User reviews

Late 80's western horror which has a police officer following up a missing person on a desert highway ending up way off the beaten path. While walking a corpse of a sheriff pops out of the ground telling him that he is their only hope before crumbling into dust. This sets things in motion as he figures out he's not in Kansas anymore. A time warp takes place as he is suddenly doing battle with a demon cowboy at a small town in the late 1800's.

The special effects in this one were pretty good. The demon bad guys rotting flesh was decent. At times this was boring but would compensate with some action. Nothing too heavy in this one.

While driving in a lonely road in the desert of Arizona, Kate (Catherine Hickland) is hit by a sand storm and disappears. Sheriff Langley (Franc Luz) finds her wrecked car and out of the blue, a man shoots him and his car explodes. He wanders in the desert looking for Kate and stumbles upon a ghost town. Soon Langley has visions of ghosts and apparitions in the town. He also learns the fate of the town that was cursed by the cruel outlaw Devlin (Jimmie F. Skaggs) and his men, and the residents will only rest in peace when a man of law defeats and kills Devlin and his gang.

"Ghost Town" (1988) is a nice combination of western and horror films. The screenplay is well written and the cast has good performances. Catherine Hickland and Laura Schaefer are very beautiful, making the movie more attractive. Unfortunately, "Ghost Town" was only released on VHS in Brazil. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Cidade Fantasma" ("The Ghost Town")

Even with the short run time of 1hr 24mins(including credits) this story felt very drawn out and was actually pretty boring. If you are looking for a gory, ghost western shoot'em up, then this isn't for you. The makeup and costumes were fine. There was one cool puppet/animateonic corpse at the beginning but outside of that there was nothing. It seriously felt like an episode from HBO's Tales From The Crypt or a made for TV movie that should have been 45mins long.

"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.

From what I've gathered, it's a miracle "Ghost Town" wasn't cancelled during production. The fact that the film was exhibited in only eight theatres, tells me a lot. So low is the budget, the whole thing feels like an extended episode of the classic "Tales from the Crypt" show. The story is wafer-thin and the running time is about 10 minutes too long. It's nothing original: a modern day deputy sheriff is searching for a missing woman who's a prisoner of the spirits of the local ghost town. He soon finds himself up against a deadly kind of adversary and has limited resources at his disposal. The script can hardly be described as subtle. The main ghostly villain has the surname Devlin, I ask you! Still, at least it's a name suited to the character. There is one scene combining sex with violence - in typical poor taste I might add. I simply don't care for that kind of content. The cast is a bunch of nobodies, except for an actor called Bruce Glover. He's been in such films like "Chinatown," "Diamonds Are Forever," "The Streetfighter" etc. Usually a bad guy, Bruce Glover plays a more benevolent character this time. For all of the film's weaknesses, there is something undeniably atmospheric. The scenes of the mist and the wind howling through the deserted town is the best example. The action set-pieces aren't bad, being quite capably staged. I remember over 20 years ago, an old acquaintance sold me "Ghost Town" on VHS video (it was that long ago). Then I got the DVD a few years ago and the film was just as I remember.

Perhaps "Ghost Town" isn't one of the best horror movies of the 80's, but at least you'll have to admit the concept is refreshing, courageous, original and semi-successful. This one of the very few horror/western hybrids ever made and particularly the accomplished atmosphere is praiseworthy. "Ghost Town" maintains an unsettling and ominous ambiance throughout, and I have to confess that was certainly the last thing I expected to find in a Charles Band production. The basic plot and conceptual ideas (thought up by David Schmoeller of "Tourist Trap" and "Puppet Master") are reasonably ingenious as well, but the script is sadly very incoherent and occasionally even forgets to make the slightest bit of sense. "Ghost Town" opens with the mysterious disappearance of a young woman who literally gets sucked into a time-tornado after being deviated from the main roads and chased by an invisible horseman. The young and straight-shooting deputy Langley follows her trail and ends up in a forsaken and seemingly cursed ghost town in another era. The town's dominated by an immortal and sadistic outlaw named Devlin, and he also kidnapped the young woman (for reasons still unknown to me) and keeps the cursed villagers under a siege of terror. "Ghost Town" often feels incomplete, as if several extended parts of the screenplay were left out. Many things remain unexplained, but you strongly feel that - somewhere in the original script - there must have been perfectly reasonable answers to all questions; only the ended up on the cutting floor instead of in the film. There's the aforementioned WHY regarding the kidnapping of the girl, but also the background of Devlin's character remains too vague. Still, if you manage to overlook the few shortcomings in the script, you'll reckon that "Ghost Town" is actually scarier than most contemporary horror movies, and this even without the use of gory make-up effects or many gruesome killings. This movie has other trumps for generating suspense, like the sublime choice of locations, uncanny music and creepy characterizations. Devlin is a fascinating villain and Jimmie Skaggs did a tremendous job playing him. He looks menacing, talks nasty and just loves raising hell wherever he goes. I really enjoyed those copious times where he stood in the saloon or out in the streets, spotted the deputy and shouted out "Lawman!!" Other supportive characters are pretty cool & creepy too, like The Dealer and the blacksmith. The end sequences are a bit weaker again, but by then "Ghost Town" will already have made a lasting impression on you … and it's most likely going to be a positive one.

The production value is okay, the masks and effects too, but, and this is a great but, the story is rather boring and the level of horror is also rather weak. Ghost Town does not remind me of Evil Dead nor of A Fistful of Dollar like another reviewer indicates - Evil Dead's horror is level 9 of 10, Ghost Town maybe 2, and whereas A Fistful of Dollars is an epic Western movie, Ghost Town is your typical B-Western movie: story and acting wise, realized on a limited budget. I also sense no potential for cult here. Ghost Town reminds me a little bit of House (1986) and Beetlejuice (1988), but the latter movies are way better. Anyway, the story of Ghost Town is an odd mix, and if you want to watch one of those easy to the eyes and soul horror movies of the 80s, you may dare to enter Ghost Town.

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'll admit, that for the first three, I thought there were just some holes that they were filling and try to connect dots and create a narrative and that may be there was some actual paranormal investigation happening. However episode five, and the Ouija board/cotton balls over the eyes/headphones scenario helped me connect the "this is so fake" dots. I mean look at the noise canceling headphones that weren't even covering his ears! Seriously this is just fake BS and really bad editing! So much about this doesn't add up. Watch it for yourself focus on the "medium" (I use that term lightly because I'm more psychic that she is, in fact my cat is more psychic that she is. Watch this with a critical eye or watch this with a five-year-old because the five year old be able to point out all the holes, problems,and other issues with the show.

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.

I first saw this in the late 80s on a vhs. Revisited it recently.

It was rare to c a genre mix during those days n considering it was a horror western, it raised the curiosity but alas this film didn't get its due.

Child's Play which released around the same time took away its glory.

The film is about a cop who tracks a woman who is abducted by cowboy ghosts n gets transported to a town which no longer exist.

The make up of the lead ghost looked similar to Leprechaun's.

The film has too much of unexplained stuff like the origin of the lead ghost, the townsfolk, enmity between Devlin n Harper, etc.....

The cinematography n the concept were good though.

GHOST TOWN is a Charles Band production, but don't let that turn you away. It's not as cheapo-looking as some of his others. It reminded me a bit of ARMY OF DARKNESS, in that a modern day man is suddenly thrust back in time to a world he's unfamiliar with, and must protect the citizens of that time against evil. It's about a small town sheriff (Franc Luz) who tracks a missing girl (Catherine Hickland) to an old western town out in the desert. The town is haunted by the ghosts of both the townspeople and the villainous gunslinger and his men who used to terrorize them back in the Old West. The only way out is for the sheriff to find a way to kill the gunslinger, freeing the townspeoples' ghosts from his control and allowing the town "to die." The film blends elements of the horror and western genre nicely (scares on moment, high noon shootouts the next), and the sets are approriately spooky. There's also very little gore (one man gets impaled), all the deaths are nearly bloodless, and there's even hardly any swearing. The make-up for the villain isn't anything incredible, but is effective, and, surprisingly for a low-budget late-80s movie, the acting is pretty good. Luz is an appealing hero. My only complaint is that, after the film wraps up, the very end is a too short and leaves you wondering if the final scene was originally longer and was cut down considerably. I would have also liked to known why Devlin (the bad guy) kidnapped the girl in the first place, though it's sort of hinted that she resembles the saloon singer he was in love with back in the 1800s. But those are just minor complaints. If you haven't seen this film, I suggest giving it a look if you can find it. It doesn't appear to be available on-line anyway, so I'm afraid it's only available as a rental, if the video stores even carry it. It's not the greatest horror film ever made (though I don't know if I'd really call it that, but that's the section you'll find it in), but it makes for good entertainment on a rainy night. Check it out. You may be surprised at how enjoyable it is.

I happened across this when channel surfing and decided to watch it. It really isn't that bad. If you don't mind spending an hour and a half (or two with all the commercial breaks), you probably won't be mad like you might be with some truly bad movies. It's about a ghost town; do you need to know more? Just have fun with it. I thought the acting was a lot better than you typically see in these types of B movies. I've always been a sucker for any "western" movie, so perhaps I'm a little biased. I did think it was funny when a wall clock from one scene was used in a completely different building of another scene (perhaps they were on sale? :) )

I used to watch this film all the time. It was so awesome. However, I never really remembered all of it, just bits and pieces of it -- usually the beginning, the parts with Jimmie Skaggs and his awesome makeup, and the plot point that you couldn't kill the ghost zombies with modern-day weaponry.

Nevertheless, I recently returned to the film to watch it again after forgetting the name and then being unable to recall any pieces of it for a long time. In fact, I actually stumbled upon it somewhat by mistake after watching the unforgettably good Bone Tomahawk, which is classified as a horror western, which led me down the rabbit hole of seeking out more horror western titles, and lo and behold I managed to find Ghost Town again.

The film actually holds up incredibly well, and it's actually better than what I originally remembered of the film. There's no cheap looking CGI here, and the classic celluloid photography and remote desert locations betray the film's low-budget origins.

The hook for Ghost Town's plot is kind of weird, as it centers around a ravenous villain who captures women from the modern era and attempts to get them to fulfill the role of his mistress from his era who apparently committed suicide. This leads a hot shot deputy in pursuit of the missing local girl, and he ends up in the alternate era trying to find the girl and fight the zombie cowboys.

It's a rare kind of film that they don't make these days, and the combination of a horror and western film work well here. It reminds me in some ways of Evil Dead II with its action-horror focus, but with far less comedy.

Certainly a recommendation here, as it's pretty much unlike anything else you'll ever see.

I don't have a lot to say about this movie other than it was a damn fine little horror film. I found it to be in the style of The Evil Dead series. The main character of Langly goes from being a seeming 3rd rate heavy metal addicted stumpwater deputy into being a hero fighting evil. The difference here is that rather than an old spooky woods or a medieval keep, the he is tossed into a western ghost town. I highly recommend this movie to anyone who appreciates a little camp and a lot of fun tossed together with their living dead.

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!!!

Actually the summary kind of says it all. You can add some paranormal stuff to it and you're ready to go (watch). If you are into that kind of stuff that is of course. I do like Westerns so I may have been a bit biased I reckon.

The story is at least decent I'd say, the costumes are really good and the (blood) effects are really well done - especially if consider the age of the movie and the budget it had (not much). The audio was a bit low for my taste, not sure if it was the mix, but usually the Blu Rays I get from that company are well done, if the source material allows it. The poster may promise more than the movie can actually deliver, but it's still a neat movie overall.

A Charles Band production that went straight to video, I fully expected horror-Western Ghost Town to be dreadful cornball B-movie nonsense, but it's actually a pretty decent film, with competent direction from novice Richard McCarthy (surprisingly, his only film), a smart script by David Schmoeller (director of Tourist Trap and Puppet Master), and better than average make-up effects from John Carl Buechler (Hatchet). However, the ace up its sleeve is definitely Mac Ahlberg's stunning cinematography, which ensures that the film is always a visual treat, even during the rather-too-slow build up.

The film opens with a young woman, Kate (Catherine Hickland), being abducted by a mysterious figure in black. Arizona cop Langley (Franc Luz) is soon hot on her trail, tracking her down to an old ghost town in the middle of the desert. Langley wanders around the deserted town, occasionally glimpsing ghostly people, for a touch longer than is really necessary for the sake of the plot, but Ahlberg's excellent atmospheric imagery is there to compensate.

The pace gradually picks up once the cop starts to interact with the spooks that haunt the place: a blind fortune teller (Bruce Glover), a blacksmith (Zitto Kazann), beautiful young woman Etta (Laura Schaefer), brassy barmaid Grace (Penelope Windust), and the villain of the piece, outlaw Devlin (Jimmie F. Skaggs), who years ago killed the town's sheriff as the rest of the inhabitants looked on, afraid to help. Subsequently slaughtered by Devlin and his henchmen, the townsfolk are now lost souls, trapped between heaven and hell, tortured by the spirits of their murderers. There's bloody shootouts, some ghostly sex, a handful of grisly murders (although technically not, since they're already dead), a couple of explosions, and a final showdown in which Langley finds a novel use for a sheriff's badge.

It's not a stone-cold classic, but it's certainly one of the better films that Charles Band's Empire Pictures churned out in the '80s.

I've been wanting to see this for a while and finally got the chance to do so - and it didn't disappoint.

This is a wonderful good old-fashioned ghost story. I loved the combination of western and horror. The film starts off very mysterious. The cinematography is really good and the story is simple yet effective, with some creepy moments. This is one of the more serious 80's horror films with very little comic relief, although the humor is really funny, and dialogue like "He can't be killed! He's dead!"

The performances are credible, and the costumes and make-up are also very good. As an added bonus our hero Langley (Franc Luz) is darn sexy!

The antagonist is a real evil character you'd love to hate, and Langley is the protagonist you root for all the way! Good climax. I really enjoyed this!

One of the better horror movies I've seen in the last decade, Ghost Town has a dreamlike quality to it that lends to its weird combination of Western, ghost movie, and conventional horror/slasher flick. From the opening sequence (where an invisible horseman pursues a modern-day automobile), to the bizarre sequences with The Dealer, to the final wrap-up, the whole pic segues in from dreams to flashbacks, from modern-day to 1890s, until you're not sure exactly where you stand. Highly recommended.

The walking dead inhabit a ghost town in the modern day southwest. Among the town folk is a monstrous villain who terrorizes everyone. Into this hell hole stumbles a modern day sheriff, looking for a missing girl. The effects, makeup, and authentic location somewhat overcome the below average acting. Memorable characters include Bruce Glover as "Dealer", and even more interesting is Jimmie F. Skaggs as "Devlin". "Dealer" has a knack for telling the future through his card reading. "Your future will wait till you get there, it's the past you can't do anything about." Skaggs actually saves the film as the nasty villain "Devlin". A strong bad guy is an essential part of any good western, or for that matter any zombie western. - MERK