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Ghost Town: An American Terror
USA 2023
produced by Mem Ferda, Robert Conway (executive), Liz Manning (executive), David J. Hohl (executive) for FilmCore, FunHouse Features, HohloGraphic Productions, RCR Media
directed by Owen Conway
starring Owen Conway, Eva Hamilton, Becky Jo Harris, Robert Sprayberry, Charlie E Motley, Nathaniel Burns, Stephen Moran, Brittany Mae, Michael Harrelson, Dan Weisgerber, Santiago Craig, Cameron Kotecki, Kirt Barnes, Liza Davis, Jessica Morgan, Dan Higgins, Rene Barraza jr, Amelia Haberman, Liz Manning, Robert Conway, Leo Jacobus, Mikey Reed, Jacob Lewis, John Marrs, Noah Layne, Daniel Link
written by Owen Conway, music by Jay Martin
review by Mike Haberfelner
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The Old West: Solomon (Owen Conway) is a drifter pretty much at the end
of his line, his horse has died on him in the middle of nowhere, his money
has long run out, and who knows what has happened to his gun. So when he
happens upon a godforsaken little village, once a boomtown but now pretty
much on the deserted side, he can't afford to be too proud to ask for a
job at the town's one rundown bar and whorehouse - and the owner, Hagan
(Robert Sprayberry), decides to give him a chance. But it's really more to
have somebody else but his girls to bully around than out of actual need,
and the pay's bad. Solomon however happily takes what he can get, even if
the job also involves bathroom duties and the like - and chasing old drunk
Zeke (Nathaniel Burns) out of the outhouse - Zeke's favourite place to
sleep - every other day. However, there's something odd about the town, as
every now and again Solomon has visions of death and decay, and every now
and again, people appear and disappear quite ghostlike. And of course,
when on his first day, a customer (Daniel Link) is shot right next to him
by a person unknown, that's not too reassuring, either. However, there are
upsides to the job as well, like when Solomon kills three thugs trying to
rob the saloon and is celebrated as the hero of the day, so much so that
one of the prostitutes (Becky Jo Harris) spends the night with him and
shows real feelings for him. However, her colleague (Eva Hamilton) shows
nothing but contempt and tries to get Solomon out of the place, even
though he has literally saved her life. That, and Hagan's constant
harrassing soon drive Solomon over the edge - to a violent outcome.
However, there's something much more sinister going on in town, something
that starts to test Solomon's sanity ... Over the years, blends
of western and horror cinema have become, well, not exactly a staple, but
not all that uncommon, with the results varying vastly - and this is one
of the more unusual films of that subgenre, because it keeps one guessing
throughout, and instead of going on-the-nose with the horror aspects of
its story, it works its terror in through allusions, teasers, sudden
deviations from the norm to keep the viewer off balance - just like
Solomon really - and make the creepiness of the situation all the more
palpable as a process, thanks to a genre savvy directorial effort and also
a cleverly build-up script with an extremely macabre punchline. And of
course, a small but solid ensemble cast only helps to make this one cool
piece of western horror indeed.
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