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.

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!

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!

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!

Ravager Director David Hartman Releases New Album!

Last month, Phantasm Ravager writer/director David Hartman debuted a terrific new musical album - "The Art of Monsters" by Zorgon. The artist/filmmaker/musician has described his stylings as "in the vein of synthwave, Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter and 80's movie soundtracks." The Art of Monsters offers sixty-eight minutes of music across nineteen tracks. You can buy the physical CD release for $14.99 on Amazon or grab downloadable tracks for $9.99 on iTunes and other digital platforms.

I'm listening to the album as I type this and it's quite fantastic. I highly recommend it. If you're at all a fan of John Carpenter's "Lost Themes" albums, you'll find much to like here. You can keep up with Hartman and view his also fantastic artwork by visiting his official site here.

Free Download: Phantasm Tunes Recreated on Game Boy!

In celebration of the of the upcoming Phantasm Ravager, longtime phans and electronic musicians Comptroller & arcadecoma have offered up two new covers of classic Phantasm songs. The first is the original film's theme and the second is 'Sittin' Here At Midnight' as performed by Bill Thornbury and Reggie Bannister. Both covers were created using Nintendo Game Boys with Midnight even featuring the classic "UH!' punch before the jam! Hot as love!

This brings entirely new meaning to the line, "You play a good GAME BOY," doesn't it? Personally, I think these are marvelously fun additions to any phan's MP3 library. They make me long for a retro-inspired Phantasm game. Someone get on that, stat!

You can download both tunes for FREE right here. And as their page notes, "This is a free release purely made as a fan tribute, and all compositions remain the property of the relevant parties. We have no desire to incur the wrath of The Tall Man."

Humor: The Tall Man Rap Battles Slenderman!

From the FTB Producciones YouTube channel comes this hilarious Spanish-language rap battle between the Tall Man and the Slenderman. If you don't know who that latter character is, he's a chilling horror icon partly inspired by the Tall Man. The video below has English subtitles so you can laugh along even if your Spanish is a little rusty. The lyrics are positively side-splitting as the Tall Man mocks his opponent for not having a face while Slenderman goes after the Tall Man for transforming into a woman to lure his victims. 

I especially love when the Tall Man starts with "I rarely speak, but now the occasion demands it," before spitting a wicked rhyme. My vote is that the Tall Man wins, hands down. Word to your mother.

Listen Up: New Phantasm Tribute Album from UK Band Zoltan

"Cyborg progressive" UK band Zoltan has released a new EP that pays tribute to the music of their two favorite films - Tanz der Vampire and Phantasm! By the look of things, it was the latter film that managed to dominate the EP's cover. The six-track album contains three recreated music tracks from each film and is available for download or in sweet limited edition vinyl. The artwork you see below was created by Zoltan drummer Andrew Prestidge.

Personally, I'm a big fan of their style and consider this as fine a Phantasm tribute as any. Despite covering these vintage themes nearly four decades later, Zoltan manages to retain that wonderful 70s feel that Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave originally infused their tunes with way back when. So many Phantasm theme covers are unable to recreate that unique spirit, opting instead for the also satisfying but different epic-action feel of Phantasm's II and III. Bravo to Zoltan, I say.

If you happen to like what Zoltan does, check out their Facebook page to learn more about their other musical offerings.

Phantasm Homage in Massive Attack Music Video

English trip-hop group Massive Attack has just debuted a marvelous new music video for their song "Voodoo in My Blood" from their Ritual Spirit EP. Starring Gone Girl's Rosamund Pike, the video is basically one giant homage to Phantasm. In it, Pike enters into some kind of underground station and is menaced by a floating metallic sphere with nasty tools and.... hypnotic dance powers? Honestly, I kept waiting and was even hopeful for the Tall Man for the Tall Man to show up!

Stylishly-produced and hypnotic itself, this is a terrific music video that I encourage you to check out in the player below.

Source: The terrific Blumhouse!

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!

Bill Thornbury Releases New Album

Bill Thornbury, better known to Phantasm phans as Jody Pearson, has released a new album of classic hymns. Titled "12 Golden Treasures," the release is a throwback to the gospel music he grew up enjoying. This marks his third such album after previous releases "Five Loaves, Two Fishes" and "Torn Little Page." Whether singing "Sittin' Here At Midnight" in Phantasm or bringing classic hymns into the present here on his new album, Bill's music is always easy on the ears. You can find his new release on CDBaby and on iTunes as well.

Bill wrote on social media, "Dear friends, the release of 12 Golden Treasures is a new recording project very close to heart. I grew up singing "the old gospel songs" in a Baptist church in the small farming community of Kingsburg, California. Many years later, and with two previous Contemporary Christian albums as a singer/songwriter, I was determined to one day express my love and appreciation for the "old hymns." I have done my best to present these 12 Golden Treasures in the most creative and artistic way that I can. I thank God for this opportunity to share them with you, Love, Bill"

Grab a physical copy or digital download here.

Phantasm included on Best Horror Soundtracks List

Taste of Cinema, in their infinite wisdom, has ranked the Phantasm score among the thirty greatest horror soundtracks of all time. Fred Myrow and Malcolm Seagrave's memorable musical accompaniment clocks in at number twenty-six on their list, which is split into four parts. Phantasm is sandwiched in between Zombie Flesh Eaters and Alien, the latter you'll recall being another 1979 flick with a yellow-blooded alien in it.

They write, "This soundtrack sounds like it was made in a mausoleum at midnight." Such a fitting description! Hit up their website at the link above to read what else they have to say about the Phantasm score and to see what other horror film soundtracks made the list.

New Pressing for Phantasm Vinyl!

If you were one of the poor few who missed out on Mondo's sweet Phantasm Vinyl soundtrack album from earlier this year, you may now rejoice! Newbury Comics has announced an upcoming limited edition pressing of that album. Bypassing the basic black, the vinyl on this new release is "Red and Gray Haze" colored. You may recall the original Mondo releases several months back were blood-stained red and limited edition mausoleum marble-white.

This album features the same artwork, same music and same Don Coscarelli-penned liner notes as previous releases. The new pressing is priced at $39.99, slightly up from the original issuing, and limited to four hundred copies. Customers can purchase up to five soundtracks at a time in case you're a hoarder or looking to buy Christmas gifts for the horror phan in your life. Phantasm's original soundtrack album release remains mighty expensive on the secondhand market, so this is a great opportunity to own that spooky/wonderful theme on vinyl.

8-Bit Phantasm/Elm Street Music Video? Yes, please!

Here's a pretty cool way to end the work week.... a hybrid Phantasm/Elm Street double-feature music video from indie-rock bands Horror Section and Eaten Back to Life! It's the latter who performs the song, "The Tall Man," which is directly inspired by Phantasm. The first two minutes of the video feature the Freddy-related tune, "Cut you up," with EBTL's "The Tall Man" starting at the 2:03 mark.

In a nice touch, video director Aaron Romero borrows visually from the old Nightmare on Elm Street NES video game. The hybrid music video features the bands being stalked by Freddy Krueger and the Tall Man while performing in the 8-Bit world. It took Romero, who hails from Southern Illinois, an entire week to animate the project. In a showdown between Krueger and the Tall Man, Romero tells the Archives that his money is squarely on our dear alien mortician. Cheers to that! You can see more of Aaron's sweet work here.

Phantasm Score Returning to Vinyl!

Here's some fantastic news sure to make anyone's week. Mondo has announced a new limited edition reissue of the original Phantasm score on vinyl along with a new limited edition screen print! Both new products feature gorgeous new artwork, the vinyl by Phantom City Creative and the screen print by artist Mike Saputo (click . The vinyl will also boast new liner notes from Don Coscarelli. Both the record and screen print debut tonight at the Alamo Drafthouse screening of the first Phantasm in Texas and will be available throughout this weekend at the Texas Frightmare Convention. An online release is planned for an uncertain date in the future. For more information, see the original announcement here.

If these two items are anything like Mondo's other releases, they'll sell out quickly and immediately start fetching outrageous prices on the secondary market. If you want either of these and have an opportunity to snag them, don't hesitate! (click either the vinyl cover or screen print to enlarge them.)

Phantasm Ravager Composer Chris Stone Speaks!

Series composer Chris Stone has given an informative new interview to the AXS website and speaks in it of his time on the upcoming Phantasm Ravager. Chris is among very few people to have worked on all five Phantasm's, providing sound effects on the original and co-scoring the first two sequels with Fred Myrow before taking over completely on Oblivion and Ravager.

Chris shared that among the five films, Ravager stands as his favorite to have worked on: "Definitely Phantasm Ravager, because I had the rare opportunity to take my time. The vast majority of any scoring project starts off with the phrase: “We need it yesterday.” This time, I was allowed the opportunity to incorporate new sounds and approaches in combination with traditional Phantasm scoring. These approaches would have been otherwise too risky or impractical to implement under a heavy deadline."

He also cited from his time on Ravager his fondest memory from the series: "The most fun for me has been my interaction with Don and David Hartman on Phantasm Ravager. I love watching their faces as I play new pieces for them, especially when I show them new and unexpected scoring approaches. Their appreciative reactions are very rewarding for me as a composer. This will always be my favorite memory."

Read the entire interview to hear more about Chris' career and his work on Ravager.

Phantasm Sounds: That familiar humming

"There's this door down here. 

And I bet there's something behind it."

The vibrating hum of the spacegate has remained an unforgettable auditory hallmark of the Phantasm series from the moment Mike Pearson first dared to enter Morningside Mortaury. The sound effect was so unique that it was included on the film's soundtrack album. Last March, YouTube user "Phantasmed" managed to recreate that complex sound using a Yahama EX7 Synthesizer. They write that their new spacegate hum was the combination of six different sounds that span multiple octaves.

Lucky for us, "Phantasmed" has uploaded their creation to the video sharing site... and it's thirty-five minutes long! That's right... feel free to hit play on this video and go about your daily routine pretending you're in a Phantasm movie. Whether reading, tidying up, making dinner or watching television, having a thirty-five minute loop of the spacegate hum will surely make you feel as though you're living Phantasm.... and probably make you far more reluctant to answer that heavy knock at the door lest it be someone tall.