It might be because the copy I saw was so dark that any scene not taking place in broad daylight was totally unwatchable, but Ghostdance did nothing for me. There are some good ideas and the death scenes I could make out were decent like the one with the hapless victim falling through a glass display, but it was hard to tell who was who and I couldn't help but check out. This might be a film that will get a much needed reappraisal if it ever comes to Blu-Ray with a brighter transfer.
14 Reviews
Oh no its a Native American slasher movie!
Arlis24 November 2006
So I got this somewhere recently and for some reason put it on to watch. It looked super duper cheesy and sometimes I get in the mood for that. I put it on and saw a dark poorly made movie and thats always reason to make me wanna quit watching, but I didn't.
It was a plot thats been done a million times of archaeologists digging on sacred ground and the mummy of a native American comes and kills a bunch of people! the end LOL.
It was decent for a slasher movie and although I never want to see it again I will say if you like slasher movies that it is pretty good. Its not just a slasher movie its a bit deeper plot wise. Very rare movie, so if you find it you might wanna watch it.
4 out of 10 stars
It was a plot thats been done a million times of archaeologists digging on sacred ground and the mummy of a native American comes and kills a bunch of people! the end LOL.
It was decent for a slasher movie and although I never want to see it again I will say if you like slasher movies that it is pretty good. Its not just a slasher movie its a bit deeper plot wise. Very rare movie, so if you find it you might wanna watch it.
4 out of 10 stars
Better than Scalps.
BA_Harrison22 February 2016
Most of the other reviewers here on IMDb have The Ghost Dance down as an obscure slasher gem. While I certainly agree that it's obscure, I don't think it's a gem. It's moderately entertaining, I suppose, and better than Fred Olen Ray's similarly themed Scalps (1983)—but then most films are.
Admittedly, for much of the first 15 minutes, I couldn't actually see what was happening thanks to the darkness of the picture, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the basics: it's the hoary old cliché of an Indian burial ground being disturbed by anthropologists, with a vengeful spirit inadvertently freed to go on a killing spree. While scientist Kay (Julie Amato) and partner Tom Eagle (Victor Mohica) try to unravel the mystery of the mummified body discovered at the site, the Indian proceeds to kill off the staff at the museum.
This tired premise leads to lots of stalking by the nasty native American, and a couple of passable kills (best of which sees a woman pushed onto a spear), but also lots of dull chit-chat, while the obligatory shower scene fails to deliver the gratuitous nudity one expects from such nonsense. Performances are adequate for this kind of thing, and director Peter F. Buffa manages the occasional effective moment (the creepiest scene taking place on a lonely highway), but on the whole this is forgettable, formulaic stuff, as evidenced by the predictable 'shock' ending.
4.5/10, which I feel obliged to round up to 5/10 because I rounded Scalps up from 3.5 to 4/10.
Admittedly, for much of the first 15 minutes, I couldn't actually see what was happening thanks to the darkness of the picture, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out the basics: it's the hoary old cliché of an Indian burial ground being disturbed by anthropologists, with a vengeful spirit inadvertently freed to go on a killing spree. While scientist Kay (Julie Amato) and partner Tom Eagle (Victor Mohica) try to unravel the mystery of the mummified body discovered at the site, the Indian proceeds to kill off the staff at the museum.
This tired premise leads to lots of stalking by the nasty native American, and a couple of passable kills (best of which sees a woman pushed onto a spear), but also lots of dull chit-chat, while the obligatory shower scene fails to deliver the gratuitous nudity one expects from such nonsense. Performances are adequate for this kind of thing, and director Peter F. Buffa manages the occasional effective moment (the creepiest scene taking place on a lonely highway), but on the whole this is forgettable, formulaic stuff, as evidenced by the predictable 'shock' ending.
4.5/10, which I feel obliged to round up to 5/10 because I rounded Scalps up from 3.5 to 4/10.
Dances with ghosts
Cujo10826 August 2010
Dr. Kay Foster is the head anthropology professor at an Arizona museum and university. Overseeing the excavation of Indian artifacts in the desert, she and her crew unearth the remains of a sadistic Indian shaman named Nahalla. Later that night, after the mummified carcass is carted off to Kay's museum, an Indian bum sneaks into the dig site and steals a pouch which belonged to the shaman. Believing that he will harness great powers and resurrect Nahalla himself to walk beside him, the thief uses the pouch's contents in the performance of a blood ritual. Nahalla is resurrected, but rather than walk beside a lowly thief, he instead takes over his body. During a time when American settlers had taken over most of their land and the Indians had lost hope, the advent of the ghost dance cult renewed their spirit. The cult was founded on the idea of a world soon to be inhabited solely by Indians, including their long-dead ancestors, and where the buffalo would once again roam in force. Rather than believe in such a thing, Nahalla took up his own cause against the white man, namely that of torture and death. Now in the present and as bloodthirsty as ever, the legendary madman sets his sights on the museum staff.
"The Ghost Dance" is a relatively obscure slasher film from the sub-genre's early days. It's obscurity is certainly undeserved, as it's one of the best slashers I've come across. Horror films which center on Native American themes are often among my favorites to watch. I've always been fascinated by the various Indian tribes and their ways of life. Learning about their cultures, legends and beliefs was one of my favorite parts of history class. What's more, the mythology and superstitions of their people are fertile grounds for horror tales. Hell, many of the old Indian legends are basically horror stories in and of themselves. Not only that, but they're actually frightening. Combining such elements with a slasher was a novel idea.
Peter F. Buffa's film is well-made, one or two jarring scene transitions not withstanding. The VHS transfer is beat up, but you can tell that it's an exceptionally filmed picture. The secluded desert vistas definitely help, as does the atmospheric museum which is effectively imposing at night. Indeed, two of the film's best sequences take place in the dimly-lit confines of the museum. One involves the double-murder of two people who's liaison in an old stagecoach is rudely interrupted. The other has Nahalla chasing Kay through the museum corridors, eventually making their way to the bird display. This leads to the striking image of Nahalla standing in front of a stuffed eagle, his back looking like it has sprouted wings. Not only the most memorable shot of the film, but a thematically rich one as well. That said, it's actually the second standout visual we're treated to here. When the thief is on his way to the site of his blood ritual earlier in the film, we get a terrific shot of him amidst the mountains and a stormy, lightning-filled sky. Again, the VHS is a bit of a mess, and this thing is in desperate need of a loving restoration.
As Kay, Julie Amato makes for a strong heroine. She carries herself with a sense of authority, never coming across as helpless despite the trouble she finds herself in later. The twist involving her character about midway through is predictable, but that doesn't take away from the film. Henry Bal is Nahalla, and he's most assuredly a formidable slasher villain. One of my favorite sequences has Kay driving to a dinner date, Nahalla eerily popping up along the road every step of the way. Another has the revived shaman stalking her in the form of a house cat. Kay is a very appealing final girl, and there was tension in wondering what would happen to her. That's more than I can say for most final girls. The film's score has it's moments, enhancing the mood at it's best, sounding generic or even somewhat cartoonish (during the museum chase) at it's worst. The kills aren't overly graphic, but they're nothing to sneeze at either, particularly those of the stagecoach twosome. The ending is a little sudden, but it works.
It's a pity that Buffa never directed another film. He clearly knew what he was doing, as "The Ghost Dance" doesn't come off as the work of an amateur. There are flaws, sure, but nothing major. This is a quality slasher that cuts deeper than the norm. You wouldn't want to dig up Nahalla, but this film is another story. It's like striking gold for slasher fans.
"The Ghost Dance" is a relatively obscure slasher film from the sub-genre's early days. It's obscurity is certainly undeserved, as it's one of the best slashers I've come across. Horror films which center on Native American themes are often among my favorites to watch. I've always been fascinated by the various Indian tribes and their ways of life. Learning about their cultures, legends and beliefs was one of my favorite parts of history class. What's more, the mythology and superstitions of their people are fertile grounds for horror tales. Hell, many of the old Indian legends are basically horror stories in and of themselves. Not only that, but they're actually frightening. Combining such elements with a slasher was a novel idea.
Peter F. Buffa's film is well-made, one or two jarring scene transitions not withstanding. The VHS transfer is beat up, but you can tell that it's an exceptionally filmed picture. The secluded desert vistas definitely help, as does the atmospheric museum which is effectively imposing at night. Indeed, two of the film's best sequences take place in the dimly-lit confines of the museum. One involves the double-murder of two people who's liaison in an old stagecoach is rudely interrupted. The other has Nahalla chasing Kay through the museum corridors, eventually making their way to the bird display. This leads to the striking image of Nahalla standing in front of a stuffed eagle, his back looking like it has sprouted wings. Not only the most memorable shot of the film, but a thematically rich one as well. That said, it's actually the second standout visual we're treated to here. When the thief is on his way to the site of his blood ritual earlier in the film, we get a terrific shot of him amidst the mountains and a stormy, lightning-filled sky. Again, the VHS is a bit of a mess, and this thing is in desperate need of a loving restoration.
As Kay, Julie Amato makes for a strong heroine. She carries herself with a sense of authority, never coming across as helpless despite the trouble she finds herself in later. The twist involving her character about midway through is predictable, but that doesn't take away from the film. Henry Bal is Nahalla, and he's most assuredly a formidable slasher villain. One of my favorite sequences has Kay driving to a dinner date, Nahalla eerily popping up along the road every step of the way. Another has the revived shaman stalking her in the form of a house cat. Kay is a very appealing final girl, and there was tension in wondering what would happen to her. That's more than I can say for most final girls. The film's score has it's moments, enhancing the mood at it's best, sounding generic or even somewhat cartoonish (during the museum chase) at it's worst. The kills aren't overly graphic, but they're nothing to sneeze at either, particularly those of the stagecoach twosome. The ending is a little sudden, but it works.
It's a pity that Buffa never directed another film. He clearly knew what he was doing, as "The Ghost Dance" doesn't come off as the work of an amateur. There are flaws, sure, but nothing major. This is a quality slasher that cuts deeper than the norm. You wouldn't want to dig up Nahalla, but this film is another story. It's like striking gold for slasher fans.
Hey, tall and silent Indian companion... Let's dance!
Coventry12 June 2022
Horror films like "The Ghost Dance" are the most difficult ones to rate and review. On one hand, it's quite dull, incredibly slow-paced, and suffering from too many budgetary restraints. On the other, however, it takes its subject matter seriously and the cast and crew really do try hard generating a suspenseful atmosphere and a couple of authentically tense moments. The concept is quite like "The Mummy", namely that an important archaeological discovery comes to life, turns out to be pure evil, and goes after the scientists who dared to disturb its final resting place. Here, it's the spirit of a raging Indian warrior that possesses a tall Indian medicine man and turns him into a silent killing machine. Writer/director Peter R. Buffa, who didn't really accomplish any other things in his film career, does an admirably fine job during a handful of sequences, including a spooky cat-and-mouse game on a highway at night, and a suspenseful confrontation inside the museum's research room. The performances, from an overall unknown cast, are rather good as well. Still, though, it's painfully obvious to see why "The Ghost Dance" is so obscure and doesn't have any cult status whatsoever. Although featuring three or four vicious and explicit murders, the overall pacing is too slow, the characters are bland and dull, and the killer isn't menacing enough.
It Takes Two To Ghost Dance, But Who Will Lead?
P3n-E-W1s33 May 2022
Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Ghost Dance; here's the breakdown of my ratings:
Story - 0.75 Direction - 1.00 Pace - 1.00 Acting - 1.00 Enjoyment - 1.00
TOTAL - 4.75 out of 10
I do love a good supernatural revenge hack-an'-slash. Sadly Ghost Dance is not a good one. It teeters on the verge of averageness.
The main issue I have with this little picture is the story's scope. A native American's spirit possessing one of his descendants would be looking for some serious payback, and rightly so. However, we don't get half as much as was required, and there's real mention of the tribesman's motive. It gets mentioned in passing but is never expanded upon - It should have been his driving force; his incentive to kill, to set the tables straight. Details such as this are the difference between an okay picture and a wonderful one.
The filming of the screenplay isn't too inventive, though the director does attempt to add more interesting shots and a varied tempo. The shots mostly work and are used when the low budget didn't allow for a respectable special effect. Such as the runaway truck at the burial dig site. The truck pins a man to the side of the opened grave. Instead of seeing the man's legs crushed and held between the truck and mud wall, the director opts to show the scene from outside the grave. By doing this, the actor has to sell his pain and torment. It works, though the scene isn't too well composed. The varied pace isn't as successful, and for one simple reason, it's not varied enough. Though the cutting is quicker and sharper, it's not by too much, and as such, the film's flow hardly alters - not enough to help.
The actors and actresses are the best things about the movie, which isn't much compliment. The only one who hinders the film is the bad guy, Nahalla, played by Henry Bal. It's not Bal's fault though. A non-speaking role is tough to play as it relies on the body and facial acting of the performer; it also needs a good director. In most of the sections Nahalla's in, he's a hulking shadow. Though he has the physique he doesn't possess much ominousness or danger - except for the massive blade he wields. And for a resurrected killer, that is a shame.
Ghost Dance had good possibilities that both the writers and director overlooked. That said, it's still a passable movie to pass an hour and a half, but only if you have nowt else to watch and you've stumbled across it on a streaming service for free.
Please feel free to visit my Absolute Horror list to see where I ranked Ghost Dance.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Story - 0.75 Direction - 1.00 Pace - 1.00 Acting - 1.00 Enjoyment - 1.00
TOTAL - 4.75 out of 10
I do love a good supernatural revenge hack-an'-slash. Sadly Ghost Dance is not a good one. It teeters on the verge of averageness.
The main issue I have with this little picture is the story's scope. A native American's spirit possessing one of his descendants would be looking for some serious payback, and rightly so. However, we don't get half as much as was required, and there's real mention of the tribesman's motive. It gets mentioned in passing but is never expanded upon - It should have been his driving force; his incentive to kill, to set the tables straight. Details such as this are the difference between an okay picture and a wonderful one.
The filming of the screenplay isn't too inventive, though the director does attempt to add more interesting shots and a varied tempo. The shots mostly work and are used when the low budget didn't allow for a respectable special effect. Such as the runaway truck at the burial dig site. The truck pins a man to the side of the opened grave. Instead of seeing the man's legs crushed and held between the truck and mud wall, the director opts to show the scene from outside the grave. By doing this, the actor has to sell his pain and torment. It works, though the scene isn't too well composed. The varied pace isn't as successful, and for one simple reason, it's not varied enough. Though the cutting is quicker and sharper, it's not by too much, and as such, the film's flow hardly alters - not enough to help.
The actors and actresses are the best things about the movie, which isn't much compliment. The only one who hinders the film is the bad guy, Nahalla, played by Henry Bal. It's not Bal's fault though. A non-speaking role is tough to play as it relies on the body and facial acting of the performer; it also needs a good director. In most of the sections Nahalla's in, he's a hulking shadow. Though he has the physique he doesn't possess much ominousness or danger - except for the massive blade he wields. And for a resurrected killer, that is a shame.
Ghost Dance had good possibilities that both the writers and director overlooked. That said, it's still a passable movie to pass an hour and a half, but only if you have nowt else to watch and you've stumbled across it on a streaming service for free.
Please feel free to visit my Absolute Horror list to see where I ranked Ghost Dance.
Take Care & Stay Well.
Sit this one out...
glennhgreen19 July 2022
There are hidden gems and then there are petrified turds. This film pretty much falls into the latter category. First of all, it's just hopelessly low budget and not scary. Like it would probably bore your grandparents. Not so much an "indigenous slasher" film, as some reviews have mentioned, but a vengeful spirit possession film. The leads try desperately to act scared in various situations throughout the film, and it just falls flat. There's barely any suspense or jump scares or gore, as you would have in a typical slasher flick. Just some possessed Native American dude in a wig randomly appearing throughout the film offing museum goers and staffers. Another annoying aspect is the lack of lighting in various scenes (will somebody turn a bloody light on in this flick!) It's understandable that it's an unearthed piece of drivel, but it would be nice to see what's happening in key scenes. Don't waste your time with this one.
Indigenous slasher
BandSAboutMovies13 October 2020
Warning: Spoilers
You have to give the makers of 1982's The Ghost Dance - don't stop, don't stop the Ghost Dance - credit. They decided to be the very first Native American slasher, telling the story of a medicine man named Aranjo who becomes possessed by the spirit of Nahalla, a warrior who hated the white man and even turned their women against them.
This being 1982, one of the Native Americans - Tom Eagle - is played by Victor Mohica, a Puerto Rican actor. Kind of like how I was stunned to learn that Chief Jay Strongbow was really an Italian named Joe Scarpa.
That said, Frank Salsedo is in this and he was the hereditary chief of the Mishewal Wappo Tribe. He also shows up in Creepshow 2 as Ben Whitemoon.
Written and directed by Peter F. Buffa, who only has a TV documentary series to his credit otherwise, this is a very studious slasher, with plenty of discussion of the past of Native American tribes.
This was shot in Tucson, Arizona's Colossal Cave, the same setting for Night of the Lepus, Frankenstein Island, The Trial of Billy Jack, The Incredible Petrified World and the Suzanne Somers against Satan made-for-TV movie Seduced By Evil.
There is a good movie in here somewhere. But this isn't it.
This being 1982, one of the Native Americans - Tom Eagle - is played by Victor Mohica, a Puerto Rican actor. Kind of like how I was stunned to learn that Chief Jay Strongbow was really an Italian named Joe Scarpa.
That said, Frank Salsedo is in this and he was the hereditary chief of the Mishewal Wappo Tribe. He also shows up in Creepshow 2 as Ben Whitemoon.
Written and directed by Peter F. Buffa, who only has a TV documentary series to his credit otherwise, this is a very studious slasher, with plenty of discussion of the past of Native American tribes.
This was shot in Tucson, Arizona's Colossal Cave, the same setting for Night of the Lepus, Frankenstein Island, The Trial of Billy Jack, The Incredible Petrified World and the Suzanne Somers against Satan made-for-TV movie Seduced By Evil.
There is a good movie in here somewhere. But this isn't it.
Maybe the first of the Native American ghost slashers, that suffers from a horribly dark print.
b_kite9 January 2019
I'm not really sure if I can even give this movie a legit rating, considering everything worthy that happens in it is in the dark, and since the print is so dark its literally like watching a pitch black screen at times. Pretty much all the kills are in those dark scenes so hopefully one day this rare thing finds itself on a cleaned up blu ray, until then I'll just give it a 7 because what I saw did entertain me.
Pretty good horror film.
HumanoidOfFlesh7 November 2003
It's late afternoon on the Arizona desert as workers unearth an Indian body.Dr.Kay Foster(Julie Amato),the director of anthropology at a local university supervises the dig.She finds the remains of an ancient Indian warlord known as Nahaluh.That sinister night an Indian scavenger,Aranjo(Henry Bal)creeps into the excavation and steals an Indian medicine bag.That's where the horror begins.Peter F.Buffa's "The Ghost Dance" is a bloody supernatural slasher flick with a nice Indian angle.The acting is surprisingly good and there is some suspense and gore,including throat slashing and spear impaling.The film is extremely obscure,so grab the copy and treasure it.Highly recommended.8 out of 10.
Another entry to the list of Native American slashers
LuisitoJoaquinGonzalez14 October 2008
Warning: Spoilers
As I write this review, the world is on the verge of one of the biggest financial meltdowns in economic history. My country of birth, Spain, has just guaranteed the savings of up to 80,000 Euros for every Spaniard in order to restore customer confidence, whilst in the UK a rumoured 500 billion of tax payer's money is about to be pumped into the recently nationalised British banking system in a bid to put trust back in to the financial market. In Iceland, banks have already crashed completely, leaving customers without their hard-earned savings, whilst politicians in the USA are battling around the clock to to thrash out a saviour package. Things are not looking good.
Two weeks ago the Credit Crunch seemed a million miles away, but today I noticed that it's starting to hit the most financially adventurous of sports, with London's West Ham United football club looking set to be the first to feel the pinch. As investments tumble, chairmen will begin to haul in the reigns and become less enthusiastic to spend on those much-needed squad reinforcements in the transfer window. We may be seeing the beginning of a total re-shape in entertainment as we know it.
That suddenly got me thinking, what if the Credit Crunch was to hit cinema? What if suddenly producers became bankrupt and it was left up to production teams with experience of delivering a feature on the tightest of budgets to fill cinemas on a Friday evening? Although that would be awful news for the movie industry as we know it, it would be a momentous occasion for the slasher genre. You see for all their faults (and they have many), stalk and slash flicks are arguably the cheapest and easiest to produce. So if you don't see the names of Nolan, Spielberg and Mendes on billboards in the near future and instead see the likes of Devine, Stryker and Decoteu, don't be too surprised...
There was a time of course when a cheap slasher movie at the cinema was a common occurrence. Back in the inglorious days of the early eighties, titles like Ghost Dance were the'Dark Knights' of that long-gone and thankfully forgotten era. Although that sounds bizarre in our current climate of multi-million-dollar blockbusters, history has a funny way of repeating itself.
Ghost Dance kicks off in trappings that we would see again three years later in Olen Ray's Scalps. A group of youngsters on an excavation raise a grave from the Californian desert and head off into the night with the corpse on-board their flat-bed pick-up. Next up we meet a crazy medicine man who seems determined to raise the spirit of an ancient American Indian renegade from beyond the grave. After a hopelessly unconvincing 'magic' spell, the evil spirit possess the mystical magician and heads off into the desert on a maniacal rampage. Soon we learn that there is something more sinister to the killer's motives as he begins closing in on our leading lady
Alongside titles that include Scalps, Demon Killer and Camping Del Terrore, Peter Buffa's opus attempts to inject the curiosities and intrigue of Native American culture into the trappings of the slasher genre that were all the rage in the early eighties. Back then, the cycle was still in a transitional phase and unaware of its platitudes, but the feature plays by the rulebook adequately and underlines all the clichés that would become a trademark of identification in years to come. Despite making good use of gimmicks like the good-old 'have sex and die' routine, kudos must be given to the scriptwriter for adding a little puzzle and intrigue to the template.
A large chunk of the runtime is dedicated to the mystery element of tracing the origins of the maniacal assassin and although the ideas are bold and commendable, the story telling does limit the space for occasions of glorious splatter. The film does feel somewhat snooze-enticingly slow moving in places and the killer's appearances are disappointingly sparse. When the psycho does strike, Buffa handles the tension surprisingly well and the score creates a mildly foreboding and at times impressively claustrophobic atmosphere. I especially enjoyed the murders in the abandoned museum and Ben's face slashing was exceptionally gruesome. Although there's very little in terms of grotesque gore, the killings, when they occur, are satisfying enough and competently handled by a capable director.
It doesn't take log for us to realise that there's sure to be a twist in the plot towards the climax and even though it may seem fairly 'old-hat' by today's standards, the conclusion was fairly ingenious for its time of release. Native Americans are always intriguing and curious characters for the silver screen, but hiring a cast of competent actors that carry the appearance, heritage and dramatic credibility is never an easy task for a film crew on a meagre budget. With that said, the performances here are reasonably good and credit to Victor Mohica for a strong turning as the leading man.
Ghost Dance is not a hidden-gem, but it is decent enough for true genre fans to appreciate. It seems somewhat unfair that whilst utter dross like Don't go in the Woods can live on in the hearts of slasher aficionados, Ghost Dance has been largely forgotten. Slight problems with pacing do not detract from a decent entry to the cycle. I recommend viewers get used to watching this kind of entertainment...you never know when the Hollywood financial bubble could burst................
Two weeks ago the Credit Crunch seemed a million miles away, but today I noticed that it's starting to hit the most financially adventurous of sports, with London's West Ham United football club looking set to be the first to feel the pinch. As investments tumble, chairmen will begin to haul in the reigns and become less enthusiastic to spend on those much-needed squad reinforcements in the transfer window. We may be seeing the beginning of a total re-shape in entertainment as we know it.
That suddenly got me thinking, what if the Credit Crunch was to hit cinema? What if suddenly producers became bankrupt and it was left up to production teams with experience of delivering a feature on the tightest of budgets to fill cinemas on a Friday evening? Although that would be awful news for the movie industry as we know it, it would be a momentous occasion for the slasher genre. You see for all their faults (and they have many), stalk and slash flicks are arguably the cheapest and easiest to produce. So if you don't see the names of Nolan, Spielberg and Mendes on billboards in the near future and instead see the likes of Devine, Stryker and Decoteu, don't be too surprised...
There was a time of course when a cheap slasher movie at the cinema was a common occurrence. Back in the inglorious days of the early eighties, titles like Ghost Dance were the'Dark Knights' of that long-gone and thankfully forgotten era. Although that sounds bizarre in our current climate of multi-million-dollar blockbusters, history has a funny way of repeating itself.
Ghost Dance kicks off in trappings that we would see again three years later in Olen Ray's Scalps. A group of youngsters on an excavation raise a grave from the Californian desert and head off into the night with the corpse on-board their flat-bed pick-up. Next up we meet a crazy medicine man who seems determined to raise the spirit of an ancient American Indian renegade from beyond the grave. After a hopelessly unconvincing 'magic' spell, the evil spirit possess the mystical magician and heads off into the desert on a maniacal rampage. Soon we learn that there is something more sinister to the killer's motives as he begins closing in on our leading lady
Alongside titles that include Scalps, Demon Killer and Camping Del Terrore, Peter Buffa's opus attempts to inject the curiosities and intrigue of Native American culture into the trappings of the slasher genre that were all the rage in the early eighties. Back then, the cycle was still in a transitional phase and unaware of its platitudes, but the feature plays by the rulebook adequately and underlines all the clichés that would become a trademark of identification in years to come. Despite making good use of gimmicks like the good-old 'have sex and die' routine, kudos must be given to the scriptwriter for adding a little puzzle and intrigue to the template.
A large chunk of the runtime is dedicated to the mystery element of tracing the origins of the maniacal assassin and although the ideas are bold and commendable, the story telling does limit the space for occasions of glorious splatter. The film does feel somewhat snooze-enticingly slow moving in places and the killer's appearances are disappointingly sparse. When the psycho does strike, Buffa handles the tension surprisingly well and the score creates a mildly foreboding and at times impressively claustrophobic atmosphere. I especially enjoyed the murders in the abandoned museum and Ben's face slashing was exceptionally gruesome. Although there's very little in terms of grotesque gore, the killings, when they occur, are satisfying enough and competently handled by a capable director.
It doesn't take log for us to realise that there's sure to be a twist in the plot towards the climax and even though it may seem fairly 'old-hat' by today's standards, the conclusion was fairly ingenious for its time of release. Native Americans are always intriguing and curious characters for the silver screen, but hiring a cast of competent actors that carry the appearance, heritage and dramatic credibility is never an easy task for a film crew on a meagre budget. With that said, the performances here are reasonably good and credit to Victor Mohica for a strong turning as the leading man.
Ghost Dance is not a hidden-gem, but it is decent enough for true genre fans to appreciate. It seems somewhat unfair that whilst utter dross like Don't go in the Woods can live on in the hearts of slasher aficionados, Ghost Dance has been largely forgotten. Slight problems with pacing do not detract from a decent entry to the cycle. I recommend viewers get used to watching this kind of entertainment...you never know when the Hollywood financial bubble could burst................
"There's Something Very Strange Happening Here!"...
azathothpwiggins11 December 2018
Warning: Spoilers
Anthropologist, Dr. Kay Foster (Julie Amato) and her team dig up a Native American grave site. Later, a man named Aranjo (Henry Bal) sneaks into the open grave -the body having been removed- to plunder it. A pilfered medicine bag leads to a supernatural experience, causing Aranjo to channel the spirit of the grave's occupant! A reign of bloody, homicidal terror soon follows.
Dr. Foster learns that the man buried at the site was Nahalla, a powerful medicine man. This could be a problem, since Nahalla wanted an Indian utopia, minus those who oppressed and killed his people!
THE GHOST DANCE is a novel slasher film, using Native American mysticism and lore as a backdrop for the body count, making it more interesting than some of its contemporaries. It also has a terrific mystic vs. mystic finale! Ms. Amato plays her role convincingly, and Bal is pretty spooky in his!...
Dr. Foster learns that the man buried at the site was Nahalla, a powerful medicine man. This could be a problem, since Nahalla wanted an Indian utopia, minus those who oppressed and killed his people!
THE GHOST DANCE is a novel slasher film, using Native American mysticism and lore as a backdrop for the body count, making it more interesting than some of its contemporaries. It also has a terrific mystic vs. mystic finale! Ms. Amato plays her role convincingly, and Bal is pretty spooky in his!...
A classic film...
LaxFan9424 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I recall seeing this one on VHS over at my mom's best friend's place back in the late 80's. I am passionate about Native films in general, (but I'm talking about the ones that portray them as real people, NOT the Hollywood caricatures).
As for the film itself: it's one of the many low-budgets that don't get a lot of publicity and are not promoted well or often enough. That's why this one only raked in a million dollars at the box office. I still liked it nonetheless due to the nature of the plot. However, in reality the medicine men were never "possessed" for the sole purpose of attacking people. Their job was to heal and help their people with any maladies, whether physical, mental, emotional, etc. It is unheard of that they were possessed by other entities before carrying out homicidal sprees.
Also: the real Ghost Dance was practised among the Plains people, not the Southwest people. So maybe it would have been a more appropriate setting if this were filmed in the Plains regions. But I just loved how towards the end there when Dr. Foster and Nahalla form an alliance and although Nahalla perishes, vengeance is his as the body in the lab springs back to life by grabbing the guy's hand. At that moment his spirit enters Dr. Foster. The film ends with the final screams in the background.
I also like how this takes place in a museum/educational setting. This film earns a 7 out of 10 in my books.
As for the film itself: it's one of the many low-budgets that don't get a lot of publicity and are not promoted well or often enough. That's why this one only raked in a million dollars at the box office. I still liked it nonetheless due to the nature of the plot. However, in reality the medicine men were never "possessed" for the sole purpose of attacking people. Their job was to heal and help their people with any maladies, whether physical, mental, emotional, etc. It is unheard of that they were possessed by other entities before carrying out homicidal sprees.
Also: the real Ghost Dance was practised among the Plains people, not the Southwest people. So maybe it would have been a more appropriate setting if this were filmed in the Plains regions. But I just loved how towards the end there when Dr. Foster and Nahalla form an alliance and although Nahalla perishes, vengeance is his as the body in the lab springs back to life by grabbing the guy's hand. At that moment his spirit enters Dr. Foster. The film ends with the final screams in the background.
I also like how this takes place in a museum/educational setting. This film earns a 7 out of 10 in my books.
ghost dance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
alekos-880-91894315 November 2010
***THIS REVIEW MAY CONTAINS SPOILERS*** ghost dance is a gruesome thriller of horror that talks about some archaeological excavations that dredge up a story mystikism and freak. a mad Indian believes that he has the powers of an ancient mummy nahala,turn a west college form a calm temple of learning into field of terror and blood.A row of vicious and heinous murders will lead to a shocking revelation.starring julie amato,victor mottica,frank salsebo and henry ball.In my opinion ghost dance is a good horror film that worths a DVD edition.i found it in an old video club and i bought it only for e few money with Greek subtitles.i didn't expect to be such a good movie.unfortunately it haven't been voted from a lot of people.it belong to the category of the buried movies and i think that is a very rare movie which must be looked for from the collectors who likes horror films 10/10
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