Don Coscarelli. The man that created an amazing cinema legacy with his Phantasm series, not to mention a few other incredible cinematic journeys he’s taken us on, and usually outside of the Hollywood system. I can’t even fathom how hard that must be, and to do for it for over 40 years.
But now he is coming out with a book called True Indie: Life and Death in Film Making, being published this October by St. Martin’s Press. The 320 page book will be filled with tons of behind-the-scenes stories from over the years from his different films, such as “like setting his face on fire during the making of Phantasm, hearing Bruce Campbell’s most important question before agreeing to star in Bubba Ho-Tep, and turning Phantasm into a franchise phenomenon.”
While the book will be filled with some crazy stories, it will also “serve as a crash course on the indie film world”, one that Coscarelli is more than experienced in. That is the one of the many things that I’ve always admired about Coscarelli, that he never sold the Phantasm off to some major studio, but decided to keep it so he could have control over it. Lot of kudos to him for that.
So make sure you add this book to your Amazon Wish List, or wherever you get your books, because I’m sure this one is going to be a great read.
We all know that most horror fans just love some flying drilling spheres, right? And even though we have the incredible book Phantasm Exhumed by Dustin McNeill, there’s never too many books on the movies we love, especially when their written by scholars like McNeill and Rue Morgue’s John Bowen.
In case you had any free weekends left open next month, Flashback Weekend is going to help you fill it. On Saturday October 8th, they will be holding a 12-hour marathon of classic horror films at the Muvico Rosemont Theaters. You’ll get to see six features on the big screen all for the one low price of $20. Here’s what the lineup has in store for you:
Chicago’s own Music Box Theatre has started to announce some titles for their 12th annual 24-hour marathon which takes place on October 15th, starting at noon and running through to noon on Sunday the 16th. We’ve been to every single one of these marathons and have always had a great time. The Music Box is one of my personal favorite theaters in Chicago and the crowds that come in here for these marathons are die-hard fans and are actually coming into see the films and have a good time….not just to party. Nothing wrong with that mind you, but not in the theater while the movies are screening. So we’re looking for another incredible lineup and a lot of fun. From what they have announced so far, I think I might be spending some of my time in there watching them!
Another new year, and now another passing of a great icon in the Horror & Sci-Fi genre world. Like many other fans this morning, I woke up reading the news that Angus Scrimm had passed away. Not sure how to even start with this eulogy, since anybody that had ever met Scrimm at one of the many conventions that he appeared at over the years, knew that he was as far opposite as the sinister character he was known for. While he might not have appeared in hundreds of movies, the ones that he did, he always made an impact, even in the smallest of roles. But of course, we all knew him as the evil Tall Man from the Phantasm series, where he really shined. But then seeing this man at a show, such a kind-hearted old gentleman, so happy, excited, and even thrilled, to meet fans of his work, treating each and every one of them with respect and kindness…it always left a strong impact for me to see this, each and every time.
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