VIDEO: Alternate Ending to Phantasm Oblivion

There is perhaps no moment in the Phantasm franchise more debated than the brilliantly enigmatic ending to Phantasm Oblivion. Questions abound. Is Mike truly dead now? Was it really just a dream all along? Where did the Tall Man go with Mike's sphere and did Reggie manage to follow him to that place? What happened once they got there? To help deepen the scene's mystique, I present to you the following fan made alternate ending in an attempt to clarify where the Tall Man might've gone after ripping out Mike's sphere. (Make sure to watch until the end!)

Full disclosure: This ending is fan-made and not representative of Don Coscarelli's vision for the film. Special thanks to Phantasm Community member Natalie Tomaszewski for the clever idea behind it.

DVD Announcement: Subspecies

Angus Scrimm fans will be delighted to learn of Full Moon Feature's recent announcement to re-release its cult-classic Subspecies in a Special Edition DVD to mark its 20th Anniversary. Angus appeared for a memorable segment early on in the film as Vampire King Vladislav, father to the evil Radu and keeper of the Bloodstone.

The announcement mentions only one bonus feature, a vintage installment of Full Moon's Videozone series, which took VHS audiences behind the scenes of the film back in the early 1990s. One can only hope that Band will some day offer up some of the film's deleted scenes. There's at least one particularly notable outtake involving Angus' King Vlad on his deathbed that was partially included in the film's early theatrical trailers. The Special Edition premieres at the San Diego Comic Con and will be available at Full Moon Direct starting on July 25. Click the flyer on your left to learn more about the film.

The Tall Man in Bubba Ho-Tep?

As we all anxiously await Don Coscarelli's Bubba Nosferatu (the sequel to Bubba Ho-Tep), I thought it might be fun to turn our gaze back to the original Bubba for a moment. Horror fans will of course have already recognized that the film sports supporting appearances by Phantasm series vets Reggie Bannister and Heidi Marnhout as well as cameo appearances by Daniel Schweiger, Daniel Roebuck, Chuck Williams and... the Tall Man? Yes! In one of the film's most overlooked cameos, the Tall Man himself appears for a brief moment courtesy Phantasm series collaborator and artist David Hartman.

Toward film's end, Elvis and JFK peruse the contents of "The Everyday Man or Woman's Book of the Soul," which features a full-page illustration of a giant mummy tearing off a house's roof and eating its inhabitants. In the bottom left corner of the artwork, you can just barely see the Tall Man riding away on a horse-drawn hearse carriage, referencing the antique photo scene from the first Phantasm. Screenshot appears below. Thanks to Hartman himself for pointing this detail out to the Phantasm Archives several years back.

Artist Spotlight: An Adorably Tall Knit Terror!

In this third Artist Spotlight, we highlight the work of Laurie Pizzi, the crafty mastermind behind the Knit Terrors website where one can find handmade plush dolls of Freddy, Jason, Michael Myers and... the Tall Man?! Yes!! If the Movie Maniacs action figure from a few years back just wasn't cuddly enough for you, this should more than satisfy. At the recent Monster Mania 18 show in Baltimore, Laurie had the opportunity to personally present Angus Scrimm with one of her doll creations, much to his delight. Angus reports that his knit Tall Man, of which he's grown quite fond, now stares at him constantly from across his dining room table. Visit Laurie and view more of her work on the Knit Terrors website. 

Artist Spotlight: Christopher Ott of London 1888

In this second Artist Spotlight, we turn our gaze toward horror artist Christopher Ott of London 1888 and a stellar new Phantasm piece he created for the recent Days of the Dead convention. As a phan, I must confess how refreshing it is to see such seldom-depicted characters as Mike, Reggie and the Caretaker featured so prominently in addition to the more oft-seen Tall Man, silver sphere and dwarf. Also, major props to the artist for incorporating the sphere's blood spray into the poster's red border. You can't tell it from these small photos, but the red and metallic silver practically leap off the card stock it's printed on. Frankly, this is an exceptional piece of Phantasm artwork.

Christopher has made this eye-catching 9 x 24 inch poster available to fans in a limited 200-print run, each one signed and numbered, on his London 1888 website. Print #001 was gifted to Angus Scrimm at the recent Monster Mania convention, #003 to Reggie Bannister at Days of the Dead and #002 will be given to Michael Baldwin at this summer's Fright Night Film Fest. Your friendly Phantasm Archivist managed to nab print #012. Get your own print here!

Below you can see Angus with a print as well as Christopher and myself modeling with his artwork at the Monster Mania show (click to enlarge).

CHUD takes on PHANTASM

CHUD columnist Joshua Miller recently took a critical look at the original Phantasm in his ongoing FRANCHISE ME column. The film's three sequels are apparently soon to be on the chopping block as well. So, how did Joshua take to Coscarelli's cult classic? Pretty well, it would seem. That's not to say he didn't have his quibbles with the film, not all of which phans are probably going to agree with. Still, it's refreshing to see our little cult franchise get some CHUD love.

Phantasm is without a doubt the fucking craziest horror movie to ever spawn a successful theatrical franchise. - CHUD's Joshua Miller

Wonder what he'll make of Phantasm Oblivion?

Artist Spotlight: Chris Kuchta

In the first of several artist spotlights I'll be running in the near future, I present to you the inspired artwork of renowned horror artist Chris Kuchta (visit him at HorrorArtist.com). Chris not only cites Phantasm as one of his all-time favorite genre flicks, but hails the Tall Man as his favorite horror icon, so you must admit - the man has good taste. 

Among his extensive gallery of horror paintings, Chris has depicted two scenes of the Tall Man from Phantasm Oblivion, both gorgeously rendered works featured below and to your left (click to enlarge). Also pictured below is Chris in 2008 at the Flashback Weekend in Chicago where he was able to show off his work to the Tall Man himself, Angus Scrimm as well as one of Chris' spiffy prints framed in my living room (its next door neighbor is Rob Long's 20th Anniversary poster, just to the right off-camera.)

Over on his website, you can view his incredible print offerings that cover the entire history of the genre from Nosferatu to the recent Friday the 13th remake. You might also check out his Event Calendar, as both Chris and his artwork regularly appear at numerous horror conventions across the country. This month alone he's scheduled to appear at FOUR shows and there's really nothing like marveling at his creations in person. Not to mention, he's a fun to fellow to chat up.