Lone Pine - The Small California Western Town That Birthed Phantasm: Oblivion
Whenever a Phantasm film is released the same question comes up:
WHEN IS THE NEXT ONE?
After Phantasm III: Lord of the Dead came out in 1994 Phantasm fans were immediately clamoring for another one.
A few years passed and director Don Coscarelli realized that he wanted to make a very different sequel in a very different location. Stuntman Bob Ivy who had done the legendary “Pink Hearse” stunt in part 3, and happens to be a massive horror and film fan, mentioned to Coscarelli that he had once worked in a film-friendly town near the Eastern Sierras called Lone Pine, CA.
Lone Pine, CA’s charming Main Street at night
As Visit California explains: The area around Lone Pine—including the Alabama Hills Recreational Area—has some of the most recognizable piles of rock in the history of cinema. The terrain here provided the settings for hundreds of westerns and classic films, including 1939’s Gunga Din and 1962’s How the West Was Won.
The Alabama Hills are a must visit on any California road trip.
Lone Pine was selected as the location for the sequences in which Reggie escaped from the Tall Man’s lair and searched for Mike in the desert. Eventually, he finds Mike and together they attempt to take down the Tall Man in what was labeled as “Death Valley, CA.” Some sequences were shot in the actual Death Valley, which was not far from Lone Pine.
The Phantasm: Oblivion crew assembled in Lone Pine, CA in late 1997 staying at the famed Dow Villa Motel on South Main Street.
The Dow Villa hotel where the cast and crew of Phantasm Oblivion stayed in Lone Pine, CA
Each morning (or night) the team would drive the 20 minutes to the heart of the nearby Alabama Hills for filming. The cast and crew immersed themselves with the locals and became a continuing presence in town.
The famous Alabama Hills
You never knew which Phantasm cast member might be seen at one of the local bars and restaurants each evening.
Days were cold and nights were colder but director of photographer Chris Chomyn’s gorgeous cinematography really showed off the beauty of Lone Pine.
Reggie and the Alabama Hills are a most excellent combo
Scenes filmed in Lone Pine include:
Reggie vs the Demon Trooper
Reggie vs. Demon Trooper
Mike writing his thoughts by candlelight
Mike building his “Tall Man Killer” sphere device
Mike in the Sierra Nevadas
Mike and Reggie blowing up their hearse
And many more!
If you ever find yourself on a road trip up Highway 395 in California, make sure to stop by Lone Pine and make the drive into the Alabama Hills. However, if you see any silver balls still flying around out there – RUN!
