Interview -- Reggie and Gigi Bannister (Actors, Authors, "Phantasm")
snag that tall dude and
stomp the shit out of him..."
~ Reggie ~ (Reggie Bannister)
Okay, David Lee and Tom Waits may sing of being one, but actor Reggie Bannister is the real ice cream man. Since the very first "Phantasm" movie, Reggie has been a working-class hero of the most anomalous and determined means. Helping to battle the Tall Man and the many spheres of death, this year marks the 45th Anniversary of one of the strangest, coolest, and craziest of horror films.
Reggie Bannister has represented in all five of the “Phantasm” films and, along with his multi-talented wife Gigi, has recently released an exciting book that picks up where the series left off. Like Michael J. Fox and many others, Reggie has been dancing with Parkinson's with a two-step forward, one-step back determination, continuing to stay active meeting fans, and working on his memoirs. Thanks to our favorite ice cream man, Reggie Bannister helped deliver one twisted horror classic that will hang out in the Cult Movie Hall of Fame for years. And I'll take a triple scoop if you please. Reggie and Gigi Bannister. Go get you some.
Reggie and Gigi Bannister Interview -- October 2024
Reggie and Gigi Bannister
[The following interview has been edited for clarity and length.]
Casey Chambers: I'm a huge fan of the cult movie "Phantasm" and the rest of the series and this year marks the 45th anniversary. How did your involvement in that project come about?
Reggie Bannister: Well, Don Coscarelli directed "Phantasm." We both lived in Long Beach and had known each other since back when I was going to Long Beach City College. I was doing theater at the time, a series of one-acts called "Circle Games" and Don saw my work on stage. I was in about four of them...playing different characters...and he wanted to meet me afterward. Don was very young and enthusiastic and talked about who he was and what he was planning to do with his life. He wanted to make a film very soon and he wanted me in it. I said, 'Okay, let me see the script.' And it turned out to be a film called "Kenny & Company." (laughs)
Casey Chambers: That was a good one.
Reggie Bannister: Did you see it?
Casey Chambers: Yeah, yeah. School kids getting ready for Halloween with a bully on their ass and you played one of the teachers, right? I enjoyed that one.
Reggie Bannister: Yeah. It was a good film. Don did a really good job of writing the story and putting it together film-wise. Scene by scene. I was very impressed. When he had his premiere, people liked it. And I liked it too. And then the same year he wanted to do another film called, "Jim The World's Greatest." (1976) I don't know if you saw that one, but it was cool too. I played a funny character in that one and it was a lot of fun. (laughs)
Gigi Bannister: I know Don said that he really enjoyed how people jumped during the jump scare in that movie and he really caught the bug of scaring people.
Reggie Bannister: Yeah, we all had fun doing it. That was the whole nature of our relationship. Me and Don. We just had a lot of fun doing what we were doing. And by golly, by gum, he sold it to the studios for distribution. (laughs) What a trip! Don would always let me read first what he wanted to do...and was always really open with me line-wise and character-wise in creating my own character. And then the third film that we did was "Phantasm" and that got us off and running.
"Phantasm" (1979) Remastered Trailer
Casey Chambers: That's very cool.
Reggie Bannister: Isn't that cool? He picks people for their talent and then lets them do their thing based on the script that he writes. He trusts his actor's judgment and is always willing to listen if they have an idea. So we just had a great time. And when "Phantasm" came out, it did a lot of business, which was very nice. (laughs) Universal took notice of that, and they signed us up for a second one. Unfortunately, Universal started putting conditions on the films, which upset Don because somebody else became in charge of the project.
Gigi Bannister: The gentleman Don had been working with for all those years died. So Don had to deal with someone entirely new.
Reggie Bannister: That's right. That's right. So he had to get used to a new routine. Fortunately, by the time we got to filming the third "Phantasm"...he had enough money and movie title recognition that he was able to do his own business. And did it.
Gigi Bannister: But then instead of releasing it theatrically, Universal decided to release it through their video division, Viacom, which pissed off Reggie to no end. So Reggie made a phone call to good friend Michael Berryman from "The Hills Have Eyes" and "Evil Spirits" about what happened to the promotion and we are forever grateful to him. He told Reggie, 'You should be talking to this chick named Gigi because she has a group called The Wolf Pack that books celebrities into conventions and allows us to get out and promote our films ourselves.' That's how Reggie and I met. (laughs) Reggie had no idea when he called me what a huge "Phantasm" fan I was. I've been a fan since the first one came out.
Reggie Bannister: I called her right out of the blue.
Gigi Bannister: Yeah, and when we met, we shook hands and it was like someone reached in and grabbed my soul. And he thought I had a big stick up my butt. (laughs) So for the next five years, I began to teach him about the nature of the business and how to stay alive in the business and promote himself over the product. And he began extracting the stick outta my butt. (laughs) And we've been together ever since.
Casey Chambers: So "Phantasm," besides being a cult film, was also responsible for bringing the two of you together.
"Phantasm III" (1994) Trailer
Gigi Bannister: Yes it did. So when "Phantasm III" came out in 1994, we promoted the hell out of it. Because that one was Reggie's feature, ya know? It was funny. It was action-driven. Now "Phantasm II" introduced all the toys. The Quadruple-Barrelled Shotgun that became Reggie's signature weapon. There was one that we call the Saw Sphere. I think the one with the Eyeball Sphere was in that one. And there were a few others. But "Phantasm III" was really centered around Reggie. Kevin Connors was the little kid in it. Cindy Ambuehl was in it. It was really a dynamic story. Also, "Phantasm III" is when Michael Baldwin was brought back into the cast. Don never wanted to recast that role to anybody else in the second one, but Universal Studios insisted. They have actors on contract.
Reggie Bannister: We were bummed that Michael Baldwin couldn't do it. But they gave us James LeGros and he was a terrific actor, too.
Casey Chambers: At what point did you realize "Phantasm" was becoming more than just another scare flick and starting to climb into the cult status-sphere?
Reggie Bannister: Oh, boy. I began realizing what you're talking about when we got signed up with Universal for "Phantasm II." Universal is the major leagues, ya know? I mean seriously huge. And they were wanting to do our picture? When I found out, "I went, 'Oh my God!' (laughs)
Gigi Bannister: Reggie tells a story about how he was working as a delivery driver for Sunnyside Mortuary delivering flowers. He was gassing up his delivery truck and he looked up, and across the street was a billboard with "Phantasm II" on it. (laughs).
Reggie Bannister: Oh yeah, that was quite a moment.
Casey Chambers: I bet you could've lifted a coffin or two yourself that day! (laughs) I know I would've spit coffee all over my steering wheel. Good stuff. Did you have a favorite horror movie growing up?
Reggie Bannister: I think my favorite horror movie...
Gigi Bannister: Oh, is it "The Mummy's Hand?"
Reggie Bannister: No...no...the one I'm thinking of is "Invasion of the Body Snatchers." The original one. It was made back in the 1950s. That's the one that made me want to get involved in doing some horror films. It was so cool. That was a great movie.
Casey Chambers: Mine, too. Both versions.
Reggie Bannister: "Phantasm" was my first horror film and I loved making that movie. I loved the story, I loved the actors. And I'm still very proud of it.
Casey Chambers: It's been 45 years since that movie came out and I've watched it dozens of times. So much fun. Switching gears for a moment, when you want to listen to some music, what are a couple of go-to albums you reach for?
Reggie Bannister: Wow, all the The Beatles, of course. (laughs) The Rolling Stones are my favorites. I had always been in choirs in school. I was figuring out rock and roll then, and I still love the classics. "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" is still my favorite Stones song. (singing) 'I can't get no...satisfaction.' (laughs)
Gigi Bannister: (singing) 'I can't get no...satisfaction.' (laughs)
Reggie Bannister: The Stones are great.
Casey Chambers: Yes! That reminds me. Reggie, there's a scene in the first "Phantasm" where you're having a little jam session on the porch.
Reggie and Jody on the porch / "Phantasm"
Reggie Bannister: That was a really fun scene that I had with Bill Thornbury. We're sitting on the porch and playing a song that Bill wrote called "Sitting Here at Midnight." We used to really appreciate each other's music. We just sort of fell into it while we were making our first film together. We really did become friends and enjoyed being on the set. Even when we'd get breaks, we'd go sit someplace and play some music together. (laughs) It was a good trip.
Gigi Bannister: One of the great joys that I have is some of the memories of Reggie and Bill Thornbury and Michael Baldwin, just sitting behind the scenes and just...we call it noodling, ya know? They'll be in makeup and costume, and one of them will just pick up the guitar and start playing. Michael is an amazing musician too and has the most beautiful melodic whistle I've ever heard. And Bill has that gentle soft voice and Reggie always has the right accompaniment. Seeing the three of them having those moments of togetherness was always a joy.
Casey Chambers: That's a nice share. Gigi, you've written a new book that was also co-authored by Reggie entitled..."Phantasm: SurVIval: It's Never Over." Does this story of yours pick up where the last movie left off?
by Gigi & Reggie Bannister
Gigi Bannister: Yes, the book is a kind of sequel to "Phantasm V: Ravager." The story continues the adventure and also delves into the origins of many of the characters and their relationships with one another. Like the Tall Man and the Lady In Lavender, and what their purpose is. The story is set ten years in the future and it's a battle of good and evil. And just when you think you've got it figured out, it takes a twist. It's very much in the fashion of Don Coscarelli. (laughs). And we give the biggest thanks to Don for allowing us to do the book. We had a lot of fun with it.
Fans interested can purchase "Phantasm: SurVIval: It's Never Over" in hardback, paperback, or Kindle at Amazon. The book can also be ordered through our website, Nightmarez Cafe. There is also going to be a "Phantasm" 45th-Anniversary Reunion" at the ScareFest Weekend in Lexington, Kentucky later this month. We will be signing the books there as well.
Casey Chambers: Well, congratulations on the book. This sounds like a really fun read that might fill in some of the unexplained mysteries that have been going on. Looking forward to it. I want to thank both of you for taking some time out of your day. Stay safe out there and best to both of you.
Gigi Bannister: Thank you, Casey.
Reggie Bannister: It was a lot of fun, Casey. Thanks a lot.
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Good stuff.
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