universe. In addition to completing your home video library, these make for terrific collector's pieces. The cases are available either "clean" or "thrashed" for that "been sitting on a rental store shelf for fifteen years" look. The tapes themselves are blank, but come in either traditional black, red, or green.

To order, e-mail Retro Release either through their website or (more preferably) direct message them on Instagram (username retroreleasevideo).