PHICTION: Tales from the World of "Phantasm."

In the spring of 1979 a low-budget horror film called "Phantasm" was released, and to put it mildly, I lost my (almost) 14 year-old mind. I had never seen anything like it (and I had seen HUNDREDS of horror movies by that point in my life), I loved it, and became obsessed with it.

It was so crazy, it got to the point where I went to the theater to see it over 100 times that summer...I am not kidding, over 100 times in the theater from the summer of 1979, well into 1980.

The insane originality of the movie, the cool gore and special effects, the outstanding and haunting score, the scary characters, the legendary flying "Silver Sphere" that flew through the air before drilling into victims' skulls and draining their blood...EVERYTHING about "Phantasm" rocked my world.

But, my favorite thing about the movie was the fact that a 14 year-old kid (played magnificently by the awesome Michael Baldwin) was the hero of the movie.

Michael Baldwin, the 14 year-old protagonist of "Phantasm." And my hero.

This kid (my age, who dressed like I did, talked like I did, etc.) got to do the coolest shit in the world, like ride bad-ass motorcycles, drive an incredible muscle car, shoot shotguns, fight with demons and dwarves, get sucked into another dimension, look at boobs, and save the day from the evil "Tall Man."

In short, Michael became my hero, and I vicariously lived my horror fantasies through him every week while seeing "Phantasm" over and over again in big old movie theaters.

Cut to MANY years later: I am now a host/moderator/presenter with The Flashback Weekend Horror Convention, and I am told that the entire cast, and Don Coscarelli, the writer/director of "Phantasm," will be attending the convention, and I will meet them, moderate their Q&A, and hang with them.

To say it was a dream come true is a massive understatement, as they were nicer, kinder, and cooler than you could ever imagine, and, incredibly, I became friends with all of them. We have stayed in touch for over almost 20 years (sadly, the great Angus Scrimm, who played The Tall Man passed away in 2016) and I am thrilled anytime I get to see them, or talk to them.

I am unbelievably thrilled that Don Coscarelli will be returning to Flashback Weekend in a couple of weeks to promote his new book, "Phiction," and he will be my guest, on stage (with my co-host Esmeralda Leon), for "The Nick D Podcast LIVE" on the convention stage at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare on Saturday, August 3rd, 2024 at 12:30pm (Central). It's gonna be AMAZING, you can't miss it.

Me and the great Don Coscarelli, writer/director of "Phantasm" and author of "Phiction." This was taken at The Flashback Weekend Horror Convention a few years back.

So, the book...it is magnificent.

Here's what I wrote to Mr. Coscarelli right after reading "Phiction":

"These stories are beautifully written, remarkably detailed, and compelling to read. The styles of the narratives vary in such smart fashion, that each story seems as if it could have been written by a different author, and yet they are undeniably connected on every creative level.

The inclusion of the insightful, fun, and informative intros and afterwords with each tale is ingenious. I adored all 6 stories very, very much, but my favorites were, of course, the stories that are directly connected to the first film.

My favorite story has to be "Behind the Mortuary Door." What a lovely backstory for The Caretaker, and listen, over the last  45 years of repeatedly watching "Phantasm," I have come up with some of my own backstories about that guy, none of which are as great, deep and wonderful as the one in "Phiction."

Now, I like to think of myself as The First & Original Phantasm Phan (having seen the movie during its initial opening weekend, and well over 100 times in the theater in 1979/80, and thousands of times since), and as that Original Phan, I was suitably astonished by these works. I think that "Phiction" is not only a welcome addition to the incredible Phantasm Universe, it is also an impressive collection of remarkable short-story horror fiction that I can proudly display on my bookshelf next to Poe, King, Dahl, Barker, Bradbury, and Lovecraft.

Well done Mr. Coscarelli....well done. The Tall Man would be proud....and you have made this "Phantasm" super-fan incredibly happy."

So, come on out to Flashback Weekend, pick up a copy of "Phiction," meet Don, get the book signed, and hang out for our live Podcast show....you won't regret it.

Esmeralda Leon and myself getting ready to host the LIVE version of The Nick D Podcast at Flashback Weekend!

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GEORGE ROMERO: A Tribute.

We recently passed the 7th anniversary of the death of the remarkable filmmaker George A. Romero. So, I wanted to share some Romero stuff here on my nickdigilio.com blog...so here goes.

Here I am with the great George A. Romero at The Flashback Weekend Horror Convention. It was a dream come true to know him.

First, this is what I wrote on July 16, 2017, upon hearing of George's passing:

"OK, I'm gonna give this a shot.

I am absolutely crushed by the death of George A. Romero, completely crushed. He was not only one of the most important and significant filmmakers that has ever lived; the inventor of an entire genre of movies; a maverick of independent thought; an icon in the world of horror; a satirist on the level of Mark Twain; a storyteller beyond reproach; a magnificent comedic mind....and, a helluva nice guy.

I had the honor of getting to know Mr. Romero over many years through my radio show, and my association with Flashback Weekend horror convention, and to say it was an amazing experience would be a massive understatement. 

He was kind, funny, generous and also very cantankerous when he wanted to be. He was also one of the most important artists that has ever lived, and a true inspiration to anyone who has worked in the world of cinema.

A true giant, who has left behind a treasure trove of work to be cherished and watched over and over again. I love him and his work...always have, always will. His movies truly changed my life.

He was an amazing man, and there is now a huge chasm in the horror world, and the real world in general.

Rest in Peace George Romero. 

Say Hi to Bub for me."

This is a shot from outside of our car at The Midway Drive-In during the Dusk to Dawn George Romero Fest. This is the opening of one of his zombie masterpieces "Day of the Dead."

Just this past May, I was honored to host a "Dusk to Dawn Romero Fest" at The Midway Drive-In, and I was even more thrilled that my girlfriend (THE creative force behind this website, by the way) Julie, was there with me.

Me and my lovely girlfriend Julie, getting ready to enjoy the Romero Fest at The Midway Drive-In.

It was a special night, and here are some details of the wonderful event:

Flashback Weekend’s Midway Drive-In Dusk to Dawn Romero Fest! 

It all happened on Sat. May 18, 2024, for the 45th Anniversary of George A. Romero’s “DAWN OF THE DEAD” in a very rare Drive-In showing!

It was held at the Flashback Weekend owned and operated Midway Drive In, located in Dixon, IL.

There were FOUR (4) George A. Romero classics presented, it was all hosted by me.

This was the schedule:

5:00PM – Gates opened. Vendors sold horror T-Shirts, posters, Blu-Rays, books, and more!

8:15PM – Pre Show started – Vintage coming attractions 

Followed by “NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD” (1968)  - followed by “DAWN OF THE DEAD” (1979) – followed by “DAY OF THE DEAD” (1985) – followed by  “THE CRAZIES” (1973)

I spoke between movies and got to hang out with horror followers, cool people, and Romero fans from all over the place.

It was an incredible way to honor George, celebrate his work, and remember him for the incredible contributions he made to film and culture. A truly GREAT night/morning.

Rest in Peace George, we all love you, and miss you.

Celebrating 45 Years of "Dawn of the Dead" at The Midway Drive-In this past May.

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2024: A Bad Year for Over-Hyped Horror

So, in regard to the title of this blog post...

My friend, esteemed colleague, and knowledgable film critic/writer Peter Sobczynski brilliantly touched upon this phenomenon recently in one of his recent reviews, and I'm going to touch upon it here.

In the past few years there has been an incredible (and annoying) effort by many studios (Hello NEON? Hello A24?) to hype the hell out of soon-to-be-released horror/suspense films by creating incessantly strange ad campaigns, that claim that each and every entry in the genre is a horrifying masterpiece.

This sly little tactic then gets the internet buzzing with anticipation, and since anyone with a phone and wifi is now a critic (and sees movies at screenings before they are released) the overwhelming blast of hype is enough to make you think that any movie with an offbeat plot, or a weird character is a terror masterwork.

Well, they aren't. 2024 has been a banner year for over-hyped horror films that just do NOT stand up to that hype machine.

In addition to that irritating buzzy trend, I personally haven't liked the majority of the horror movies of 2024.

In fact, I think most of them are wildly overrated (and obviously, over-hyped), mediocre, or they absolutely suck. It's been a lousy year for horror so far, and I can only hope it gets better.

The view from my seat at the press screening of what would be an absolutely terrible movie. Bad Horror 2024.

Here is a rundown of the crappy horror films of 2024 so far, almost all of them were very, very OVER-HYPED and very, very BAD:

ABIGAIL - As lazy as it gets. Not even buckets of blood and gore could help this idiotic Agatha Christie variant about a group of morons dealing with a mobster's vampire-ballerina. CRAP

LATE NIGHT WITH THE DEVIL - Incredibly overrated little film that does have a couple of moments (thanks to a wonderful performance by the terrific young actress Ingrid Torelli)., but never, ever comes together. The satire is flat, the horror tropes are tired, and it's all very boring. I love you David Dastmalchian, but this just didn't work for me...at all

IMMACULATE - Sydney Sweeney is terrible, period, end of story. This is the BAD nun-giving-birth-to-the-Anti-Christ film of 2024 (the other one, which I will tell you about further down, is glorious and amazing), and except for a pretty awesome final 3 minutes, this thing is absolutely unwatchable.

THE WATCHERS - M. Night Shyamalan's daughter proves she is as lousy a filmmaker as her dad. Not even worth writing about. CRAP

IMAGINARY - A teddy bear kills people, and evidently Betty Buckley lost a bet. CRAP

IN A VIOLENT NATURE - This one is the most baffling entry of the year. People that I know and respect, inexplicably love this movie. It has gotten mostly incredible reviews across the board, and the horror community has really embraced it. WTF? Basically some boring jagoff wanders around dressed like a Minion from a "Despicable Me" movie, and murders other boring jagoffs for 90 minutes. That's it. That's all. NOTHING else. No creativity. No real script to speak of. The acting is horrendous. The direction is tedious and derivative. There are A LOT of tracking shots. There are A LOT of graphic kills. There is A LOT of stupidity. Truly as bad as it gets. CRAP

I SAW THE TV GLOW - Writer/director Jane Schoenbrun's HUGELY disappointing follow-up to the absolutely brilliant "We're All Going to the World's Fair," is essentially the same movie, only not nearly as interesting (or as well acted). This is by no means a terrible movie (like most of this list), but it is a big letdown. I really hope that Schoenbrun's next movie is not a retread like this one.

ARCADIAN - Boring post-apocalyptic nonsense that plays like a bad "Quiet Place" knockoff. The kid actors are pretty good, but the rest in stiflingly tedious...and this is the first of two Nic Cage entries on this list. Just wait.

LISA FRANKENSTEIN - Another over-hyped piece of crap. Writer Diablo Cody proving once again (after the awful "Jennifer's Body") that she has no business writing horror. A horror comedy without horror, or comedy. Embarrassing on every level. CRAP

TAROT - "Final Destination" with tarot cards. Yeah. CRAP

NIGHT SWIM - Here's a movie about a haunted swimming pool...seriously. A couple of terrific actors (Wyatt Russell, and the transcendent Kerry Condon) do their best with bad material, but even they can't save it. CRAP

STING - A giant spider terrorizes a tenement building, and the results are boring and not the least bit scary. It also has the most annoying neighbor/nerd character I have seen in a long, long time. But, the young lead in this film, Alyla Browne, would go on to give one of the year's best performances as young Furiosa, in "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga." But this thing is CRAP

DEPARTING SENIORS - I have friends both in front of, and behind the camera on this one....so, I'm just gonna be quiet.

THE STRANGERS: CHAPTER ONE - The first of a new trilogy??? Really??? I'm normally terrified by home invasion movies, this one put me to sleep. It's a prequel (I think) to the 2008 film, that was ripoff/remake of the brilliant 2007 film, "Them" (Ils) which was absolutely terrifying. This thing...was not. CRAP

THE EXORCISM - A wasted opportunity. The co-writer and director of this movie, Joshua John Miller, just happens to be the son of Jason Miller, who is the man who played the greatest exorcist in film history, in "The Exorcist." This movie is about an actor who is playing an exorcist in a movie, and scary things happen. It starts out well, and ends up being just another stupid devil-possession movie with Russell Crowe sleepwalking through another performance. Not crap...but, bad.

At this moment, I had not yet seen The Worst Movie of 2024. About two hours later, I had seen the Worst Movie of 2024...and it's called "Longlegs." Bad Horror 2024

LONGLEGS - The worst movie of the year. Appalling. Inept. Stupid. Boring. Smug...and that's just the tip of the iceberg. This is the movie that Peter was reviewing when he talked about this over-hyping phenomenon, because this film is the most blatant example of that nonsense. It's hipster-doofus nonsense that showcases tired themes, and shamelessly rips off other films (particularly "Seven" and "Silence of the Lambs") all while brazenly piling on the ham-fisted atmospherics in a desperate effort to scare anyone who hasn't fallen asleep. Tedious hokum disguised as an art film that will only fool the really stupid and those unfamiliar with what makes a good horror movie. And don't even get me started on Nicolas Cage, whose ridiculous performance is on par with the scores of crappy, over-the-top jobs he's done in any number of straight-to-VOD trash heaps. This movie represents everything that's wrong and pretentious about modern independent filmmaking and distribution. This is as bad as any movie can be. Don't believe the hype. CRAP

Since this entire post has been dedicated to terrible movies, I'd like to end it with a quick list of the good stuff (which I will write more about soon). I wanted to end on a high note.

Here are the actual GOOD horror movies of 2024 so far, and they are all worth seeing:

A QUIET PLACE DAY ONE

MAXXXINE

INFECTED

STOP MOTION

THE DEVIL'S BATH

EXHUMA

and, the best horror film of the year (and one of the very best films of any genre):

THE FIRST OMEN - The biggest surprise of the year, the scariest movie I have seen in a long, long time.

Here is what I wrote immediately after seeing it in April:

"Well folks,  the first truly GREAT horror movie of 2024 has arrived (yes, it's MUCH better than "Late Night with the Devil"), and what is easily the best film of a pretty stupid series, is now in theaters. It is also the first truly great film directed by a woman so far this year.

Genuinely scary, overwhelmingly creepy and skin-crawly, this extraordinarily well made movie is EVERYTHING that the awful "Immaculate" claims to be....and much, much more (and, it features an actual actress, not Sydney Sweeney). This is deeply subversive, perversely beautiful stuff, that has the balls to disturb, shock, and challenge the audience....and again, it is remarkably well crafted and directed by the very gifted Arkasha Stevenson, directing her first feature here. Loaded with callbacks and tributes to everyone from Carpenter, to Cronenberg, to (ESPECIALLY) Argento, this is a real treat for horror geeks.

It is also anchored by an incredible, brave, daring, and draining central performance by Nell Tiger Free, who goes ALL OUT here (just shy of blowing  up the screen ala Isabelle Adjani in 1981's classic "Possession," which this film alludes to several times) and gives scary movie fans a gift of a stunning horror performance. The fact that this batshit crazy thing is being released wide by a major studio is mind boggling...but delightful.

Top notch all around, and not to be missed....but be warned: this thing might just screw you up a bit (it certainly did me).

Rejoice my Horror Tribe, and get your asses to the theater to see this one."

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