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I watched "Phantasm: Ravager" with Don and Reggie at Los Angeles Premier

posted 8 years ago by berserkbansheee
13 replies | jump to latest

I watched "Phantasm: Ravager" with Don Coscarelli, Reggie Banister, director David Hartman, Gigi Banister (Reggie's wife and the film's make-up artist) and a number of other excited Phans, on Friday's opening night at The Ahrya Fine Arts theater on Wilshire Blvd. in Beverly Hills. They showed the remastered Phantasm first, then there was a Q&A (lasted about an hour), then afterwards photos were being taken with both Reggie and Don (who were Phantasic with EVERYONE the entire night) with two "Phantasm Remastered" and "Phantasm: Ravager" movie posters behind them in the lobby, then finally, our viewing of Phantasm: Ravager. Don stayed for some of it, and Reggie stayed for the entire movie. Two of the questions I remember being asked were:

Phan Q: Why was there a different "Mike" for Phantasm II?

Don Coscarelli A: "The movie production company gave me (Don) a choice (ultimatum, is what I'll call it) to have either Reggie OR Mike. NOT both. So, I made the very difficult decision to choose Reggie."

Phan Q: Have you ever been approached to remake the series, AND would you allow it?

D.C. A: "(I give a shortened and paraphrased answer) Yes, about ten years ago. They would've used the type of people you would see on The WB or other "pretty" people and not the REAL people that I would cast that would be the right people for it. So I passed. We'll have to see about the future."

I got the feeling it would be VERY unlikely. So, I won't expect anything. It's over.

This was a very exciting evening for me personally. To have these two iconic people (Don and Reggie) at the same time, in this beautiful theater to view the climactic finale to this dream-like series. Taken virtually 4-decades to finally come to fruition. There was a general excitement inside the theater with great anticipation, as you would expect with all of these people and things coming together for the last time. There was some applauding and laughing during the film in the appropriate places. During the credits behind the words were what appeared to be additional fight scenes with our hero's that looked to be their continuing fight against The Tall Man's New World Order. "Phantasm: The Tall Man's New World Order" (Hey, that sounds like the title for a movie that'll NEVER happen).

When the film was over and we as a group got out of our seats to leave, there was an uncomfortable quite and I sensed from others the same feeling I had. Which was a very deep feeling of being let down. A feeling of an anti-climactic event. An additional way to put it, was very much the way it feels when you leave a funeral service. Someone you had a long friendship with along with many others that passed away. Waiting years and years and years as so many of us have, close enough to half-a-century for some, to see virtually NO closure. With the exception of our three heroes possibly being reunited. Of course, THAT depends on which one of Reggie's possible delusional leaps you want to attach yourself to in order to sleep better at night.

According to some stuff I've read before, the budget for the original Phantasm was $300,000 and at the box-office the film brought in $12,000,000. That is a 40-times return for a low-budget 1979 film by a virtually unknown director AND unknown cast. I can't understand how the original film with the huge difficulty level and obstacles to overcome to make such an outstanding low-budget film in 1979, with a great story, acting, limited special effects available and in this difficult genre, to then make this disappointment for a finale.

After Phantasm II it's been down hill, and unlike any other film franchise, THIS ONE has a very sentimental attachment for me. And, for it to end on this unhappy note, for me is much more than sad. It's the distasteful end of a golden and elusive dream. Maybe I'm being melodramatic, I don't care how I come across to anyone else. No answer will be satisfactory for me as to "why" this was chosen to be the end product. Yes, it could have been worse, but I'll do my best to look upon this film as "the glass is half full" instead.

I shook the hand of both Don and Reggie before the movie began, and Reggie's (who sat a few seats away) again after the film. I thanked Mr. Banister for his years of memorable work with this franchise.

I don't know if or when I'll add my vote to the rating of Phantasm; Ravager. At this point, any number rating I give will not feel right.

I met Mr. Scrimm one day when I was out-and-about in the San Fernando Valley. You could not ask for a more kind and generous-with-his-time celebrity as Mr. Scrimm was. A true gentleman among gentlemen. May he rest in peace.

Phantasm Remastered will be shown at this theater I believe twice this upcoming week. Then....**poof**

I expect to be hit by some flying tomatoes from some of you in the peanut gallery.

To quote The Tall Man: "The game IS finished."

Truer and more painful words were never spoken.

Goodnight Jebediah Morningside. And goodnight to you, my fellow Phans.

Below, for as long at it'll be available to see, is what was written about the up-and-coming event at the theater.

http://blog.laemmle.com/2016/10/phantasm-qa-schedule-weekend-fine-arts/

http://www.laemmle.com/films/41427

[–] Marla_the_big_tourist 8 years ago

What a cool experience, to watch with them!

I think your write-up is very balanced and the conflicted feelings are natural (very interesting to hear that that was the general mood, too).
Thanks for taking the time to post this.



[–] Joxiua_Nietzsche 8 years ago

I attended the event there last night and both screenings went over well. Are you saying there was no applaus? I mean, with the director/actors in the audience, nothing? Not even a courtesy clap? What a sh!tty audience.

[–] berserkbansheee 8 years ago

Joxiua,

In the beginning people were in to it. By the end when the credits began to roll, in my opinion there were far too many people leaving and leaving quickly. And, they left meaning already out of the auditorium BEFORE that scene where it looked like the movie wasn't over yet. I thought, "Wait!!! It's not over!!"

I originally planned to attend both nights. I wanted to see Kat Lester in person too. I was very curious as most people are about how people on screen look in person. However, I was so discouraged by the lack of audience interest at the end of the film combined with the movie itself, I didn't want to risk seeing the possible disappointment in Reggie's face again. Or at the very least, my interpretation of what I saw. It was genuinely THAT quite.

I don't recall clapping aside from my own applauding at the end. Maybe there was, but I sure don't recall it with the exception of the beginning of the film. Perhaps others will comment here about some stuff I didn't catch. Sometimes we can get caught-up in our own excitement, our own thing and miss stuff. But, I don't think I missed anything. I was surprised to see the number of people I did that appeared to be under 25.

On a side note: I think people today in general lack the ability of "suspension of disbelief." Plus they have a callus view of older things as quaint without the attractiveness or charm. But rather odd and peculiar in a condescending fashion.

It sounds like your evening went well, Joxiua. I'm happy for you. Did Kat look attractive? Was she wearing "lavender?"

[–] berserkbansheee 8 years ago

Thanks Marla!

[–] tr47 8 years ago

It's cool that they finally made the final movie, but the tiny budget about kills it. I think if I was able to ask them a question, it would be something like, why didn't you do some kind of crowdfunding to augment your budget? It comes off as a fan film level production-$300k in the late '70s was actually halfway decent for an indie film, which comes out to be around $1M in today's money. The ~$200k they had for this was nowhere near enough to make something good, and it didn't help that the storyline and tone diverged as much as it did. Continuity was never Phantasm's strong suit (the mysteriously reappearing shotgun for instance), but some kind of real resolution on certain plot points from the past movies would have been nice.

I'm pretty sure that the movie is actually a pastiche of previously shot material from around 8 years ago (the webisode footage), as well as some newer sequences ("old" Reg in the home) spliced together to make a somewhat cohesive whole. It looks like a different digital camera was used for those parts, and the actors look older as well in the nursing home portions. They've been blending stock and new footage since the beginning of II, so it seems logical for them to do it again.

[–] cgrill8 8 years ago

Going between the older footage and the new footage with an older Reggie was really clever and was done quite well. I hate to hear it ends on such an odd note... but what I've seen so far I've liked, of course not finished yet. They may have used some make-up on Reg, he looks so OLD. Yet, all the make-up (or CG) used on Angus... on my, just to try and take his wrinkles out. Overall, the series has always taken a more Sci-Fi angle on top of the horror genre, which I think has really given the series something different most horror movies lack, and I really like the Sci-Fi angle of the movies... it really adds more to it.

3rd generation American from a long line of Gottscheers... it was Drandul, dude!

[–] Joxiua_Nietzsche 8 years ago

If they did crowdfunding, this movie would make $0 profit. Everyone would get the movie for free. The fanbase is too small and Don Coscarelli has too much pride to make his fans for for films.

What if we all contributed and it only reached $200,000 and this is the film we got? People would be even more upset. At least this way, there is only a small risk for the audience. We pay once to see if we like it.

I like it a lot myself. Since I didn't have to contribute to it's production, I'm even more willing to see it in theaters and buy it as a gift because that goes directly to them. This is a gift for the fans. Maybe not all of us wanted a sequel, but there was enough demand from the fans for them to try to give us something new. There was no investor to help them. They did it for us and I can't help but appreciate that. Despite the quality of the film, I'm happy to see these guys once more.

[–] tr47 8 years ago

I understand, but it's a double edged sword-people aren't going to pay for something of substandard quality unless they're real die-hard fans, and any backers getting the movie aren't doing so for free, since they contributed already. I don't think they did this with the intention of doing anything but recouping their investment. Since no major distro is involved, it won't be widely shown in theaters anyway. Unfortunately, the good old days of II and III backed with studio money are long gone, but I'd like to know why they weren't able to secure more funding. If a fan film like Star Trek Renegades could get $250k by crowdfunding, it's hard to believe that a long established movie franchise, even a small one, couldn't get something similar to add to their own funds.

[–] Joxiua_Nietzsche 8 years ago

You're right, and this was made for the die-hard fans. You're right again, this was made with the hope of merely recouping their budget. Of course, they'd like to make a profit, but this was for the fans. Doesn't that make you respect them and appreciate the film that much more?

Here's the thing, they are contributing to a goal.. Say, 300,000. Now, to reach that goal they need to offer incentives. That means shirts, posters, toys, autographs, dvd's, blu rays, etc. That all adds up. It's the die-hard fans who are going to contribute and get all the freebies plus a copy of the film, so who is left to buy the product when it's officially released? Lesser fans? Average movie goers who know nothing about the franchise?

By producing it themselves, they open themselves up to making a profit, a very small profit, I'm sure.

www.youtube.com/user/joshdnitsche

[–] tr47 8 years ago

I can see your point, but the way these usually work is that none of the merchandise is actually produced unless the campaign reaches its goal, and then those costs are just deducted from the pooled funds. The way Renegades worked was probably ideal, ie small donators would only get something cheap like digital images or a sticker. You had to donate a significant amount ($25) to even get the film as a digital download, and around $50 or more to get a physical copy. This way the costs were more than offset and there were even really expensive packages to get the deluxe treatment, one being an onscreen appearance in the film. I guess this is all moot since what's done is done, but I feel it could have been much better.

[–] disinter 8 years ago

On a side note: I think people today in general lack the ability of "suspension of disbelief."

This to me is a cop out that is being used more and more frequently to justify the lack of continuity due to bad/lazy writing.

[–] PatFilm 8 years ago

Jox is wright. Crowd funding wouldn't have worked.
Self-producing will give Don a nice return.
The budget, however, was too tiny for what they intended.

[–] cybermonster_8 8 years ago

I wrote a mock up synopsis on how I would have shot a Phantasm finale in a cheap cost effective manner, mirroring the first movie and giving closure.