What a waste of my time!!!

Excellent, a Must See

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

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.

Ghost Town is a great movie that I fell fortune to have seen, because as I've heard, it was very close not to see the light of day. Ghost Town was made close to the collapse of Empire Pictures in 1988/89. At this time, Empire "an Italian/American based company" was in production with "Robot Jox" there must ambitious production jet. During the late 1980's, a sudden drop in economy forced the company into bankruptcy, leaving productions like Ghost town, Robot Jox, Catacombs and the infamous Puls Pounders stranded. The project must have been blessed with good fortune, because Ghost Town finished post-production, though no original movie score was made. Instead music from other Empire movies like, Crawlspace, Ghoulies II and From Beyond was used and the finished film was picked up by New World Pictures and released on VHS and Laserdisc. Rumour also has it, that Richard Governor walked of the set in anger toward the end of the shoot, due to difference of opinion, leaving DP Mac Ahlberg and the assistant director to finish the picture. I assume it must have been a terrible experience for him, because as far as I know, Mr. Governor never worked in the movie business again. I would like to point out, that I think he did good job and in my opinion there is no other movie quit like it.

~Spoiler~What makes a horror film take off? Why is it that everyone and their mother has heard of the Leprechaun while a well-made gem like Ghost Town goes practically unheard of? Not many people are in on the secret of Ghost Town. It's the story of a modern day deputy who tracks a man on a black horse into the desert and steps into another time and another place. He literally stumbles into a ghost town, where the souls of all who dwell there are tortured by the man in black and his gang, who can only be killed by the weaponry of that era. Ghost Town is one of a kind. It uses an original concept which hasn't been attempted since. The cast is rather enjoyable. Franc Luz is likable as the hero Langley and his nemesis, played by Full Moon veteran Jimmie Skaggs, is his dark equal, Devlin. They both seem well suited for the roles. Bruce Glover (Crispen's dad) is creepy as the Dealer. It relies heavily on story as well. There is a lack of nudity, swearing, and gore that most horror fans are accustomed to. It doesn't really need it, and you have to respect that. The direction is good too and makes the story flow very well. I love the shot of the first showdown between Langley and Devlin, and how Devlin and his gang are shown in that haze of dust. It's a kick ass shot. It amazes me that Richard Governor never directed again. My only complaint with the film is that, I swear, the same musical score was used in Ghoulies II. But an earlier reviewer (Dave Bumsh) explained why that is. Ghost Town is a stylish mix of horror and western that fans of both genres should enjoy.Note for horror buffs: Long-time Charles Band collaborator John Carl Buechler did the special effects and Kane Hodder did stuntwork.

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.