Simply put, Jim Makichuk's Ghostkeeper is one of the most underrated, and undeservedly little seen horror films ever made. Set in the snow-covered Canadian Rockies, it's as chilling as the location it's set in. Some reviewers have complained about the film being "dull", having unlikable characters, mediocre acting, and a disappointing monster. As a fellow film nerd/maker, one must understand the point of each scene and performance in a film. For better or worse. That being said, I find it hard to understand the criticisms that have been given to this film. It's slow moving to be sure, but like everything in the film, it's all done with a purpose. Compared to the fast-paced horror films now-a-days, I found it a welcome relief that this film didn't rush it's proceedings. Because of that more time is spent developing its atmosphere, and characters into something that is both believable and real. The story itself is rather interesting, with echoes to both The Shining, and Psycho. Hving the main characters being forced to stay in an abandoned building is nothing new. However, the writers take this done-to-death premise and made it their own, fashioning it into something that is both mesmerizing, and hunting. The cinematography is nothing short of mesmerizing, and extremely well done, with shots of darkened corridors to ones on the cloudy, snow-covered landscape quietly building its atmosphere and mood. These shots are also helped by composer Zaza's low-key, and unsettling score, which manages to get under your skin and stay there in spite yourself. Personally, it's one of my favorite movie soundtracks, with it's low vocals, and minimalist tunes recalling John Carpenter's legendary score for Halloween. The performances are also a highlight of the film, with each character slowly fleshed out into someone that is both believable, and realistic. As in real life the film's character's are far from perfect, with very distinct flaws that give each one distinction and relatability. As the film progresses at its slow and deliberate pace, we gradually learn more about each character which enhances ones involvement in them and the story. One of the other criticisms that some people have is that on the title monster, that of the purported Wendigo. Although the film's low budget limited what the film's makers originally wanted their title monster to look like, their decision actually works for the better. According to folklore, a person who consumes human flesh or is possessed by the the Wendigo's spirit will turn into a "Human Wendigo". By having their monster being represented as a deformed man not only fits with folklore, but also (maybe unintentionally) lends it a allegorical/symbolic nature. The fact that madness, one of the major themes in the film, can twist a person into something horrible is actually quite an unnerving statement. The monster can also represent another theme that it prevalent on the film, and relocatable to its monster... That of hunger. There are several instances where one character's hunger, either sexual or the need for sustinance, results in consequences that come back to haunt them. This is also and unnerving point that can be embodies within the film's title monster. No film is perfect, and this one is no exception. Flaws such as the rare occurance of overacting at one point, are outweighted by the film's strengths. Ghostkeeper might not be for everyone. But for those who like their horror films slow and deliberately paced with a fair amount of chills along the way then this is an essential viewing.

"Ghostkeeper" revolves around a group of friends— two women, Jenny and Chrissy, and a man, Marty— who are spending their New Year's Eve in the snowy Canadian Rockies. After stopping into a secluded store, they decide to head off for some snowmobiling before it gets dark, but as they climb up the icy mountain slopes, Chrissy crashes her snowmobile and it stops running. A snowstorm begins, and the gang decides to spend the night in a seemingly abandoned lodge, but discover a disheveled old woman who resides there with her son, and something... else.Remarkably eerie and atmospheric, "Ghostkeeper" is yet another undiscovered horror gem that is hardly known of at all, even by the most hardened of horror fans. With some elements unabashedly cribbed from Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," "Ghostkeeper" still manages to weave an unsettling yarn that, while a bit hackneyed at times, is no less engaging. The film opens with a title about the "windigo," a cannibalistic spirit told through Indian legend to reside in the mountains. This caption ties in with the ghost-like creature/entity that is being kept in the abandoned lodge, and is the crux of the proceedings.The atmosphere in this film is wonderful. Shot in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of Alberta, this is an excellent setting for the story to unfold, and the bleak but beautiful scenery provides a few chills all on its own. The old lodge is sufficiently spooky, inside and out, and earns its comparisons to Kubrick's "The Shining," although it's markedly darker and dingier. The feeling of seclusion and foreboding is cranked to the maximum, and as the film progresses, things begin to get stranger and stranger for the three main characters. There isn't a lot of gore in this film, so those expecting a splatter fest will be disappointed— in fact, there is hardly any violence in the film at all, but the aim here is more of an exercise in dread and unease than anything else.The performers are mostly unknown Canadian actors, and the acting isn't anything award-worthy, but it's passable. The best performance in the film is from Georgie Collins, who plays the mysterious old woman. The score here is also a nice addition, by Paul Zaza, who did work on slasher classics such as "Prom Night" and "My Bloody Valentine," and is very eerie and unsettling. The film ends in an unexpected way that is very bleak but strangely satisfying despite the general weirdness of the downbeat final act.Overall, "Ghostkeeper" is another one of many unknown horror gems that are hard to come by, but rewarding when discovered. Recommended for fans of subtle and severely atmospheric horror films, although I'm not sure this film is for everybody. There is something remarkably eerie about it, and its uncanny sense of dread is perhaps its greatest achievement. If abandoned lodges, snowstorms, and clandestine wendigos are your thing, seek this shoestring Canadian thriller out. 8/10.

A bickering young couple and their sexy female friend are snowmobiling in the (Canadian?) wilderness when they run across an old hotel where they are forced to seek shelter from a sudden winter storm. At first the hotel seems to deserted, but then they run into a strange old woman who claims to be the caretaker and alludes to a having couple of "kids" "around somewhere". As night falls one of the girls disappears and the remaining pair realizes all is not as it seems in the hotel. This movie can be easily written-off as a cheap, Canadian rip-off of "The Shining", but that's not entirely fair--it also rips-off other movies like "The Sentinel" pretty severely. And it tries, very ham-handedly, to mine the native Canadian legend of the wendigo (spelled "windigo here for some reason).This movie has very little going for it. The plot is pretty dumb and derivative. The dialogue is generally clunky (except maybe for a funny scene where the sexy blonde friend tells a story about seducing a substitute teacher when she was in high school). The characters range from bland to genuinely dislikeable (especially the guy). The girls both look good in their snowsuits but have no nude scenes, which doesn't have to be a deal-breaker except that the movie has one of those famous non-nude bathtub scenes just to kind of rub in the actual dearth of real skin. The one good thing I can say about this movie is that it does have a pretty effective atmosphere. The gloomy, snowbound hotel is eerie and portentous, even if there is no real payoff to justify all the eerie portentiousness.This movie was made in the early 80's when the American horror film industry was starting to go south (figuratively), and the Canadian film industry, encourage by friendly tax laws, started to go south (literally). This movie is a little more ambitious than most of the Canadian tax shelter projects in that it wasn't content to be just another "Halloween" slasher movie knock-off. It kind of reminded me of "Death Ship", so if you liked that. . . It's hard to find to find these days though and probably not worth looking too hard for.

I must have missed something in this flick, because half the time you don't know what the hells going on. We have a young couple on holiday in some snowy mountain region of Canada, accompanied by a sluttish friend of theirs who has the hots for the man. One day they are out on their jet-skis when suddenly their machines pack out!! Oh no!! Luckily for them, there's a long abandoned old hotel nearby, presided over by a mad old bat with two sons.. one a creepy David-Blaine look-alike, the other a flesh eating monster. Despite the place being creepier than the Bates motel, they end up spending the night there and the blood really starts to ooze.. at least that's what the back of the video says because I can't for the life of me figure out where the ugly chap as depicted on the front cover is supposed to be, the so-called terrifying freak in this is a rubbish actor who walks with a stoop and is only ever sighted in total darkness so to hide the poor make-up job. And as for the promise of gore, don't make me laugh!! There is less than half-a-dozen killings in the film, all achieved with the minimum of exposure and some you don't see at all. The acting is universally diabolical, But special mention must go to the old witch whose crackly voice is so over-the-top and irritating you'll be reaching for the mute button in minutes. On a side note, I know in a film this bad some geek-boys will be after a bit of nudity to liven things up, and there is one bath scene that seems initially promising. But when our heroine leans back in the tub (After supposedly stripping totally naked) there is a large white strip of material covering her front!! Doh!! Not only is this a total let-down, but also a glaring continuity error. So put it together, and what have we got? No thrills, spills or indeed chills of any description, an awful screenplay, laughable performances and a copious lack of flesh = a sorry piece of trash that should be avoided at all costs. Don't expect this one to get a DVD release anytime soon. Oh and one last thing.. The ending is one giant UH?!