La città maledetta

"Ghost Town" follows Langley, a policeman who arrives in a remote ghost town in search of a missing woman (Catherine Hickland). The town seems to still have some residents lurking about, however—ones from its nineteenth-century past.

This offbeat horror-Western pastiche seems to have flown under the radar of genre fans for nearly three decades now, having been relegated to home video in the late eighties after an extremely small theatrical run. While it's not a masterpiece, "Ghost Town" is a weirdly charming and memorable collision of supernatural horror with the gritty Western; the result is an almost otherworldly atmosphere that is as dreamlike as it is dreary.

Written by David Schmoeller ("Tourist Trap"), the film plays on the Western angle considerably, and the tension between the two genres is a source of both humor and horror. The film is visually striking and atmospheric, drenched in dust and boasting some eerie Western set pieces and a dreary, ominous desert backdrop. The film is surprisingly gore-free for the most part, though it does supply some creative special effects with the gang of outlaws. Pacing-wise, the film does lull in spots, but for the most part keeps its wheels turning. Franc Luz and Catherine Hickland turn in memorable performances, as does Jimmie Skaggs as the zombified antagonist.

Overall, "Ghost Town" is a marginally impressive late-eighties effort that stands out for its unique blend of genres. Its off-kilter atmosphere is a major strength, but there are some memorable scenes throughout, as well as playful and sinister performances from the cast. Definitely not a genre masterwork, but when taken in the context of its peers, it's one of the more unique late-eighties horror films. 7/10.

Possibly the most overlooked and under-rated horror movie of all time. An original idea, well put together, should deserve more respect than the 'getting dusty on a video store shelf' this film received. Good movie. 8/10.

Deputy Langley (Franc Luz) picks up the trail of Kate (Catherine Hickland), a runaway bride. Soon, he finds out that she has been abducted by otherworldly forces. He ends up in strange territory, in a century old town that has been cursed for a long, long time. Langley, a fairly unflappable man who adjusts rather well to bizarre circumstances, realizes that he will have to be the one who frees this town of its curse. To do this, he will avenge the long ago sheriff, Harper (Blake Conway), by taking on psychotic, undead outlaw Devlin (Jimmie F. Skaggs) and his minions.

"Ghost Town" bucks the odds to rank as above average for Empire Films product. While some movies from this company are really no more than goofy fun, this one can be taken quite seriously. It benefits a lot from a script (by Duke Sandefur, based on a story by original director David Schmoeller) that is actually not overly predictable from scene to scene. The scenario may test the patience of some, with extended footage devoted to Langley stumbling through his surroundings and taking his bearings, but those who stick it out are rewarded with the perennially strange atmosphere of "Ghost Town". The visual effects are actually nicely done, with a juicy amount of gore as well and some effective makeup on Devlin. The extremely prolific Mac Ahlberg was the cinematographer, and Harvey Cohen composed the eerie score.

Luz is a personable lead, and he's well supported by lovely ladies Hickland, Penelope Windust as barmaid Grace, and Laura Schaefer as the young Etta, as well as an enigmatic Bruce Glover as the "dealer", Zitto Kazann as the blacksmith, and Michael Alldredge as Sheriff Bubba. The standout performance is by Skaggs, who appears to be having a good time as the creepy nemesis.

If you're a fan of '80s genre movies, this is a modestly enjoyable sleeper worthy of discovery.

Seven out of 10.

I remember seeing this movie on a tape with three other movies. A friend of mind had loaned me the tape for the weekend and I kept it for another week or so because I kept watching over and over and over this movie Ghost Town. It dragged me in so deep, I felt there was a personal message for me that I had to get before I could return the video to my friend.

As you know it is a very interesting film that hops back and forth from present day to the eerie past when Devlin and his cronies ruled supreme in this town. It was of course up to our present day sheriff Langley to first of all rescue the lovely heroine and then in order to return to the present day, he had to kill Devlin.

I think one of the great things about this movie was the characters. I feel that whoever chose the characters in this movie did a fantastic job because each of the actors and actresses were quite believable in their roles--no plastic acting.

Maybe that was the thing that kept me watching that movie 12 times or more during the week I had borrowed my friend's video--the 'believability' of the film thanks to the great acting throughout.

Very worthwhile watching!!!

i saw this movie when i was a kid, and it is way cool. it kinda reminds me of movies made in that time like the gate, and the pit. cool late 80s movies ruled. this movie had some cool special effects for the time too. it seems like now, its just forgotten. i wonder if anyone else has seen it who remembers it for being cool. i think it would totally rule to get this out on DVD. it wasn't until recently that garbage pail kids came out officially. we need the monster squad too. does anyone else have any ideas for cool movies that are similar that need to come out on DVD? all of those movies rule. it brings me back to a time when movies were good, these days movies just seem to suck.