Rest in peace to the great Reggie Bannister.  After years of ill health, Bannister passed away on August 9th at the age of 80.

Reggie Bannister will always be remembered for his role as the same-named Reggie, the ice cream man in the Phantasm franchise.  For all the attention that was given to how scary Angus Grimm was, Reggie was the heart of the film.  Today’s scene that I love comes from 1979’s Phantasm.

I read yesterday that Reggie Bannister, one of the most beloved horror character actors out there, isn’t doing too well.  He has gone into hospice care.  Those words — “hospice care” — will always bring a tear to my eye.  My Dad went into hospice care last year and died a month later, which I was told was longer than most people survive in hospice.  Being the naive idiot that I was, I have to admit that, up until the end, I was still expecting my Dad to make a full recovery and just magically get out of bed.  Sadly, that’s just not the way these things work.  Hospice is end-of-life care and any medical professional who doesn’t make that clear while recommending it is doing a disservice to not only their patients but also their families.

Reggie Bannister is best-known for his appearances in the work of Don Coscarelli.  He’s one of those actors who just makes you smile whenever he appears on screen.  Anyone who has watched Phantasm loves Reggie, with his ice cream truck and his guitar and his whole laid back vibe.  Today’s scene that I love is a simple but wonderfully human moment from 1978’s Phantasm, featuring Bill Thornbury and the great Reggie Bannister.