In much the same way that director
George A. Romero creative
output has been primarily centered around the highly successful "Dead"
series of zombie films, then fellow fantasy director
Don Coscarelli has for over two decades
seen his universe swirling around the lesser successful, but equally
cult, and much loved "Phantasm" series of horror movies.
Coscarelli was born in Tripoli in North Africa, but raised around
Southern California, and was interested in the cinema from a young age
and together with his friends they made several low budget movies that
aired on community TV stations to very positive feedback.
After a low key start with his first feature film embracing the trials
of a young teenager caught in a world of alcoholic abuse
Jim, the World's Greatest (1975),
Coscarelli followed this up with a lighter comedic tale about another
youngster and his view of the world as an impressionable 12 year old in
Kenny & Company (1976). However,
the imaginative Coscarelli then really hit the (horror) big time with
the 1979 release of the highly inventive fright thriller
Das Böse (1979). Once again, a young boy
is at the center of a spine-chilling story about a creepy funeral home,
a sinister Tall Man (wonderful acting by Coscarelli's long time buddy
Angus Scrimm), disappearing corpses,
malignant dwarfs and a gateway into a hellish, other world dimension.
Shot on a very modest budget,
Das Böse (1979) was hotly received by
horror fans worldwide, and the film has since spawned three
sequels...each fairly decent in their own right! First up was the
gorier Das Böse II (1988), followed
by
Das Böse III (1994),
and the third sequel to date,
Phantasm IV (1998).
A fifth and final sequel titled "Phantasm's End" has been apparently
discussed, but nothing further has yet eventuated on this project. As
the Angus Scrimm is approaching his 80th
birthday, Phantasm fans hope that the "Tall Man" will be there for the
proposed final chapter of this thrilling saga of the Undead!
Apart from the "Phantasm" series, Coscarelli also wrote and directed
the well received sword and sorcery film
Beastmaster - Der Befreier (1982) starring
athletic Marc Singer and the
eye-catching Tanya Roberts being pursued
by villainous high priest Rip Torn. And
recently in 2002, Coscarelli cast horror & fantasy film screen hero
Bruce Campbell in the highly
off-beat Bubba Ho-Tep (2002) that
depicts Elvis and John F. Kennedy hiding out in a Texas rest home where
the residents are being attacked by a 3,000 year old cowboy boot
wearing mummy trying to bring itself back to life! A strange script it
may sound, but indie and horror film fans loved the unusual premise and
quirky humor, and the film was a hot hit at several film festivals and
has spawned a further cult following for Coscarelli and Campbell.
Coscarelli, similar to gifted fantasy directors such as
Wes Craven,
Sam Raimi and
George A. Romero has carved
himself a true cult niche in modern horror film history, and his loyal
fans eagerly await his next project.
