Review: Silver Sphere Replica by BAKERProps

Phantasmic salutations - your friendly neighborhood Chief Archivist checking in today with a different kind of review. I’ll be taking a look at a sphere replica made by Michael Baker of BAKERProps. I’ve come across numerous sphere replicas of varying quality at conventions over the years, so I immediately recognize this ball as being spectacular. If Don Coscarelli ever gets around to sanctioning an official sphere replica (Lord knows why he hasn’t yet - there have been so many interested parties), this is the kind of ball you would hope for.

Let me say first that I have no idea exactly how sphere makers actually produce these replicas. Magic, I suppose. I interviewed Michael several years back and I’m no more educated on the process nor less mystified by the final product. There are no seams on this sphere, no smudges, scratches or defects of any kind. I challenge anyone to find an angle to gaze upon this ball from which it doesn’t look outstanding. My personal favorite vantage is looking at it direct from the drill-bit, which recalls the poster art for Phantasm Oblivion.

The ball is heavy, but in a good way and as you’d want it to be. After handling the lightweight plastic sphere case from the UK box set, I was happy to find this orb couldn’t be blown away by an errant gust of wind. The blades are terrifically movie accurate as well, unlike the stubby stabbers of the plastic ball.

What I also appreciate about this particular ball is the sturdiness of the blades and drill. You can touch them without fear that they are going to pop right off. They are also about as sharp as you’d expect a deadly silver sphere’s attachments to be. Back in 2007, I received a replica from someone who contributed effects on Phantasm II (an assistant, not Kerry Prior or Mark Shostrom!) and one of his blades plopped out within minutes of my simply holding it. Nine years later and that sphere isn’t around anymore - I eventually tossed it in the trash.

In summary, I would strongly recommend you turn to Sphere Master Michael Baker if you’re looking for a high-end Phantasm sphere replica. Sure, you could grab one off eBay or Etsy, but it’s not going to come anywhere near this level of authenticity. The ball I now have is so good, it might could fool even the Tall Man. I will gladly display it upon my desk for a long time to come, but if I happen to hear even the faintest buzzing or humming coming from it, a swift relocation to my freezer will occur. Not taking any chances!

(Feel free to click either of the photos above to enlarge them, but please excuse my amateur attempts to photoshop myself out of the ball's reflection!)

Reggie Bannister remembers pal Angus Scrimm

Fangoria has posted another personal remembrance of our dear Angus Scrimm, this one by longtime friend and co-star Reggie Bannister. The Tall Man and the Regman did a total of eight films together across forty years, five of which were Phantasm’s. In the years since the original film, the two men have traveled the country together promoting their work and meeting fans of the series and genre. The Fangoria piece also includes several special photos by Phantasm crewmember extraordinaire Kristen Deem.

The legacies of these two greats will forever be intertwined, so it’s nice to hear more from Reggie about the man we’re all still missing. Read the piece here. (The Tall Man artwork in the above image is by the fantastic Chris Ness - check out his website on the side panel to your right.)

Cooking with the Tall Man - Recipe Remembrances of Angus Scrimm

Biographical information on Angus Scrimm has often mentioned that the man was an outstanding chef who possessed an appreciation for great food, but little has ever been said on the subject. Fortunately for us, Phantasm series crewmember and longtime Scrimm personal friend Kristen Deem has stepped forward with a different kind of remembrance.... one that includes two of his actual recipes!

Click here for Kristen's story 

and the Tall Man's recipes.

Thirty Art Tributes to Angus Scrimm

One social media platform that has been buzzing non-stop with Angus Scrimm memorial tributes this past week or so is Instagram. Fans have been sharing personal pictures with Angus, stills from his films and images from their collection. My favorite thing that gets posted to Instagram are all the marvelous artistic tributes. I've collected thirty of my favorite Instagram artworks from this past week or so in this post. Click on the usernames next to each photo to see more from the artists/posting accounts

Click here to view the artwork.

Amazing Sphere Tribute to the Tall Man

It's wonderful seeing all of the different phan tributes to Angus Scrimm this past week. One in particular has caught my eye by Mark Phillips of Nightmares Unlimited. Mark wrote, "When Angus passed away, I felt as many of my fellow phans and phamily did. Heartbroken. He touched so many lives in such a terrifyingly positive way. He was one of a kind. The world seems a little less bright with this amazing human being in it. Lawrence Rory Guy. Angus Scrimm. The Tall Man. I wanted to honor your memory with this, The Angus Scrimm memorial sphere ...BOOOOOOOOYYYY!!!!!!"

At first glance, I thought Mark had simply painted the Tall Man onto a silver sphere, which would have been impressive enough. As it turns out, he actually cut this design into the stainless steel ball using a Dremel rotary blade. Wow.

Limited Edition Tall Man Bust

If you’re looking for a way to memorialize Angus Scrimm in your home, consider this breathtaking bust by sculptor Jeff Yagher. This limited edition piece is being offered by Tony Salcines of Rebel Resin Model Kits & Busts, but not for much longer according to what I’ve heard. After this most recent batch of orders is through, the mold is being destroyed. So if you want one of these, the time is now.

Tony is currently offering the full Tall Man/Sphere/Base piece for $100 plus shipping. There is also a Tall Man/Base version being offered for $75 plus shipping. The sphere version comes with a Phantasm nameplate and the Tall Man-only version comes with an Angus Scrimm Memorial nameplate. The busts come unpainted and unassembled, though assembly is quick and easy.

Contact Tony at resinator1991@aol.com or visit his Facebook group to see more or secure your own.

Writer Stephen Romano Remembers Angus Scrimm

Stephen Romano, the genius writer behind the Phantasm: Overminds comic, Masters of Horror's Incident On and Off a Mountain Road and the yet unproduced Bubba Nosferatu and Phantasm Forever, has paid wonderful tribute to Angus Scrimm over at Dread Central. Before some of his bigger writing successes, Stephen was a huge Phantasm phan foremost. He even planned the franchise's first-ever dedicated convention event - Phantasmania - in 2000.

It's apparent reading over his tribute that Stephen is speaking straight from the heart. This piece easily ranks among my favorite remembrances of the man we're all missing so badly right now. Give it a read.

Glass Eye/Fango Tributes to Angus Scrimm

Numerous loving tributes to our dearly departed Angus Scrimm continue to appear online - far too many to collect in one blog post - though there are four I want to bring your attention to. They were written by four people who knew our Tall Man well and whom he held in extremely high regard. The photo above was snapped by series crewmember and longtime Scrimm sidekick Kristen Deem.

First off, Fangoria founder and longtime personal friend Tony Timpone has written "Tall Man, Big Heart" over at Fangoria's website. I strongly encourage you to read this one - Timpone knew the man well for many years and speaks from the heart.

Also at Fangoria, I SELL THE DEAD writer/director Glenn McQuaid fondly recalls meeting Angus for the first time. 

Still at Fangoria, Larry Fessenden has penned a similarly warm tribute with behind the scenes remembrances. Fessenden both co-starred with and produced Angus in four films.

Lastly, filmmaker James Felix McKenney remembers his friend over at IndieWire. Outside of Don Coscarelli and Jim Wynorski, McKenney directed Angus more times than any other filmmaker on the planet and knew him well.

Angus Scrimm Tribute Video Round-Up

Among the many tributes to Angus Scrimm these past few days, there have been some wonderful videos posted. Collected here are several of them along with my own tribute to the man in the style of Turner Classic Movies. The second video, which is so enjoyable, originally played at Angus's Lifetime Achievement Award ceremony from the NYC Horror Film Fest 2014.

Cast / Friends Respond to Angus Scrimm's Passing

The world has been responding today to the passing of our dear Angus Scrimm. There's so much hurt and sadness, but they say a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved. In that case, there are so many of us missing him that can warm ourselves by our own memories and the stories of others. Culled from social media, here are some remembrances from the cast of Phantasm and others who knew him.

Don Coscarelli: Angus Scrimm passed away peacefully tonight surrounded by his friends and loved ones. He was 89 years old. His performance as the Tall Man is a towering achievement in horror film history. He was the last in a long line of classic horror movie stars. Angus was a terrific actor and an even better friend. He will be missed.

A. Michael Baldwin: What a very sad day this has been. Angus was a true and loyal friend and was right by my side during some of the harshest and most difficult times. I will never forget it. Professionally, he was a keenly generous actor and he always made those around him look good. Our collaborations were always fun and funny; open and honest; serious and challenging in the best of ways. I always believed that we complimented each other well on screen and I remain in his debt for that too. He was kind, thoughtful, and charming. He also wrote hilarious letters. In short, Angus was a class act and I will miss him very much.

Reggie and Gigi Bannister: We are saddened to confirm that our dear friend, colleague and Phantasm patriarch Angus Scrimm passed away. Our hearts are heavy. We cannot say more it is beyond words.

David Hartman: I woke up in my hospital bed 10 minutes ago, while I'm fighting a super bug, and checked my phone to see this horrible news. I have no words. He was an amazing actor and a kind soul who accepted me into the Phantasm world. I first met Angus on the set of "incident on and off a mountain road" and was amazed by his ability to suck you into a scene with both his character and personality. Then having the Tall Man on my couch to go over the script for Ravager was exhilarating, daunting, scary and where I first got to know the man and see him for his professionalism and his kindness. 
However, with all the Ravager and horror movie memories I have working with this great man, my fondest will always be talking about our love for pastries. 
We will miss you. Thank you for allowing a Phan to enter your red world.

Samantha Phillips: Rest in Peace my dear friend Angus Scrimm aka Rory Guy aka The Tall Man from all the Phantasm films (and so much more). This man was a prime example of "playing against type". Just look at his face. He was a gentle person, and a gentleman through and through. He was always so happy to hear from me, or see me, and with the utmost genuine interest in everything that I was doing. He was continually proud, and encouraging, as if he always knew I'd chase and achieve my dreams. Angus was one of a kind. A throwback to an era of film and entertainment that is going fast, but never forgotten. Like this guy. No one will ever forget the man that was Rory, and the film villain that was Angus. If you knew either one, you were very very lucky. I will miss you, you handsome man, you. And we will always be linked on film forever -- We were one-and-the-same. Alchemy and the Tall Man forever.

Bruce Campbell: Angus Scrimm. Class act. Soft spoken. Old school. Honored to work with him. Credit to his craft. Safe passage.

Ron Perlman: Sweet, gentle cultured American Artist. Got to call him friend and bask in his glow….

Bill Thornbury: Last night a wonderful actor and dear friend passed away. I will miss you, Rory, aka Mr. Angus Scrimm. Happy trails to you. Until we meet again.

Kathy Lester: How very lucky I was to know you, dear heart. Love you 

Glass Eye Pix: Today brings us the sad news that our good friend and collaborator, Angus Scrimm, has passed away. It's hard to find the words to describe the loss we feel. As anyone who knew Angus will attest, he was one hell of a gentleman- intelligent, insightful, kind and warm, Angus could warm up a winter's day with his always cheery disposition. Anytime Angus joined us beyond the pale, he'd show up, thoughtful gifts in hand, and ready for work. He loved his work and he truly loved and gave time to all of his fans. A consummate professional and a wildly talented journeyman, we feel his loss today. His last words to Glenn: "Bon voyage, Glenn. As the Thais say, "Pye dee, mah dee." (Go good, cm back good.) -- Angus" Bon Voyage, Angus. You are missed and you will always be remembered with warmth and love.

In Memory of Angus Scrimm, 1926-2016

My heart hurts so badly to have to share this with you, but our dear Angus Scrimm passed away this evening. I don't have any words to put here right now for how badly we are going to miss him. He was an amazing man.

Fan Makes Amazing 1:24 Scale Hemi-Cuda from Phantasm!

YouTube user 'TrekWorks' aka Boyd Crompton specializes in professionally-built Star Trek models and has channeled his amazing talent and ability into building a custom 1:24 scale model of Phantasm's 1971 Hemi-Cuda. Crompton made this beautiful work of art across December and documented his process with a pretty cool video, which you can see below.

Crompton's upload also includes clips of the full-size Hemi-Cuda from the original Phantasm for comparison purposes. To this untrained eye, the detail here is breathtaking and kind-of makes you wonder why this beauty isn't utilized in some kind of miniature Phantasm special effect scene. (Hey, it'd be more cost-effective than totaling another actual Cuda. I'm looking at you, Phantasm II!) The guy even went so far as to borrow Cragar SS Wheels from a Dodge Charger model - now that's dedication!

Visit Boyd's website here.

Death Metal Tribute Album to Phantasm!

Here's something you don't see every day. "Old School Death Metal" band Funeral Whore has a new album coming out in March and the whole thing is a loving tribute to Phantasm! In fact, that's actually the album name also. The band hails from the Netherlands and is reportedly signed to FDA Rekotz. You can sample their upcoming album in the video below.

How can you not love their track listing? Songs like Phantasm, the Tall Man, Morningside Cemetery, Reanimated, The Graveyard Silence. As their promo video boasts, "Your ears will suffer unlimited old school death metal from the underground!"

Their social media reads, "The death metal nightmare is back from the abyss of all fucking evil!!!" You know, it's funny. That was my exact impression too. We'll be sure to check their album out upon release and post here when it's available. Check them out on Facebook here!

Phantasm Ravager's Supporting Cast - What We Know

We're close.... can you feel it? This long spell of radio silence from the official camp is about to end! Distribution plans for the hotly anticipated Phantasm Ravager (and the preceding films) are surely about to be announced now that 2016 is at hand! But until we're inundated with new photos, posters, trailers, interviews and release dates - why not review some information on Phantasm V that may have been overlooked?

You're probably aware by now of the returning cast members - Reggie Bannister, A. Michael Baldwin, Bill Thornbury, Kathy Lester, Gloria Lynne-Henry and Angus Scrimm. We're now going to take a moment and rattle through five of the film's supporting cast, one of whom hasn't even been officially announced yet (and no, we're not talking about Peter Dinklage.)

~ WARNING - SPOILERS BELOW! ~

The following cast members are all represented in the image above in order from left to right!

Daniel Schweiger as "Thief" - A veteran of Don Coscarelli's last two films, Schweiger actually created a temporary score used in editing Phantasm Oblivion before Christopher Stone had created that film's permanent music track. His role in Ravager is one that will cause great trouble for Reggie. What exactly will his character be stealing? Aside from his scenes, let's just say it's something that has been stolen from Reggie before.

Daniel Roebuck as "Demeter" - Another Coscarelli vet, Roebuck shot his part back in late 2008 when the project was being envisioned as web series called "Reggie's Tales." His scenes were kept throughout the following years and eventually inserted into Phantasm Ravager when the project switched gears to feature film. Demeter comes across Reggie in the flick and, shortly thereafter, a nasty shiny killer orb. As you can see in the film's first teaser trailer, that second encounter is not going end well for him. Trivia: Roebuck traveled to Crestline, California for his scenes, which is where the real-life Reggie calls home.

Jay Olivia as "Hooded Dwarf" - This casting is kind of interesting, especially considering that Olivia is credited on IMDb as playing a "Hooded Dwarf," yet the man stands 5 foot 6 inches tall! That may constitute the tallest dwarf in series history! Olivia has dabbled in acting, but is primarily a director and storyboard artist. As the latter, he's worked on a slew of big budget blockbusters including Thor: Ragnarok, Wonder Woman, Dawn of Justice: Batman v Superman, Ant Man and Man of Steel. As director, he's tackled numerous animated films for DC Comics including Batman vs Robin, Batman: Assault on Arkham and Justice League: War. He's a longtime associate of Ravager director David Hartman.

Solly Duran as "Raina" - Here is one cast member we haven't seen depicted yet in anything from the movie, so information on her character Raini is scant. Duran was most recently seen in Cabin Fever: Patient Zero, so this won't be her first romp into the horror genre. Considering she is often cast as a partying, tough-as-nails type - she could be a romantic interest for Reggie or a lethal scavenger he comes across on the road - or possibly something else.

Dawn Cody as "Dawn" - Here is the one supporting cast member on this list that hasn't been formally announced yet or credited on the film's IMDb page. Like Olivia, Cody is an old associate of Hartman. They've both made appearances on The Sarah Silverman Show. Trivia: Cody also appeared in 1998's Pleasantville, which also featured Phantasm III's Kevin Connors (Tim) in a supporting role!

Like Roebuck, Cody was a part of this project back when it was being referred to as "Reggie's Tales," and could be glimpsed in the sequel's Texas Frightmare preview (If you've seen her in the leaked trailer, shame on you for watching it!) Her character takes her own name (not unlike Mike and Reggie!), though prepare to be confused when Reggie talks about "Don" and "Dawn" since they sound an awful lot alike! As for her ultimate fate in Phantasm Ravager.... well, let's just say.... we've heard there will be blood!