Place of Bones (2024)

"Low Budget Western with Good Parts"

Director Audrey Cummings' (SHE NEVER DIED) new western is getting a digital release from Signature Entertainment.

Pandora (Heather Graham) and her daughter Hester (Brielle Robilard) live in an isolated house in the country, with the nearest town apparently 96 miles away. One day Hester finds the unconscious body of bank robber Calhoun (Corin Nemec) and they take him home. Confined to bed, the bullet wound that has shattered his leg soon turns gangrenous, making it necessary for Pandora to amputate it. Unfortunately this means they now only have a one-legged man to help defend them against the rest of Calhoun's gang, led by Bear John (Tom Hopper from BLACK SAILS and THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY), who want their shares of the money it turns out he stole from them.

PLACE OF BONES is a film of two halves, or rather two styles. The external location work, and the low-budget action set pieces therein, all work just fine. However, much of the first half of the film is dialogue, set within the confines of Pandora's house, and this is flatly directed to the point where the viewing experience feels more like a somewhat static stage play, or a televised version of the same. 

It's being advertised as a 'horror western' but don't expect any werewolves or for Pandora's husband to rise up out of his grave that we see several times. The horror here is strictly the kind of violence that would have been inherent in the Old West. The ending is suggestive of more extreme horror, but it's the kind of thing that would more suit a 30 minute TV episode, or even a four-page EC comic story than the near 100 minute film this is, and as such feels tacked on even though it isn't.

Overall, if you're a fan of more modern low budget westerns you'll find PLACE OF BONES an entertaining time-waster. Let's have a trailer:

PLACE OF BONES is out on Digital from Signature Entertainment on Monday 16th September 2024

Thine Ears Shall Bleed (2024)

 

"Frontier Folk Horror"

...and not bad at all, especially considering its low budget. Ben Bigelow's American period piece gets a Digital release from Miracle Media.

In the American West of the 1860s, pastor Ezekiel Thatcher (Andrew Hovelson) sets out with his family into the American wilderness, equipped with a wagon, two horses, and enough food to last until they hope to be able to find some.

Entering a forest they are confronted by a fork in the trail. They take the right hand branch but it soon comes to a halt. A strange sound causes Ezekiel's ears to bleed and leads to the revelation that he believes himself to be God's instrument. The sound also restores his blind son's sight, while Ezekiel abandons the welfare of the family to scribble 'sermons' of inspiration in his notebook. Is it God or is it nasty? It's nasty of course but exactly what is going on I'll leave for you to discover.

There's a lot to like about THINE EARS SHALL BLEED, not least of which is the professionalism of the endeavour. Despite the low budget there's very little wobbly hand-held shakicam, and whoever chose the locations has done an excellent job as, for a change, there's a real sense of isolation amidst the impressive sweeping vistas. The film takes its time about things but the emphasis here is on atmosphere and as such, THINE EARS SHALL BLEED does a pretty good job. It's reminiscent of horror Westerns like Earl E Smith's SHADOW OF CHIKARA and if you're a fan of this subgenre this is one to check out. Here's the trailer:

THINE EARS SHALL BLEED is out on Digital from Miracle Media on Monday 15th July 2024