Books
‘PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm’ – Don Coscarelli Celebrates 45 Years of ‘Phantasm’ with New Book [Exclusive]
This year marks the 45th anniversary of Don Coscarelli’s horror classic Phantasm, and Coscarelli has joined forces with Dark Delicacies for new book PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm. The book is described as “a new limited collector print edition of original stories written by Don Coscarelli, the creator of the Phantasm films.”
PHICTION explores characters and stories from the Phantasm universe, and it also includes an introduction by best-selling author Joe R. Lansdale (Bubba Ho-Tep), BD has learned.
Bloody Disgusting has also exclusively learned that Dark Delicacies will host a celebratory 45th anniversary event complete with a book signing and star Reggie Bannister in-person! In a once in-a-lifetime opportunity, the Phantasm 2 ‘Cuda musclecar will be on-site at Dark Delicacies and fans can take a photo riding shotgun WITH Reggie! Additionally, the original “Spacegate Poles” from Coscarelli’s personal prop collection will also be available for photos with fans.
The book will be released on the 45th Anniversary of the 1979 film with a celebration event and signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, CA on Saturday, March 23rd at 2PM.
In 1979, filmmaker Don Coscarelli (Bubba Ho-tep, The Beastmaster) wrote and directed what became one of the seminal sci-fi/horror films of that era, Phantasm. The film was a worldwide theatrical success and spawned four acclaimed sequels.
For the first time in the history of horror cinema, a celebrated filmmaker of a cult-classic horror film series has continued the adventure by swapping mediums and personally authoring a series of fictional works exploring in detail the characters he originally created. Coscarelli has now returned to the world of Phantasm to tell more tales of these inspiring phantasmic heroes.
In association with gifted artist Aaron Lea (GHOST, Rob Zombie), Molotov Press now presents a rare and limited edition of this new book, fittingly entitled PHICTION.
Edgar Award Winner and bestselling author Joe R. Lansdale writes about Phiction in his introduction:
“I already knew Don had writing chops, primarily from his adaptation of my story, Bubba Ho-Tep, into an outstanding film, and from having read his memoir (True Indie), but now I can confirm he can not only write screenplays, he can write fiction. These stories are all tight and as unique as his films. It would be nice if Don wrote more fiction.”
PHICTION comprises six stories set in the expansive Phantasm world that have never been told before:
· In Life and Death in the ‘Nam, we explore the origin story of our favorite ice cream vendor hero Reggie and his first encounter with the supernatural forces of evil in the jungles of the Vietnam war. It’s a two-fisted tale of a young man enduring the horrors of war and at the same time facing down the horrors of the unknown.
· In Behind the Mortuary Door, we learn the secrets of the embalming trade from one of the most memorable characters from the original film.
· In He Was Home Alone, we revisit the young boy Tim, prior to the events from Phantasm III, and how, using only his wits and guile, he survives against unspeakable horrors.
· In Tobe, we follow the trail of one of Phantasm’s forgotten characters as he witnesses the key events of that film from an entirely different perspective.
· In The Rocky Road, we track the events of one of the Phantasm saga’s fan-favorite characters, the nunchuck-wielding Rocky as she’s mustered out of the armed services and travels the backroads of the rural South in the early 90’s. In a desperate search to find her family she encounters love, vengeance and horror, frequently reacting in the only way she knows how, with her fists and her feet.
· And finally in Escape From New York, we join another Phantasm fan-favorite character, the diminutive Chunk from Phantasm Ravager as he attempts to flee his home in the big city from the horror of an oncoming apocalypse. Along the way he bonds with some unexpected allies on a thrilling quest for survival.
Here’s everything you need to know about the different editions…
Dark Delicacies – Phantasm “Tall Man Negative” Slipcase Edition
Features a die-cut slipcase wrapped in “Morningside Marble” premium anti-scratch matte finish. Case hardcover binding of the book inside is covered in premium black fabric with foil stamped text and red painted edges. Each book is offered with matte UV full color dust jacket and features a ribbon marker. This is a limited edition of 250 copies and each will be autographed by author Don Coscarelli and illustrator Aaron Lea.
This edition also includes a rare, unique and priceless premium – a 3-frame outtake clip of original 35mm camera negative, as filmed on the set of the 1979 film Phantasm and featuring the legendary Angus Scrimm, with each book.
Exclusively available at Dark Delicacies for pre-orders now as both an on-line purchase and for an in-person signing taking place Saturday, March 23rd at 2PM.
The complete collectable package will include:
– PHICTION: Tales from the World of Phantasm personally autographed by Phantasm creator Don Coscarelli
– One-of-a-kind – Tall Man (Angus Scrimm) negative frames! These include outtake frames of original 35mm camera negative, actually filmed on the set of Phantasm during production. (Frames are offered as collector keepsake only and no copyright, likeness or duplication rights are included in purchase.)
– Phantasm 1 (1979) Mini Poster
For in-store event purchasers, Coscarelli and artist Aaron Lea (subject to availability) will personally autograph their books. Coscarelli will also autograph the mini-poster. Online purchasers will receive autographed book and poster as well. This package can be pre-ordered now at www.DarkDel.com
Additional Premium: “PHAN” PHOTO OP – ride shotgun with star Reggie Bannister inside original Phantasm Cuda musclecar!!
An exclusive add-on for purchasers of the PHICTION package: Take your own photo, seated inside the 1971 Plymouth musclecar from Phantasm II with star and ice cream-vending hero Reggie Bannister in-person (subject to availability.) Bannister will be at the wheel for this Photo Op and “phans” will have the opportunity to sit shotgun seated inside for a photo with your personal camera. (A photographer will take the photo with your camera.) A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for die-hard phans!
Travel Through Phantasm’s Dimensional Fork!
Additional premium, the original chrome Phantasm “Spacegate Poles” from Don Coscarelli’s personal collection will be there in-person for purchasers of the Photo Op package to take a photo with.
The above two additional premium Photo Ops can be pre-ordered now at www.DarkDel.com. Only a limited number of reservations are available, so be sure to order now while you can.
More event surprises will be announced soon, we’ve been told. Stay tuned.
Books
‘Halloween: Illustrated’ Review: Original Novelization of John Carpenter’s Classic Gets an Upgrade
Film novelizations have existed for over 100 years, dating back to the silent era, but they peaked in popularity in the ’70s and ’80s, following the advent of the modern blockbuster but prior to the rise of home video. Despite many beloved properties receiving novelizations upon release, a perceived lack of interest have left a majority of them out of print for decades, with desirable titles attracting three figures on the secondary market.
Once such highly sought-after novelization is that of Halloween by Richard Curtis (under the pen name Curtis Richards), based on the screenplay by John Carpenter and Debra Hill. Originally published in 1979 by Bantam Books, the mass market paperback was reissued in the early ’80s but has been out of print for over 40 years.
But even in book form, you can’t kill the boogeyman. While a simple reprint would have satisfied the fanbase, boutique publisher Printed in Blood has gone above and beyond by turning the Halloween novelization into a coffee table book. Curtis’ unabridged original text is accompanied by nearly 100 new pieces of artwork by Orlando Arocena to create Halloween: Illustrated.
One of the reasons that The Shape is so scary is because he is, as Dr. Loomis eloquently puts it, “purely and simply evil.” Like the film sequels that would follow, the novelization attempts to give reason to the malevolence. More ambiguous than his sister or a cult, Curtis’ prologue ties Michael’s preternatural abilities to an ancient Celtic curse.
Jumping to 1963, the first few chapters delve into Michael’s childhood. Curtis hints at a familial history of evil by introducing a dogmatic grandmother, a concerned mother, and a 6-year-old boy plagued by violent nightmares and voices. The author also provides glimpses at Michael’s trial and his time at Smith’s Grove Sanitarium, which not only strengthens Loomis’ motivation for keeping him institutionalized but also provides a more concrete theory on how Michael learned to drive.
Aside from a handful of minor discrepancies, including Laurie stabbing Michael in his manhood, the rest of the book essentially follows the film’s depiction of that fateful Halloween night in 1978 beat for beat. Some of the writing is dated — like a smutty fixation on every female character’s breasts and a casual use of the R-word — but it otherwise possesses a timelessness similar to its film counterpart. The written version benefits from expanded detail and enriched characters.
The addition of Arocena’s stunning illustrations, some of which are integrated into the text, creates a unique reading experience. The artwork has a painterly quality to it but is made digitally using vectors. He faithfully reproduces many of Halloween‘s most memorable moments, down to actor likeness, but his more expressionistic pieces are particularly striking.
The 224-page hardcover tome also includes an introduction by Curtis — who details the challenges of translating a script into a novel and explains the reasoning behind his decisions to occasionally subvert the source material — and a brief afterword from Arocena.
Novelizations allow readers to revisit worlds they love from a different perspective. It’s impossible to divorce Halloween from the film’s iconography — Carpenter’s atmospheric direction and score, Dean Cundey’s anamorphic cinematography, Michael’s expressionless mask, Jamie Lee Curtis’ star-making performance — but Halloween: Illustrated paints a vivid picture in the mind’s eye through Curtis’ writing and Arocena’s artwork.
Halloween: Illustrated is available now.
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