The horror community has lost a true legend with the passing of Reggie Bannister at the age of 80. Best known and loved globally as the shotgun-toting, ice-cream-man-turned-hero Reggie in Don Coscarelli's iconic Phantasm franchise, he brought immense charm, grit, and heart to independent genre cinema. Beyond his unforgettable work on screen, he was also a talented musician, writer, and a cherished presence among fans. Rest in peace, Reg, thanks for all the memories and for showing us how to properly face the Tall Man.
Quote from: claws on August 10, 2026, 09:35:01 PMThe horror community has lost a true legend with the passing of Reggie Bannister at the age of 80. Best known and loved globally as the shotgun-toting, ice-cream-man-turned-hero Reggie in Don Coscarelli's iconic Phantasm franchise, he brought immense charm, grit, and heart to independent genre cinema. Beyond his unforgettable work on screen, he was also a talented musician, writer, and a cherished presence among fans. Rest in peace, Reg, thanks for all the memories and for showing us how to properly face the Tall Man.
Very sad news.
I remember sneaking in to see PHANTASM at our home town cinema in early 1980 to see it. The cinema owner knew my folks and I just had to wait until the lights went down, sat at the back and later had a few nightmares about closing mirrored cupboard doors and seeing someone standing behind me.
I never knew that he was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Makes me like him even more.
RIP Reggie. 😢❤️🌹❤️
Sad news. I know he'd been in hospice care for a while. It was a shame that his family had to ask for donations to help support him in his final days.
Apparently he'd been in bad shape for a while now, and just kept getting worse so it's no huge surprise.
Still, I loved him in the Phantasm series.