By RHEA-FRANCES TETLEY
Staff Writer
The book Phantasm SurVIval- It’s Never Over was released last week, with a big upcoming book release/book signing party, locally, with the author, Gigi Bannister, and the star of the five Phantasm movies, Reggie Bannister, also in attendance.
The book is a sequel to the five movies and is Book One in a series of books continuing the Phantasm story. It is the book “With Balls.”
The story picks up about a decade after the last movie left off but has so such detail and character description that even someone who has never seen a Phantasm movie will be lured into the story, will soon know the characters and be up to date within the first two engaging chapters of the book.
The book begins with the dynamic trio – Reggie (the intrepid Ice Cream Man-turned-hero) and his best friends, brothers Jody and Mike, who are continuing their quest to stop the evil Tall Man as he tries to destroy mankind and more. This newest book is a delightful, yet exciting read, an action movie in written form, very visual in its writing and is a page turner with so much action it is difficult to find a time in the story to put it down. The story is so very compelling, like an action movie that doesn’t have any “down time” to go get popcorn.
The story “SurVIval” has been in development since 2015 when the story was developed as a movie script, as part VI of the Phantasm series which, due to many intervening situations, did not occur. Gigi explained the decision to write it as a book: “I asked permission of Don Coscarelli (the creator/producer of the Phantasm franchise), if Reggie and I could turn it into a book. He agreed, and that’s where we’re at from 2016 when I began the script in earnest to 2024 when we finished the book. Reggie contributed the voice and action to the project.”
The book signing for Phantasm SurVIval- It’s Never Over will be held in the gardens at Bizzyland, 23875 Lake Drive in Crestline, from 6 to 9 :30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 24. During the evening event, there will be previously recorded music from Reggie Bannister’s bands and a costume contest (so come in your special costume style), plus there will be delicious drinks. Author Gigi Bannister will be signing her books beginning at 7 p.m. and throughout the evening. If there is an opportunity she may read a short selection of the book from the stage.
There are several prices for the evening’s events. Simple entry to the garden to rub elbows with everyone else is just $5. There will be custom cocktails, mocktails, local beers and even non-alcoholic beers to appeal to everyone’s tastes available, and some munchies. Those “Phans” who own Phantasm items they would like to have autographed should bring them that evening, as Reggie will be autographing items for $20, just like at Comic-Con.
A special entry price of $20 includes Bizzyland admission, receiving an autographed copy of the paperback book Phantasm SurVIval, a special drink and an opportunity to meet Reggie.
For the $50 Gigi upgrade, those Phans get a limited, special-edition, color, hardback copy of Phantasm SurVIval- It’s Never Over plus personalized autographs from Gigi and Reggie, time chatting with Reggie, plus a personalized package of Phantasm goodies and a CD of Reggie Bannister’s folk rock album. Each book sold during this time will have a dollar donated to the Noah Bard heart transplant fundraiser.
The hardcopy version of Phantasm SurVIval was released on Sept. 20, 2024. It is engaging and is the first in a series of books to continue the action-filled Phantasm story line, where the evil mortician, the Tall Man, his protégé (the Lady in Lavender) and an enhanced minion, PhrakenGraver, continue to pursue the heroic trio, Reggie, Mike and Jody. As described by Gigi, “Joined by friends, old and new, in this book the trio choose to take the fight of their lives to their nemesis in an effort to survive.”
Gigi (Fast Elk) Bannister is a filmmaker, writer, special effects makeup artist and movie director. She and her husband reside locally. These two Army veterans over the past decades have made major contributions to their community through the chamber of commerce by providing and coordinating community events and performing music.
Gigi is vice president of the RimVets Outreach and is active in community organizations and projects and travels, speaking against domestic violence. The couple’s nonprofit foundation, Crestline Creative Arts Foundation, has offered the community’s youth opportunities in constructing and operating seasonal haunted houses; for years the foundation sponsored summer movie camps, teaching making movie techniques to youth and producing a movie each camp session, including the local cult horror classic, Crestline Charlie. Gigi is an elected member of the Rim of the World Recreation and Park District’s board of directors, which provides recreation opportunities for youth and maintains the area’s parks.
Gigi has written many movie scripts and last year wrote and published a children’s book, The Adventures of Mr. Tiggy, which was inspired and based upon their own wandering kitty who resided with the Bannisters for over 19 years.
The Bannisters, over the decades, have attracted several Indie movie companies to come to the mountain area to film, continuing the over 100-year San Bernardino Mountains tradition of being a location destination for Hollywood movie making. When the Phantasm SurVIval movie was being developed, some of the early test scenes were actually shot in Crestline because scenes from previous Phantasm movies were shot in Crestline, using local crews and local cast, contributing to the local economy, added Gigi.
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