Quotes

Getting movies made is difficult for everybody, independent or mainstream.

I guess I'm luckier than most to even have a label attached to me. There is no question though that this particular label makes it very difficult to gain respect from the people who finance movies. However, since my first exposure to the power of cinema was from genre films, I am proud to wear the label.

I had no plans, when I made the first Phantasm, to create a myth. I was only trying to make an effective low-budget movie, which might propel an audience member or two out of their seats on occasion. If anything, it was the fans who elevated our little tale into myth.

I guess if I had any regret regarding the Phantasm series, it would be that A. Michael Baldwin did not star in Phantasm II. I sometimes think I should have called Universal's bluff, and given them a take it-or leave it ultimatum. However, they very well might have chosen not to make the film, and there might not have been any Phantasm sequels.

(On Phantasm's "Phans"): What I love the most about them is their intelligent and interesting analysis of the films. Some of the speculation can be very deep, and sometimes fans find amazing connections, which neither I nor the actors have made.

At the beginning there was no master plan. The original Phantasm was intended to be a stand-alone film. However, after seeing how Phantasm II worked (starting the sequel the moment after the original ended), and the power of the fan response to the sequel and their speculations, the pattern of the storyline evolved easily.

(On Angus Scrimm as The Tall Man): Audiences have a fascination with his character, and seem to actually enjoy watching him doing his nasty deeds. I think this stems in large part from the subtle talents Angus uses in portraying this wicked and complex character.

(On sequels to horror movies): Sequels have been with us from the beginning in horror, from Frankenstein, Dracula, The Mummy and The Wolfman. Some of those sequels were better than the original films. I think that, at its best, the concept of horror sequels allows us the luxury of immersing ourselves in the nightmarish world of horror, and experiencing these strange characters and bizarre situations over a substantial time period.

Perhaps if I had focused my energies more on breaking into the system in a conventional way, and not spent as much time on the Phantasm series, I could have made more, varied, and certainly bigger budgeted films. But I have to admit -- making movies with balls, dwarves, hearses and four-barrel shotguns is a hoot!

[About a possible remake of "Phantasm"]: I get a phone call every week, it seems, from somebody who wants to do it. It's something I've been resisting for a while. I do think that, given the proper context, it would really be exciting to see what a younger filmmaker could bring to that story. It's something I'm open to but I guess I'm seeking the right circumstances. Takashi Miike doing "Phantasm," how would that be? Anything that would ever be done would have to be done with sensitivity to the appreciation that the fans have for it. They just worship Angus as the Tall Man and Reggie as the loyal trusted friend.

[on making a fifth Phantasm movie]: It's something we've talked about through the years but the timing hasn't worked out or getting the finances exactly right. I've been cooking up a couple of incarnations of things that I can't talk about now, but hopefully in the near future we could get something in the "Phantasm" world happening.