Writer and columnist Joe Kane, more known under his long time pseudonym The Phantom of the Movies, passed away on November 1st, at the age of 73. Being a lifelong movie fan, he was one of those that strived to inform other movie fans of all the wonderful titles out there waiting to be discovered. One of his favorite quotes was “Keep Watching the Screens!”

He was an editor for The Monster Times in the early to mid ’70s, before working as a columnist for The New York Daily Times, under the moniker The Phantom of the Movies, where he wrote about the strange and cult films that he loved, amongst other film titles. In 1993, he started a fanzine/newsletter called The Phantom of the Movies’ Videoscope, which later evolved into an actual magazine. In 2000, he published a massive volume of reviews in a book under the same name as the magazine.

He would also write other book titles, including Night of the Living Dead: Behind the Scenes of the Most Terrifying Zombie Movie Ever Made in 2000, and a sort of a biography in 2018, entitled Found Footage: How the Astro-Zombies Saved My Life and Other Tales of Movie Madness 2018.

Kane was one of those that felt the need to let others know of his passion for these films, so for that, I am forever thankful for all the hard work he put into his column, the magazines, and the books. An important voice has been silenced, but we can only hope that his printed voice continues to inspire other like-minded film fans. Gone, but not forgotten. Rest in Peace, Phantom. And yes, we will Keep Watching the Screens!