Ravager Hitting Theaters and VOD in October!!!

I'm a little late to this party, but here's the big news. Phantasm Ravager is hitting theater screens and video-on-demand platforms on October 7th, 2016. The Entertainment Weekly article also confirms the previously scooped Art House Theater Day release for Phantasm Remastered as well as a special box set release for the series later this year.

Hopefully we'll get more details on this fantastic development soon!

Video: Flip Through a Red Planet Edition

I thought this was a pretty cool video - a happy phan flips through a Red Planet Edition of Phantasm Exhumed with the theme music playing overtop. This gives you a pretty cool idea of the many photos in it, more than three hundred for this particular edition (The "Blue Edition" packs around fifty or so fewer photos.) You can still get your copy exclusively from the official book website!

My #phantasm book came in! #horror #thetallman #phantasmexhumed #70smovies

A video posted by Michael (@aguirre1264) on Jul 26, 2016 at 6:38pm 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!)

Phantasm Remastered Screening Nationally in September!

Details are still coming in about this one, but it's pretty much confirmed. Phantasm Remastered will be screening nationally in the United States on the night of September 24, 2016 as part of Art House Theater Day. I originally thought this evening showing was limited to the Pennsylvania theater mentioned in my previous blog post, but that no longer appears to be the case. The film is also now confirmed to show in Cleveland that same evening.

Things we know for sure:

- Although only two theaters are currently known to be screening Phantasm Remastered that night, more than 160 theaters are participating in the Art House Theater Day event. That means we can reasonably look forward to significantly more, if not all, participating venues to soon announce their screenings. You can find a list of participating theaters on their website.

- The Pennsylvania screening page mentioned a live stream following the film by Don Coscarelli. The Cleveland listing expand upon this by revealing that he will be joined on the video-cast by performers from the original Phantasm.

- The Cleveland listing also expands upon the "special merchandise" that will be available in the lobby. Their website states that "Mondo is creating limited-run products for PHANTASM, which will be exclusively available that evening."

This is all exciting! There's still a few details we don't have, but we can look forward to these gaps in intel being filled in when either Don Coscarelli or Art House Theater Day make their formal announcement about the event coming up. Thanks enormously to the Pennsylvania and Cleveland venues for tipping us off about these phantasmic happenings!

Phantasm 4k Coming to PA with Coscarelli Live Stream

Dormont Pennsylvania's Hollywood Theater has announced a screening of Phantasm Remastered for Saturday night, September 24th. This showing marks the theater's first annual Art House Theater Day. All seats are ten bucks. The Hollywood Theater's website notes: "Stay tuned to our Facebook page as we announce special PHANTASM merchandise available at the theater, and a live stream afterwards with director Don Coscarelli!" Might that mean Phantasm's creator will be screening an extended Phantasm Ravager trailer here like in Chicago next month?

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 Heading Down Under

Phantasm Remastered is scheduled to play next month at the Melbourne International Film Festival in Australia. The upgraded classic will have two late night screenings, one on Friday, August 5 and the other on Friday, August 12. For more information, see the Phantasm Remastered page on the festival's website.

The listing's description reads: Legendary horror director Don Coscarelli (John Dies at the End, MIFF 2013) cemented his cult status with this beloved 1979 film. Nearly 40 years on, it is now considered one of the most influential classics of the genre. It even inspired JJ Abrams to name Star Wars villain Captain Phasma after the film's iconic killer ball. Abrams himself, and his Bad Robot company, headed up the stunning 4K restoration of Phantasm, a new digital print and 5.1 audio soundtrack that makes this icon of B-movie horror look and sound better than it ever has. In the wake of the death earlier this year of the film's unforgettably terrifying star, Angus Scrimm, this restored version serves as a worthy tribute.

How James LeGros Was Kinda-Almost In Phantasm V

In this lead up to Phantasm Ravager, let us remember back to the brief time when it was proposed that substitute Mike Pearson actor James LeGros return to the franchise. Phans will, of course, recall that LeGros was cast as Mike for Phantasm II in the wake of original Mike performer A. Michael Baldwin being snubbed.

The LeGros cameo was first suggested by screenwriter Stephen Romano a decade back for his unproduced Phantasm Forever screenplay. It's unknown if the Phantasm II performer was ever contacted for it, but wouldn't that be a fantastic cameo? As Romano envisioned it, both the LeGros Mike and the Baldwin Mike would have squared off in a surreal confrontation.

Given how much LeGros has distanced himself from the franchise these past decades (declining to participate in interviews, reunions, DVD supplements, etc.), his return to Phantasm in any capacity would be a hugely surprising move. Hear the cast talk about it in the video below, which was shot at the 2008 Fright Night Film Fest.

The Coolest Kicks You've Ever Seen: Phantasm-Inspired Shoes!

From the "Never Seen That Before" department, I stumbled this morning across a pair of Phantasm-insired shoes posted to Facebook! We've seen customized shirts, hats, jackets and costumes - all sorts of wearables, but has anyone honestly seen a pair of Phantasm-inspired shoes before now?? This is completely new to me!

This shoe-art was created by The Exquisite Corpse, who offers up similarly themed shoes on their marvelous Etsy store. They're presently offering a slew of iconic monsters for your feet including Jason Voorhees, Leatherface, Creature from the Black Lagoon and the Wolf-man, among others. This particular pair of kicks showcases artwork of a sphere-brandishing Tall Man on the left foot and young Mike, Reggie and a dwarf on the right foot. Spheres, graves and a spacegate dominate the background areas. Just terrific.

Now we need some Phantasm-themed socks.

Would you pay $75 for this Phantasm II Sticker?

Would you spend $75 on this vintage Phantasm II sticker? Sure, it's a cool sticker, but that seems a steep price for such a small collectible, especially one that probably went for a mere quarter back in the day. If you're not up on your vending machine knowledge, you should know this is no ordinary sticker... but rather a 1980s "Prism Sticker," which is how sticker collectors describe these reflective and uniquely drawn creations. They're kind of a big deal. Here is a 1985 Michael Jordan Prism Sticker going for $2,900... and no, it's not even signed by the big guy!

The Phantasm collectible market is a real peculiar beast, something I don't really understand. This item is particularly strange because it crosses over into the Prism Sticker market. It's amazingly rare, so maybe the price tag is fair? Click here to see more 1980s horror movie Prism Stickers.

Or maybe take the plunge and buy the Phantasm II sticker!

If you happen to nab it, send us a picture of where you wind up sticking it! (Just kidding. I imagine it would be a crime against sticker collecting to actually stick this sticker somewhere.)

Memorial Tribute to Phantasm II Sphere Master

I think we can all agree that while the sphere effects in the original Phantasm were impressive, they were wildly improved upon in the first sequel, Phantasm II. In that film, the balls now drilled, sliced, burrowed and shot lasers! Since Phantasm's original sphere-master passed away before that film's release, the tall task of bringing these effects to life on the sequel was given to effects maker Steve Patino.

By his own admission, Patino was a genuine phan. He was elated to be working on a sequel to the original Phantasm and had sincerely hoped to return for Phantasm III. In an interview with Fear Magazine, he later joked there would be a silver sphere on his grave when he died since he was now the keeper of the ball. Sadly, he passed away in 1994 with no such adornment.

One of Patino's Phantasm II assistants, Steve Cotroneo, has decided to make good on that with a memorial sphere tribute now two decades after his passing. Cotroneo writes in to the Archives with the following text and photos, "Well here it is, finally haha! The finished Steve Patino memorial! He always said that one day he would have a silver sphere on his grave, well I did the best could for him! This is a tribute to Patino and to the amazing sphere fx he did on Phantasm 2, which was the first movie I was lucky enough to work on with him! I hope you dig it!"

Personally, I think this is so much awesomeness. The sphere looks marvelous and the marble/flowers/holder are clearly in the style of Phantasm's first sequel. And it's worth mentioning that while Phantasm II was Cotroneo's first film, it certainly wasn't his last! Thanks for sharing, Steve!

Phantasm 20th Anniversary Posters on Sale

If you either missed out on Phantasm's 20th Anniversary celebration or weren't into phandom at the time, you're in luck. Artist and filmmaker Robert Long is offering a final round of original prints of his official 20th Anniversary Poster and at an amazingly affordable price. The eye-catching artwork features an eyebrow-raised Tall Man lording over Mike, Jody, Reggie, the Lady in Lavender and a couple of dwarves. In the background, the Tall Man's hearse chases the Cuda out of Morningside Cemetery. A silver sphere whizzes past in the foreground.

Robert writes in with the following message: "I have some really sucky, sad news. My landlord forced me to keep all my art supplies and posters in the basement. Recently we had a tornado go through. This left a lot of standing water in the house. It ruined the bulk of my Phantasm posters. Crumpled, torn, stuck together and wet, I have had to through away most of what was left. I bring this up because I will be putting up the ones I could salvage on ebay. Once those few are gone - that's it. Just wanted you fans to know in case any of you are looking to pick one up."

Unfortunately, his loss is now your gain. You can find the remaining posters for sale on this eBay page. They come signed by the artist and are individually numbered out of 1,000, though in actuality there are less than a thousand in circulation, making these rare and collectible.

You can read more about Rob in this excellent blog post over at the official Phantasm website or visit him at his own website, Smash or Trash Independent Filmmaking.

(The 20th Anniversary Poster is ideal for getting cast members to sign on account of the white mausoleum marble trim border that surrounds the artwork. Photo below courtesy Scotty Bootz Georgeson!)

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!)