Horror icon Reggie Bannister, whose movies include the Phantasm series, Bubba Ho-Tep, The Wishmaster and many others, has died at the age of 80.
Reggie was diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia in 2016 and was also suffering from Parkinson’s disease. I donated to a GoFundMe appeal earlier this year to help pay for his hospice care. It was clear then that he wouldn’t be with us for much longer. Now the end has arrived.
Strangely, I wrote a two-part love letter to the Phantasm series the same week I found out about Reggie’s health struggles. It was a complete coincidence, but I incorporated it into the second part of the article, which partly serves as a tribute to Reggie. The articles can be found here and here.
A Life Less Ordinary
Reggie Bannister had one hell of a life. In the 1960s he was a member of folk band The Greenwood County Singers. Their album The Ballad of the Green Berets reached the Billboard top ten in 1966.
But modest musical success wasn’t enough to keep Reggie from being drafted for Vietnam. Whilst not a fan of the war, he had this to say about his decision to serve:
I was not for that war, I was against it, but there was this thing called the draft. I had friends who were going to Canada and I wasn’t going to do that, I stand up to what’s in front of me, and so just like anything else I just thought, ‘Soldier? Really? You’re gonna be a soldier? Okay, well then you’re going to be the baddest-ass soldier that ever put on a uniform.
In Vietnam Reggie was exposed to Agent Orange and suffered hearing loss from being around heavy caliber weapons all day. After leaving the army, he continued to play gigs in local bars.
At once such gig he met 18-year old Don Coscarelli, who was working on his first feature film, Jim, the World’s Greatest (1975). Impressed by Reggie’s songs and personality, Coscarelli offered him a role in the movie.
An Unlikely Hero
The rest, as they say, is history. Coscarelli cast Reggie in his next two movies, including his best known role as…err…Reggie, in Phantasm (1979).
Initially a supporting role, Reggie grew with the series, becoming its main star by Phantasm III. His character’s evolution from ice cream man to road warrior is a joy to behold.
I mentioned in my Phantasm article that Reggie Bannister is one of the most unlikely action heroes you’ve ever seen, but that’s precisely why it works. His everyman style perfectly contrasts the craziness unfolding around him. He’s in way over his head, but he perseveres, and we love him for it.
That attitude could very well sum up the man himself and not just his character. Thank you for your service, Reggie. Give The Tall Man my regards.
