At twenty-eight minutes into the movie the author character played by Val Kilmer peers through window slats upon the deputies at the local jailhouse, all of whom are sleeping. The first one looks conspicuously like Patrick Magee, one of the actors in the first movie--another great horror film-- which Mr. Coppola directed, Dementia 13.
"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk."
At first I thought you meant Patrick Macnee, who as you probably know was in the very popular British spy caper series The Avengers with Diana Rigg. However, he was probably something of a contemporary of Magee's.
You must have a very sharp eye and ear for actors. I suppose Magee could have been CGI'd in, or whatever you call that ... and that probably would have been an inside joke. According to his bio, he passed in 1982. So a ghost would indeed have haunted that scene.
Btw, thanks for the reference to Dementia 13 which was released 48 years earlier!!!! I now will have to see it.
You're very welcome, and I do hope that you enjoy the movie. Its quite different from Twixt, but its an enjoyable film, especially when home alone on a stormy night with the lights off. Macgee was bald with hair above his ears, and had his own unique look about him. To see someone identical might have been CGI or perhaps they acquired an actor who looked much like him, but as these two movies are Coppola's only horror movies, I didn't see how it could be coincidence, and I would wager that it is an inside joke as you so rightly stated. I'd forgot about Patrick Macnee, although I've not forgotten Diana Rigg. Quite comely. She was also in Theatre of Horror with Vincent Price, which I recommend if you haven't viewed it as of yet.
When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk.
these two movies are Coppola's only horror movies
I didn't even realize that he directed that. Perhaps i knew that at one time and forgot it. I shouldn't be surprised it was a top notch film, and did a good job of following the book. That's a rather glaring error on my part, thank you for bringing it to my attention. Some don't consider Twixt a horror movie, but it certainly seems so to me.
"When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk."