Empire and Charles Band always had a knack for creating Westerns, but the type of Westerns that just were not as traditional as you might think. They had every opportunity to deliver us a normal western, and yet they went the odd route delivering creative amalgams like 1994’s “Oblivion,” and mediocre fare like “Ghost Town.” Richard Governor’s “Ghost Town” watches more like an extended episode of a mediocre anthology horror show, and when you get right past the whole supernatural tropes, it’s another ordinary western that we’ve seen a thousand times over. It’s not a gem of the Empire/Band library, but it’s a unique diversion.
“Ghost Town” is set in modern times where we meet gun slinging sheriff’s deputy Langely. He dreams of being a classic cowboy, donning a trusty six shooter, and even spends his free time sharp shooting objects in the desert. After a local runaway bride named Kate goes missing in a mysterious dust storm, Langely is sent to go looking for her. While tracing her steps, he discovers that the ghost town she is in is very much alive, and the ghosts that are living in it need him. Langely is fated to destroy the demonic entity of a ruthless outlaw named Devlin, and he has to do battle with him while trying to rescue Kate.
“Ghost Town” lacks any real flair, despite its unusual premise. I do like the shades of “House” with its ghostly cowboys and talking skeletons, but not much of the film is able to build up to an exciting end result. Franc Luz as Langely is pretty one dimensional and boring as the resident hero of the film, who is quick with a gun and manages to outwit the evil ghosts of outlaws quite well. He always finds himself at death’s door, and always comes out barely alive. There isn’t much to “Ghost Town” beyond a typical “High Noon” premise, as the ghosts of the town needs Langely to exterminate Devlin.
Devlin is a deformed criminal who, along with his posses, still terrorizes the town after death. Jimmie F. Skaggs is about the only interesting aspect of “Ghost Town” playing a criminal whose face was destroyed during a gun fight. He is as ruthless as ever, despite the curse on the town, with rotten teeth and a demonic façade that makes him a creepy villain. “Ghost Town” is a mediocre western and horror hybrid that at least aims to combine the two genres that are rarely brought together to form one cohesive film. The Blu-Ray from Scream Factory garners no features whatsoever, which is shocking considering Scream rolls out the red carpet for any horror title they unleash on fans.