Horror News Well Go USA acquires Don Coscarelli's cult PHANTASM series for Blu-ray (including 2016's RAVAGER)

tridon

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Dec 5, 2011
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From ComingSoon:

PhantasmPoster.jpg


Don Coscarelli’s legendary Phantasm horror film series, including an all-new 4K restoration of the original 1979 cult classic Phantasm: Remastered, never-before-seen HD restorations of 1994’s Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead and 1998’s Phantasm IV: Oblivion, and the long-anticipated debut of the fifth and final film in the series, 2016’s Phantasm: Ravager. 1988’s Phantasm II is owned by Universal and will not be part of the deal.

All of this ball-tossing goodness will be available in remastered, high-definition versions across all cable and digital platforms on October 7th, 2016.

This is huge news for Phantasm Phreaks.

A Blu-ray and DVD Collector’s Edition Set of the Phantasm series will follow later this year, along with individual Blu-rays and DVDs of Phantasm: Remastered and Phantasm: Ravager, all of which will be packed with special bonus features.

Phantasm: Remastered and Phantasm: Ravager will hit theaters as well. Phantasm: Remastered will screen across the county as part of the inaugural Art House Theater Day on September 24th, 2016, and Phantasm: Ravager will be released in select theaters on October 7th, day and date with its digital HD release.

Phantasm: Remastered came into being when filmmaker J.J. Abrams, a fan of the original, wanted to screen the film for his team at Bad Robot Productions- only to find the available prints in terrible shape. Working on the premises of Bad Robot with their expert staff, director Don Coscarelli was invited by J.J. to supervise a meticulous 4K digital remaster using their state-of-the-art tools. This included a brand-new 5.1 audio mix using the original stems, ensuring Phantasm will forever be available to scare the hell out of generations to come with perfect picture and sound.

“The Phantasm films are iconic, and Well Go is ecstatic to have them. We get to bring a classic to a whole new audience with Phantasm: Remastered, and with Phantasm: Ravager we get to bring the die-hard fans – of which I am one – the closure they’ve been waiting for,” said Dylan Marchetti, SVP of Well Go USA Entertainment. “This is the kind of deal that every distributor dreams of doing, and when you get to do it with a true independent like Don, well, that’s just the extra cherry on the sundae.”

“I’m thrilled to be working with Well Go USA and their talented and dedicated team,” said Phantasm creator Coscarelli. “I am excited by their innovative new ideas and intense drive to bring the Phantasm franchise to a new generation of fans.”
 
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Maybe WELL GO can finance that John Dies At The End sequel for Don!
Hard to believe that PHANTASM has never had a proper release. It influenced so many other films.
As great as A Nightmare on Elm Street is - it totally stole the "dream horror" idea from Coscarelli and Phantasm.
Back in the day, it was o.k. To steal from "lesser" films, because nobody would ever know about that film you stole from - because it had no distribution. (Same thing applied with "borrowing" foreign films. Before the internet, no one would know about these things. But in the internet age it is harder for someone like Suzanne Collins to steal BATTLE ROYALE from Japan for Hunger Games and pretend she didn't).
VERY excited for this. PHANTASM was a seminal part of my VHS youth.
Great score too.
 
Very surprised that Shout Factory didn't get the deal for Phantasm.....

Rumour is that Arrow have got the UK rights for the box set.....I know which one i'll be going for and it's not Well Go :D ;)
 
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From Phantasm.com


Below is a partial list of theaters playing PHANTASM REMASTERED on “Art House Day” Sat night Sept. 24. As more cities are added we will update this list. Also screening in most theaters will be a sneak peek of behind-the-scenes footage from production of the brand new fifth and final film in the series, PHANTASM RAVAGER.

PHANTASM RAVAGER opens in theaters on Oct 7th.


IL Chicago – Fri AUG 5 – Special sneak preview at FLASHBACK WEEKEND – Rosemont Muvico

IL Chicago – Sat AUG 6 – Special sneak preview at FLASHBACK WEEKEND – Rosemont Muvico


CO Denver – Alamo Drafthouse Denver

NY New York – IFC Center

IL Chicago – Music Box Theater

NB Omaha – Alamo Drafthouse Omaha

MI Kalamazoo – Alamo Drafthouse Kalamazoo

TX Houston – Alamo Drafthouse Vintage Park

TX Houston – Alamo Drafthouse Mason Park

NY Rochester – The Little Theatre

PA Philadelphia – Roxy

WA Seattle – SIFF Uptown

OR Portland – Hollywood Theater

NY Ithaca – Cinemapolis

PA Bryn Mawr – Bryn Mawr Film Institute

PA Bethlehem – ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks

PA Pittsburgh – Penn Hills Cinemas

PA Pittsburgh – Hollywood Theater

PA Phoenixville – Colonial Theater

AZ Tucson – Loft Theater

OH Cleveland – Capitol Theater

OK Tulsa – Circle Cinema

OH Columbus – Gateway Film Center

IN Ft. Wayne – Cinema Center

IA Iowa City – Bijou / FilmScene
 
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