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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