Bill Cone only had one acting credit to his name, and that single screen appearance didn’t last very long, but it’s worth taking note of because it happens at the beginning of one of the best horror movies ever made, writer/director Don Coscarelli’s 1979 classic Phantasm (watch it Here). Cone plays a character named Tommy in that film, and it’s his death that gets the story rolling. Sadly, today we have to report that Bill Cone has passed away.
The news of Cone’s death was first shared on the official Phantasm Facebook page, where it was also revealed that he had contributed to the soundtracks of both Phantasm and Coscarelli’s earlier film Kenny & Company. Here’s the text from their post: “We are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the core Phantasm cast members, Bill Cone (aka Tommy from the...
The news of Cone’s death was first shared on the official Phantasm Facebook page, where it was also revealed that he had contributed to the soundtracks of both Phantasm and Coscarelli’s earlier film Kenny & Company. Here’s the text from their post: “We are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the core Phantasm cast members, Bill Cone (aka Tommy from the...
- 4/3/2024
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Known to horror fans for his brief but memorable appearance as Tommy in Don Coscarelli’s original horror classic Phantasm (1979), actor and musician Bill Cone has passed away.
Bill Cone also worked behind the scenes on the horror classic, providing key contributions to its iconic soundtrack. Story goes that Cone was a fan of horror movies and expressed an interest in dying onscreen in one, which led to Coscarelli casting him as the ill-fated Tommy, whose death kickstarts the events of the film. And into the hallowed halls of horror history he went.
The official Phantasm page on Facebook writes, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the core Phantasm cast members, Bill Cone (aka Tommy from the original Phantasm). In addition to acting, Bill was a superlative musician. He was a key collaborator on the original Phantasm soundtrack, providing skilled guitar work.
“Previous to that,...
Bill Cone also worked behind the scenes on the horror classic, providing key contributions to its iconic soundtrack. Story goes that Cone was a fan of horror movies and expressed an interest in dying onscreen in one, which led to Coscarelli casting him as the ill-fated Tommy, whose death kickstarts the events of the film. And into the hallowed halls of horror history he went.
The official Phantasm page on Facebook writes, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the core Phantasm cast members, Bill Cone (aka Tommy from the original Phantasm). In addition to acting, Bill was a superlative musician. He was a key collaborator on the original Phantasm soundtrack, providing skilled guitar work.
“Previous to that,...
- 4/2/2024
- by John Squires
- bloody-disgusting.com
As Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”
The horror genre offers a controlled environment in which viewers can reflect on their own morality, whether it be via catharsis or escapism, but a personal loss can complicate one’s relationship with horror. Even the most hardened of fans may struggle to find comfort in the genre after experiencing the death of a loved one.
45 years ago today, Phantasm helped viewers confront death head-on while subtly exploring the grief that accompanies it. In the film, 13-year-old Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) convinces his older brother-turned-guardian Jody (Bill Thornbury) and their affable neighborhood ice cream man, Reggie (Reggie Bannister), to investigate a mysterious mortician dubbed The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm).
Phantasm was the third feature from writer-director Don Coscarelli. The seed was planted upon witnessing the audience react to a small jump...
The horror genre offers a controlled environment in which viewers can reflect on their own morality, whether it be via catharsis or escapism, but a personal loss can complicate one’s relationship with horror. Even the most hardened of fans may struggle to find comfort in the genre after experiencing the death of a loved one.
45 years ago today, Phantasm helped viewers confront death head-on while subtly exploring the grief that accompanies it. In the film, 13-year-old Mike (A. Michael Baldwin) convinces his older brother-turned-guardian Jody (Bill Thornbury) and their affable neighborhood ice cream man, Reggie (Reggie Bannister), to investigate a mysterious mortician dubbed The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm).
Phantasm was the third feature from writer-director Don Coscarelli. The seed was planted upon witnessing the audience react to a small jump...
- 3/28/2024
- by Alex DiVincenzo
- bloody-disgusting.com
Stars: E.R. Ruiz, Cindy Nicholsen, David Roche, Dawn Shaw, Robin L’Houmeau, Debbie Lynch-White, Dean Perseo, Noémie Kocher | Written by Joelle Bourjolly, Alexandre Franchi | Directed by Alexandre Franchi
Happy Face is a very different kind of film. Beginning as a personal concept and going on to an Indiegogo campaign, using crowdfunding as a way to make it happen, Alexandre Franchi (The Wild Hunt) went out of his way, with passion and a desire, to create a film that promotes diversity and shows real people with real disabilities and facial differences on screen in a way that isn’t presented as farcical, nor overly saccharine, nor merely tragic. The courage of these individuals is something Franchi explores, showing them, as he mentioned in his campaign, as people not just with disfigurements, but people with their own personal desires, relationships and insecurities. What a beautiful idea, what a novel approach.
The story itself...
Happy Face is a very different kind of film. Beginning as a personal concept and going on to an Indiegogo campaign, using crowdfunding as a way to make it happen, Alexandre Franchi (The Wild Hunt) went out of his way, with passion and a desire, to create a film that promotes diversity and shows real people with real disabilities and facial differences on screen in a way that isn’t presented as farcical, nor overly saccharine, nor merely tragic. The courage of these individuals is something Franchi explores, showing them, as he mentioned in his campaign, as people not just with disfigurements, but people with their own personal desires, relationships and insecurities. What a beautiful idea, what a novel approach.
The story itself...
- 1/14/2021
- by Chris Cummings
- Nerdly
Kenneth Jones, a character actor best remembered for his role as the “Caretaker” in Phantasm, has died. The film’s director, Don Coscarelli, reported the death via Twitter. No age or cause of death was given.
Coscarelli said Jones was in “the most impactful scene” in Phantasm. In the 1979 film, Jones’s character was drilled through the head by the Tall Man’s silver sphere. A river of blood was the result. (trigger warning on video: it’s gory).
“Everyone who came in contact with Ken loved him. He was warm, talented, and a devoted family man. The fans loved meeting him in recent years at the conventions with his loving daughter Jennifer and grandson Ej by his side. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Prior to Phantasm, Jones appeared in Coscarelli’s 1976 comedy Kenny & Company, and he later appeared in the 1993 film Hidden Fears, starring Meg Foster and Frederic Forrest.
Coscarelli said Jones was in “the most impactful scene” in Phantasm. In the 1979 film, Jones’s character was drilled through the head by the Tall Man’s silver sphere. A river of blood was the result. (trigger warning on video: it’s gory).
“Everyone who came in contact with Ken loved him. He was warm, talented, and a devoted family man. The fans loved meeting him in recent years at the conventions with his loving daughter Jennifer and grandson Ej by his side. Rest in peace, my friend.”
Prior to Phantasm, Jones appeared in Coscarelli’s 1976 comedy Kenny & Company, and he later appeared in the 1993 film Hidden Fears, starring Meg Foster and Frederic Forrest.
- 11/7/2020
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
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