Angus Scrimm, the iconic star of the Phantasm series and its humanoid embodiment of interdimensional evil, has died aged 89, it has been announced. A theatre actor originally, he was asked to play the villain in young director Don Coscarelli's low budget horror that thanks to its high invention on meagre means became a worldwide hit. Scrimm returned in the sequels, including the last instalment that has yet to be released, and won success and many fans thanks to his full-blooded performances there and elsewhere, always tempered with the sense that he was acting these roles with a twinkle in his eye. His many other films, that featured him in mainly small roles, included The Lost Empire, Chopping Mall, Deadfall and Coscarelli's recent cult hit John Dies at the End; he also enjoyed a recurring role in spy TV series Alias.
