The monster will look very familiar to you. So will the rest of the film, if you've seen a half-dozen of these teenagers-trapped-in-the-woods movies. Okay, so they're not teenagers, this time, but they may as well be. Three couples decide it might be a good idea to check out a nearly-abandoned ghost town, in hopes of finding the gold that people were killed over a scant century-and-a-half before. You'd think that with a title like "Miner's Massacre" some interesting things might happen. They don't. In fact, only about 1/10 of the film actually takes place in the mine. I had envisioned teams of terrified miners scampering for their lives in the cavernous confines of their workplace, praying that Black Lung Disease would get them before The Grim Reaper exacted his grisly revenge, but instead I got terrestrial twenty-somethings fornicating--and, in one case, defecating--in the woods, a gang of morons with a collective I.Q. that would have difficulty pulling a plastic ring out of a box of Cracker Jacks, much less a buried treasure from an abandoned mine. No suspense, no scares, and plenty of embarrassing performances give this turkey a 3 for nudity.
34 Reviews
Haven't I seen this one before?
WisdomsHammer4 November 2018
First of all, this movie isn't meant to be taken seriously and doesn't even take itself all that seriously. In some movies this works brilliantly, but in this it just kind of gets tired. It's not completely unentertaining, but it's nothing you haven't seen before. They fit so many horror movie cliches into the first several minutes of the movie that I thought it was going to be a better horror-comedy than it was, but I found myself groaning more than laughing.
"Prospector slasher movie" is about all you need for a synopsis, honestly. Nothing in this will surprise you.
It was fun to see some B-movie icon appearances like Richard Lynch, Karen Black, and Martin Kove, but their on-screen time is very limited. They easily were the most fun to watch. Fun fact: The prospector slasher is played byVernon Wells, who played Bennett in Commando. Yeah, the "Let off some steam, Bennett" guy. Haha.
The production is good, the main cast is attractive, the cameos are great, and the kill scenes are pretty decent, but in the end, it feels like a movie you've seen a hundred times already.
"Prospector slasher movie" is about all you need for a synopsis, honestly. Nothing in this will surprise you.
It was fun to see some B-movie icon appearances like Richard Lynch, Karen Black, and Martin Kove, but their on-screen time is very limited. They easily were the most fun to watch. Fun fact: The prospector slasher is played byVernon Wells, who played Bennett in Commando. Yeah, the "Let off some steam, Bennett" guy. Haha.
The production is good, the main cast is attractive, the cameos are great, and the kill scenes are pretty decent, but in the end, it feels like a movie you've seen a hundred times already.
This Is Crazy!
sol12181 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
(There Are Spoilers) Usual slasher film with the story taking place in and around this God-forsaken mine outside the almost deserted town of Sutterille. After receiving a letter map and gold nugget from her brother Jared, Shadrach Smith, Clair and her husband Nick Breman, Carrie Bradac & Sean Hines, drive to the village together with four other friends and armature gold-prospectors Alx & Tori, Steve Wastell & Sangie, and Hayden & Rox Ann, Rick Majeske & Elina to stake their claim.
It later turns out that the fact that Jared disturbed the long-forgotten gold mine caused the ghost of the notorious Jeremiah Stone, Vernon Wells, to come back to life and with that restart his reign of terror. Stone, or 49er, is about the most ridicules slasher/killer in motion picture history. Stone looks like he was buried for years under a few tons of coal runs around with this hook slicing people in two. After doing in almost the entire cast local hermit Aunt Nelly, (Karen Black), who's daughter Eve (Alexandra Ford) was also one of Stone's victims, tells those still alive that unless they return the gold back to the Stone mine the crazed miner will never rest until he kills all those who still have it.
Aunt Nelly is given just enough time to tell her story before she's turned into a human torch by Stone and ends up jumping into a nearby stream.The movie goes on endlessly with the killer miner on the rampage looking like he's about as scary as burnt toast and just as dark. Even those in the film seemed to show no real fear of him. In one scene when he broke into Aunt Nelly's house everyone inside all charged, instead of running away, him causing the ghost miner to lose his right arm; Stone spent the rest of the movie with a miner's pick attached to his "stump".
Besides Actress Karen Black the film "Miners Massacre" also has veteran actors John Phillip Law and Richard Lynch as the town Sheriff Murphy and Old Man Prichard. Passable stuff but nothing special the movie has a predictable ending with the entire gold mine going up in flames. The audience given a hint by the makers of "Miners Massacre" that the end to this mindless lunacy is nowhere in sight and may very well resurface in the very near future in a possible sequel, God help us all!
It later turns out that the fact that Jared disturbed the long-forgotten gold mine caused the ghost of the notorious Jeremiah Stone, Vernon Wells, to come back to life and with that restart his reign of terror. Stone, or 49er, is about the most ridicules slasher/killer in motion picture history. Stone looks like he was buried for years under a few tons of coal runs around with this hook slicing people in two. After doing in almost the entire cast local hermit Aunt Nelly, (Karen Black), who's daughter Eve (Alexandra Ford) was also one of Stone's victims, tells those still alive that unless they return the gold back to the Stone mine the crazed miner will never rest until he kills all those who still have it.
Aunt Nelly is given just enough time to tell her story before she's turned into a human torch by Stone and ends up jumping into a nearby stream.The movie goes on endlessly with the killer miner on the rampage looking like he's about as scary as burnt toast and just as dark. Even those in the film seemed to show no real fear of him. In one scene when he broke into Aunt Nelly's house everyone inside all charged, instead of running away, him causing the ghost miner to lose his right arm; Stone spent the rest of the movie with a miner's pick attached to his "stump".
Besides Actress Karen Black the film "Miners Massacre" also has veteran actors John Phillip Law and Richard Lynch as the town Sheriff Murphy and Old Man Prichard. Passable stuff but nothing special the movie has a predictable ending with the entire gold mine going up in flames. The audience given a hint by the makers of "Miners Massacre" that the end to this mindless lunacy is nowhere in sight and may very well resurface in the very near future in a possible sequel, God help us all!
One of those horror movies that is so horrible it's hilarious
Wrathchild86200025 April 2005
Warning: Spoilers
Seeing the cover of this before I watched it, my expectations weren't high, especially since it was amongst those other crappy horror movies at blockbuster (alongside films like Junior).
Alright, not only does this movie have the brainless stereotypical characters (the rich douche bag, the bitch, the sheriff, the localer that knows what's going wrong in the town, and so forth), but has such god-awful dialogue, acting, directing, and cg effects. The Jeremiah Stone dude was hilarious. (*SPOILER*) I'll never understand why he bit his finger off out of nowhere when he was holding that chick up hostage.
The premise for the movie is just as atrocious as the other flaws. From what I could get from it, Jeremiah Stone was a gold digger during the Gold Rush, and a notorious outlaw. He had a crapload of gold, (*SPOILER*) and put a curse on anyone who went after his gold before he was gunned down by the locals after he killed some girl, but not only did he survive, he bit off his own finger and ran off. So, present day, a group of clueless morons find out about this gold mine, and of course, they are warned by locals about "The Curse of the Forty-Niner". And what do they do? As expected, ignored the warnings and greedily sought for the gold. They get the gold, and all sorts of s**t goes on. Thankfully, (*SPOILER*) the bitch gets her head cut off.
That's about it. Looking at the cover of the film, you can tell what kind of movie it's going to be. It's just so terrible it's hilarious.
1 1/2 stars out of 5.
Alright, not only does this movie have the brainless stereotypical characters (the rich douche bag, the bitch, the sheriff, the localer that knows what's going wrong in the town, and so forth), but has such god-awful dialogue, acting, directing, and cg effects. The Jeremiah Stone dude was hilarious. (*SPOILER*) I'll never understand why he bit his finger off out of nowhere when he was holding that chick up hostage.
The premise for the movie is just as atrocious as the other flaws. From what I could get from it, Jeremiah Stone was a gold digger during the Gold Rush, and a notorious outlaw. He had a crapload of gold, (*SPOILER*) and put a curse on anyone who went after his gold before he was gunned down by the locals after he killed some girl, but not only did he survive, he bit off his own finger and ran off. So, present day, a group of clueless morons find out about this gold mine, and of course, they are warned by locals about "The Curse of the Forty-Niner". And what do they do? As expected, ignored the warnings and greedily sought for the gold. They get the gold, and all sorts of s**t goes on. Thankfully, (*SPOILER*) the bitch gets her head cut off.
That's about it. Looking at the cover of the film, you can tell what kind of movie it's going to be. It's just so terrible it's hilarious.
1 1/2 stars out of 5.
Uneven old school slasher...
jluis198426 May 2006
During the 80s, U.S. horror industry had a boom of the slasher genre after the success of "Halloween" in '78 and "Friday the 13th" in 1980. The decade saw not only their numerous sequels, but also the countless imitations and further explorations in the sub-genre. While most of those films were of average quality, it still can be considered one of the most active periods of American horror cinema. "Curse of the Forty-Niner" is a late addition to the genre, as even when it was made right after 90s revival of the genre, it has many of the elements of the 80s old school slashers.
The movie starts with a young man named Jared (Shadrach Smith) who discovers the treasure of a dead miner in a remote town in California. He calls his sister Claire (Carrie Bradac) and the rest of his friends to share the gold, but when the gang arrives Jared has disappeared. Soon they'll discover that the dead miner, Jeremiah Stone (Vernon Wells) has risen from the grave to protect his treasure and they will face his rage.
Veteran make-up artist John Carl Buechler directs the movie combining the typical elements of a slasher like a group of inexperienced people, an isolated location and an apparently invincible serial killer. Familiar with the genre (he directed Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood back in 1988), he follows the slasher formula to the letter so we get our fair share of inventive killings, gore, partial nudity and comedy; everything with a distinct 80s feeling that strangely works fine with the 90s style of film-making. It is like a perfect mix between both kinds of slashers.
However, it also carries the flaws of both styles, delivering a weak storyline with stereotyped characters that serve to no purpose other than to be killed by the monster. With a cast that seems to had been chosen based on looks only, the film goes downhill and quickly becomes another clichéd repetition of the plot that has been done many times previously; which is a shame because Buechler has done better and the original premise of the film was perfect for a modern supernatural slasher. In the end the overall product feels as if Buechler was trying to copy what makes modern slashers successful but instead he get all the flaws those film can have.
The acting skills of the young cast ranges from average to bad, as the some of the actors are void of any charm or ability to make the two-dimensional characters likable. Exceptions to this are the veterans appearing in small supporting roles such as Kaen Black, Richard Lynch and John Phillip Law. Stephen Wastell and Alexandra Ford are the only members of the young cast who actually give a great performance and Wastell is superb as the comic relief of the film. These two young actors are the only ones actually giving decent performances and actually make you care for their respective characters, basically stealing the movie to the actual lead characters played by the wooden couple of Sean Hines and Carrie Bradac.
All these flaws seem to leave the film without any redeeming quality, but still, the film has several good things that are worth to point out, like the overall look of the film, which is of a good quality although the poor CGI effects look bad when contrasted with the good make-up the miner has. John Carl Buechler manages to keep the film interesting and while definitely not a good director, he gets the job done.
"Curse of the Forty-Niner" is a mixed bag as it has enough flaws to make one forget about its good stuff, leaving it as another mediocre film in Buechler's uneven career. Hopefully Stephen Wastell and Alexandra Ford will get better roles as they show a lot of potential as actors. While maybe not a good movie, fans of 80s slashers may find something worth of their time in this flick. 5/10
The movie starts with a young man named Jared (Shadrach Smith) who discovers the treasure of a dead miner in a remote town in California. He calls his sister Claire (Carrie Bradac) and the rest of his friends to share the gold, but when the gang arrives Jared has disappeared. Soon they'll discover that the dead miner, Jeremiah Stone (Vernon Wells) has risen from the grave to protect his treasure and they will face his rage.
Veteran make-up artist John Carl Buechler directs the movie combining the typical elements of a slasher like a group of inexperienced people, an isolated location and an apparently invincible serial killer. Familiar with the genre (he directed Friday the 13th Part VII: The New Blood back in 1988), he follows the slasher formula to the letter so we get our fair share of inventive killings, gore, partial nudity and comedy; everything with a distinct 80s feeling that strangely works fine with the 90s style of film-making. It is like a perfect mix between both kinds of slashers.
However, it also carries the flaws of both styles, delivering a weak storyline with stereotyped characters that serve to no purpose other than to be killed by the monster. With a cast that seems to had been chosen based on looks only, the film goes downhill and quickly becomes another clichéd repetition of the plot that has been done many times previously; which is a shame because Buechler has done better and the original premise of the film was perfect for a modern supernatural slasher. In the end the overall product feels as if Buechler was trying to copy what makes modern slashers successful but instead he get all the flaws those film can have.
The acting skills of the young cast ranges from average to bad, as the some of the actors are void of any charm or ability to make the two-dimensional characters likable. Exceptions to this are the veterans appearing in small supporting roles such as Kaen Black, Richard Lynch and John Phillip Law. Stephen Wastell and Alexandra Ford are the only members of the young cast who actually give a great performance and Wastell is superb as the comic relief of the film. These two young actors are the only ones actually giving decent performances and actually make you care for their respective characters, basically stealing the movie to the actual lead characters played by the wooden couple of Sean Hines and Carrie Bradac.
All these flaws seem to leave the film without any redeeming quality, but still, the film has several good things that are worth to point out, like the overall look of the film, which is of a good quality although the poor CGI effects look bad when contrasted with the good make-up the miner has. John Carl Buechler manages to keep the film interesting and while definitely not a good director, he gets the job done.
"Curse of the Forty-Niner" is a mixed bag as it has enough flaws to make one forget about its good stuff, leaving it as another mediocre film in Buechler's uneven career. Hopefully Stephen Wastell and Alexandra Ford will get better roles as they show a lot of potential as actors. While maybe not a good movie, fans of 80s slashers may find something worth of their time in this flick. 5/10
"They axed for it!"
Jojosh the Pi31 July 2004
And unfortunately, so did I. ANY movie that relies on a bad pun as its tagline or its title should be relegated to the $2.00 bin, but we decided to try a second consecutive bad movie for movie night. We had a winner in "House of the Dead"--go with that one if you want a laughable flick.
Some witch jumped into the water after being set on fire by Mr. Miner. Some guy took a dump in the woods. And that same guy grabbed a new girlfriend right in front of his old one. I don't remember much else. The last third of the movie was utterly insipid, and we were all waiting in agony until the end.
Some witch jumped into the water after being set on fire by Mr. Miner. Some guy took a dump in the woods. And that same guy grabbed a new girlfriend right in front of his old one. I don't remember much else. The last third of the movie was utterly insipid, and we were all waiting in agony until the end.
Not an atrocious horror film, just a generic one
gridoon23 March 2005
"Curse of the Forty-Niner" doesn't really deserve a long and detailed review, so I'll just make some random observations about it:
*1/2 out of 4.
- Cool opening credits.
- No plot.
- Is there anyone who's ever seen a horror film before and can't guess, within the first 20 minutes, who will survive and who will not among this group of walking stereotypes?
- Hey, that newcomer (Alexandra Ford) is pretty hot!
- Richard Lynch (made-up to look about 100 years old) and John Phillip Law have fun, tongue-in-cheek cameos.
- Karen Black has a bigger role, but she's not fun - she's rather embarrassing.
- Martin Kove is on-screen for about 40 seconds, but still got his name on the video cover. Did they pay him for this appearance or was it the other way around?
- I hate cheap computer-generated effects in horror films.
*1/2 out of 4.
watching this movie is the TRUE curse of the forty-niner
movieman_kev24 July 2009
A group of douche-bag teenagers go up to an old mining town in hopes of finding gold nuggets. The one hitch in the hair-brained scheme is that the ancient supernatural miner whom the gold belongs to doesn't wish to part with his treasure so easily and so begins to dispatch the interlopers accordingly.
Literally cliché-sprouting dialog, horrible acting, some insanely terrible 'southern dialect' and a lame unmemorable killer who resembles Jeepers Creepers (without the aforementioned's predilection of young boys naturally) combine to make this stinker just about unwatchable. Even cult legend actress Karen Black in a small role can't save this aberration.
Eye Candy: Elina Madison shows (badly lit) T&A
My Grade: D-
Where I saw it: TMCX
Literally cliché-sprouting dialog, horrible acting, some insanely terrible 'southern dialect' and a lame unmemorable killer who resembles Jeepers Creepers (without the aforementioned's predilection of young boys naturally) combine to make this stinker just about unwatchable. Even cult legend actress Karen Black in a small role can't save this aberration.
Eye Candy: Elina Madison shows (badly lit) T&A
My Grade: D-
Where I saw it: TMCX
wow
mista_kosta11 August 2005
this movie absolutely terrible ..not only was the acting awful but so was the sleep got while this movie played..this movie achieved the all powerful goal of crap ..i watched this movie thinking my 5$ wouldn't b in vein .but i was very wrong ..i guarantee u r better off just reading what i have to say about this unbelievably horrible movie b4 ..puttin yourself in the way of this dignity depriving movie ..i give it a negative 1 for trying..but no please no don't watch this movie..i had friends who joined me for this film..shortly after they were no longer found this movie actually will make u end your life please please don't see it i beg of u. if u see this movie make sure u destroy all copies because this movie is a spawn of Satan.
Miner's Massacre
Scarecrow-885 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
A group of friends receive word from a pal who has found gold in an old mind shaft nearby an ancient abandoned western town of Suttersville. Despite warnings by the local sheriff, Murphy(John Phillip Law), Old Man Prichard(Richard Lynch)a bedraggled hick who swindles tourists with supposed collectible Wanted posters, and kooky superstitious Aunt Nelly(Karen Black)to stay out of the mine due to it's notorious legend(..that an evil coal miner who sold his soul to devil and murdered a priest's(Jeff Conaway)daughter will return from the dead to kill those who remove the gold from his shaft), these people only see the green, not the blood red which could potentially ooze from their slain bodies. Finding the gold of Jeremiah Stone intact, they line their pockets and carrying cases, prepared for the bright futures that supposedly lie ahead. But, when you do not heed the warnings of those you consider backwoods loons, the obvious result will be gruesome death. Jeremiah Stone, as we see, is lying merely a skeleton near an alter containing skulls lined next to each other as the candles on top of them light up, the pickax underneath awaiting it's master, with dust particles returning him to a grotesque corpse with demonic exposition, his eyes aglow with wrath. This hapless group, hoping for some fun around the campfire with gold providing them with warm prospects for life ahead, will fall prey to the vengeful ghoul and his mean pickax. Another victim will meet the nasty end of a shovel thrown through the windshield of her vehicle, directing it's path straight into her neck. Another failed attempt to retreat has Stone causing a frightened victim to drive his car into a tree, his body engulfed in flames as he fails to escape without harm. Another, a local girl searching for her new friends, worried about their well being, receives the pickax buried into her stomach. Aunt Nelly informs those still alive about the Forty-Niner and the curse on those who raids his eternal stash..and pays the price for relating such information. Will anybody survive? Or, is the entire group fated to perish at the hands of the zombie miner?
Make-up effects artist and monster creator, John Carl Buechler directs this supernatural slasher without worrying about logic or strong story-telling, opting instead to allow his zombie miner to destroy anyone and everyone who happens to be in his path. He provides just enough back story, and this is feeble at best, for the killer allowing special guest star, Karen Black(..oh how her career has sunken into the abyss)to explain to the viewer about him. The story given to us has the miner holding a priest's daughter hostage, threatening to execute her as the Suttersville authorities warn against such an action. Startling enough, Stone plants that pickax right into her back, with the opposition unloading their guns with little effect because he sold his soul to Satan. Retreating to his domain, the mine shaft, Stone sends out a warning against anyone even attempting to take what's his, the loot. Typical of most slashers in general, this bunch of twenty-somethings are your garden variety victims, with little development other than some banter and exchanging of words provides as filler until the undead maniac pops onto the scene to slaughter them. They are the usual group, from the city, trespassing unto unfamiliar territory, resurrecting an evil that should remain dormant. Like many of the later 80's slashers, a good deal of the violence is off-screen. What is on screen, the minimal gore, is rather mundanely presented and happens rather quickly. The ghoul make-up for the killer is only shown occasionally;he's mostly shrouded in darkness, the victims' horrified faces as he catches or chases after them are given more credence than the method of destruction. One thing's for certain, stunt men were set on fire many times. At least three times, a character is burned alive by either a lantern or flaming vehicle. Martin Cove has a minor cameo as Black's former husband, Caleb, now living with a much younger, and dense, honey. Vernon Wells(..of The Road Warrior and Commando fame)has the back story role of Jeremiah Stone as a human, still capturing the same type of menace he specializes in. John Phillip Law seems to be enjoying himself as the rather polite and hospitable sheriff, welcoming the outsiders to his neck of the woods. Buechler has quite an attractive cast of actresses, all wearing tight pants and smallish shirts, showing off their sleek and athletic figures, especially Elina Madison as easy-lay Roxann, always willing to remove her clothes for greedy jerk, Hayden(Rick Majeske). Stephen Wastell(The Ghosts of Edendale) is Axl, a rather clumsy foil, used as a butt of many jokes including his "dump in the woods" scene and current unemployment status.
Make-up effects artist and monster creator, John Carl Buechler directs this supernatural slasher without worrying about logic or strong story-telling, opting instead to allow his zombie miner to destroy anyone and everyone who happens to be in his path. He provides just enough back story, and this is feeble at best, for the killer allowing special guest star, Karen Black(..oh how her career has sunken into the abyss)to explain to the viewer about him. The story given to us has the miner holding a priest's daughter hostage, threatening to execute her as the Suttersville authorities warn against such an action. Startling enough, Stone plants that pickax right into her back, with the opposition unloading their guns with little effect because he sold his soul to Satan. Retreating to his domain, the mine shaft, Stone sends out a warning against anyone even attempting to take what's his, the loot. Typical of most slashers in general, this bunch of twenty-somethings are your garden variety victims, with little development other than some banter and exchanging of words provides as filler until the undead maniac pops onto the scene to slaughter them. They are the usual group, from the city, trespassing unto unfamiliar territory, resurrecting an evil that should remain dormant. Like many of the later 80's slashers, a good deal of the violence is off-screen. What is on screen, the minimal gore, is rather mundanely presented and happens rather quickly. The ghoul make-up for the killer is only shown occasionally;he's mostly shrouded in darkness, the victims' horrified faces as he catches or chases after them are given more credence than the method of destruction. One thing's for certain, stunt men were set on fire many times. At least three times, a character is burned alive by either a lantern or flaming vehicle. Martin Cove has a minor cameo as Black's former husband, Caleb, now living with a much younger, and dense, honey. Vernon Wells(..of The Road Warrior and Commando fame)has the back story role of Jeremiah Stone as a human, still capturing the same type of menace he specializes in. John Phillip Law seems to be enjoying himself as the rather polite and hospitable sheriff, welcoming the outsiders to his neck of the woods. Buechler has quite an attractive cast of actresses, all wearing tight pants and smallish shirts, showing off their sleek and athletic figures, especially Elina Madison as easy-lay Roxann, always willing to remove her clothes for greedy jerk, Hayden(Rick Majeske). Stephen Wastell(The Ghosts of Edendale) is Axl, a rather clumsy foil, used as a butt of many jokes including his "dump in the woods" scene and current unemployment status.
Not that bad, worth a passing interest look
slayrrr66626 September 2005
Warning: Spoilers
"Miner's Massacre" is a better film than its reputation.
**SPOILERS**
While traveling to Suttersville, a small town in the middle of nowhere, a group of friends gather to go gold hunting. Along the way, an old man (Richard Lynch) tells Axl (Stephen Wastell) and Tori (Sangie) about a mysterious legend of the Forty-Niner. The other members of the group, Hayden, (Rick Majeske) Rox Ann, (Elina Madison) Nick, (Sean Hines) and Claire, (Carrie Bradac) arrive at an old ghost town with Axl and Tori. When Axl meets a local Eve, (Alexandra Ford) Tori has enough and leaves, leaving Eve to guide the others to a camping spot along an old mining shaft, who then leaves. Once inside the shaft, they discover the hidden gold of the Forty-Niner. As they decide what to do with their newfound wealth, they incur the wrath of the Forty-Niner, who has guarded his wealth for a hundred and fifty years. Together with a superstitious old woman (Karen Black) and the local sheriff, (John Phillip Law) they find a way to stop the killer ghost.
The Good News: This isn't all that bad as it seems. It isn't that long a movie, and that allows for a very fast pace with lots of great killing and tons of gore. We do have a lot of great deaths. There's a pick-ax to the stomach, an ax to the back of the head, a shovel thrown into a car and into a neck, a people lit on fire, and a decapitation, among others. The shovel kill is in fact the best kill in the movie. After spotting the miner, they all flee in different directions. One runs into a car and tries to start it, but the miner throws a shovel through the windshield, hitting them in the neck. That is a really great kill. The miner himself is pretty creepy. He looks suitably evil, with that greenish-blue hue, a scraggly beard, and those piercing eyes that all combine to create a deadly villain. He merely needed more screen-time since the film is really short. There is a lot of action as well, with chasing, explosions, lots of people set on fire and killing in one fine film. It also has one great ending, one that wasn't easy to guess. It plays brilliantly on the classic false ending that so many films use, but it isn't the one most normally think of using. It's a great twist, and it doesn't come completely out of the blue. It also is filled with a few great B-movie stars of the past in one film. Richard Lynch, Karen Black, John Philip Law, Vernon Wells and Martin Kove all have roles in here.
The Bad News: This was a lot shorter than it should've been. Just barely over an hour and twenty minutes, this definitely needed a little more time to flesh out. There is a lot of stalking going on in the movie, but it needed a little more, because the middle part of the film is a little dull. Once they leave the town and head for the mine, there is nothing for a good half-hour.
The Final Verdict: This isn't the worst horror film ever made, and it does deserve a better reputation than it has. It features four great B-movie stars together with a great villain, lots of action, blood and gore, and an interesting story in a great film. This is definitely recommended viewing for all horror fans, or those that want to kill an hour and a half without doing too much to stress themselves.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Adult Language, Brief Nudity and some sexual situations
**SPOILERS**
While traveling to Suttersville, a small town in the middle of nowhere, a group of friends gather to go gold hunting. Along the way, an old man (Richard Lynch) tells Axl (Stephen Wastell) and Tori (Sangie) about a mysterious legend of the Forty-Niner. The other members of the group, Hayden, (Rick Majeske) Rox Ann, (Elina Madison) Nick, (Sean Hines) and Claire, (Carrie Bradac) arrive at an old ghost town with Axl and Tori. When Axl meets a local Eve, (Alexandra Ford) Tori has enough and leaves, leaving Eve to guide the others to a camping spot along an old mining shaft, who then leaves. Once inside the shaft, they discover the hidden gold of the Forty-Niner. As they decide what to do with their newfound wealth, they incur the wrath of the Forty-Niner, who has guarded his wealth for a hundred and fifty years. Together with a superstitious old woman (Karen Black) and the local sheriff, (John Phillip Law) they find a way to stop the killer ghost.
The Good News: This isn't all that bad as it seems. It isn't that long a movie, and that allows for a very fast pace with lots of great killing and tons of gore. We do have a lot of great deaths. There's a pick-ax to the stomach, an ax to the back of the head, a shovel thrown into a car and into a neck, a people lit on fire, and a decapitation, among others. The shovel kill is in fact the best kill in the movie. After spotting the miner, they all flee in different directions. One runs into a car and tries to start it, but the miner throws a shovel through the windshield, hitting them in the neck. That is a really great kill. The miner himself is pretty creepy. He looks suitably evil, with that greenish-blue hue, a scraggly beard, and those piercing eyes that all combine to create a deadly villain. He merely needed more screen-time since the film is really short. There is a lot of action as well, with chasing, explosions, lots of people set on fire and killing in one fine film. It also has one great ending, one that wasn't easy to guess. It plays brilliantly on the classic false ending that so many films use, but it isn't the one most normally think of using. It's a great twist, and it doesn't come completely out of the blue. It also is filled with a few great B-movie stars of the past in one film. Richard Lynch, Karen Black, John Philip Law, Vernon Wells and Martin Kove all have roles in here.
The Bad News: This was a lot shorter than it should've been. Just barely over an hour and twenty minutes, this definitely needed a little more time to flesh out. There is a lot of stalking going on in the movie, but it needed a little more, because the middle part of the film is a little dull. Once they leave the town and head for the mine, there is nothing for a good half-hour.
The Final Verdict: This isn't the worst horror film ever made, and it does deserve a better reputation than it has. It features four great B-movie stars together with a great villain, lots of action, blood and gore, and an interesting story in a great film. This is definitely recommended viewing for all horror fans, or those that want to kill an hour and a half without doing too much to stress themselves.
Rated R: Graphic Violence, Adult Language, Brief Nudity and some sexual situations
Cool retro slasher with a lot of shocks.
Zombified_6609 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
As slasher movies go, Curse of the Forty Niner is pretty damn good. It feels like an 80s film, kinda similar to the tail end of the Friday the 13th series. Instead of resorting to splatter to scare, Forty Niner uses a lot of suspense to bring in the scares.
This works to its advantage. Many low budget films are hamstrung by bad effects or scares that would only shock newbies and wimps. I've lost count of the amount of horror movies, high and low budget alike, that I've sat through without even flinching. Forty Niner made me jump out of my skin at least twice during its short 80 minutes.
Scene veteran John Carl Buechler has always known his stuff, and his 80s heritage (Buechler was involved as a director/special effects head with the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series') shows right through this taut movie. His trademark splatter effects take a back seat to jarring suspense and uncomfortable moments, making the movie a pared down exercise in shocks and creepiness, unlike his earlier effort Deep Freeze, which kind of lacked anything aside from a few gross effects. It's basically a return to form for Buechler.
It isn't perfect by a long shot though. Certain effects shots are unfortunately badly goofed, like a woman who gets set on fire where you can see the protective fire-retardant face gear in plain view of the camera. This jars you temporarily out of the film's atmosphere, which is pretty unwelcome.
Also the acting is very hit and miss. It has to be said, it's of a far better calibre than many other movies of it's ilk, but some of the characters are so one dimensional that if they turned sideways they'd disappear. This rubs up against the other characters who do a good job of their lines.
Personally though, this was a lot of fun for me, and probably anyone else who misses the horror of the 80s. Fans of stuff like Jeepers Creepers and the new Texas Chainsaw will probably find a lot to enjoy too. On a final note though, the movie is not for the faint of heart, as a few sequences are pretty horrific, particularly a segment involving a woman getting pickaxed in the chest, which was pretty harsh (and not in a 'rubbish splatter effect' way) and some other fairly meaty bits of violence.
So, if you like horror and miss movies like Friday the 13th and Halloween, you owe it to yourself to check this out. However if you don't know those movies, check them out first then try this.
This works to its advantage. Many low budget films are hamstrung by bad effects or scares that would only shock newbies and wimps. I've lost count of the amount of horror movies, high and low budget alike, that I've sat through without even flinching. Forty Niner made me jump out of my skin at least twice during its short 80 minutes.
Scene veteran John Carl Buechler has always known his stuff, and his 80s heritage (Buechler was involved as a director/special effects head with the Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street series') shows right through this taut movie. His trademark splatter effects take a back seat to jarring suspense and uncomfortable moments, making the movie a pared down exercise in shocks and creepiness, unlike his earlier effort Deep Freeze, which kind of lacked anything aside from a few gross effects. It's basically a return to form for Buechler.
It isn't perfect by a long shot though. Certain effects shots are unfortunately badly goofed, like a woman who gets set on fire where you can see the protective fire-retardant face gear in plain view of the camera. This jars you temporarily out of the film's atmosphere, which is pretty unwelcome.
Also the acting is very hit and miss. It has to be said, it's of a far better calibre than many other movies of it's ilk, but some of the characters are so one dimensional that if they turned sideways they'd disappear. This rubs up against the other characters who do a good job of their lines.
Personally though, this was a lot of fun for me, and probably anyone else who misses the horror of the 80s. Fans of stuff like Jeepers Creepers and the new Texas Chainsaw will probably find a lot to enjoy too. On a final note though, the movie is not for the faint of heart, as a few sequences are pretty horrific, particularly a segment involving a woman getting pickaxed in the chest, which was pretty harsh (and not in a 'rubbish splatter effect' way) and some other fairly meaty bits of violence.
So, if you like horror and miss movies like Friday the 13th and Halloween, you owe it to yourself to check this out. However if you don't know those movies, check them out first then try this.
Mindless but entertaining
willywants30 January 2005
Warning: Spoilers
A group of friends discover gold deep inside an old mine. But by taking the gold and thinking they've hit it big, they awaken a long dead miner who's Hell Bent on protecting his treasure. "Miner's Massacre" is a chintzy b-horror movie in the extreme. You've got all your familiar clichés, your group of intellectually-impaired teenagers, characters going off on their own to investigate strange noises, a few pop-scares, the mysterious sheriff, the old lady who everyone thinks is nuts (Played by top-billed Karen Black no less), and so on. Nevertheless, it's done in an amusing, non-pretentious fashion that makes the film mindlessly entertaining in a "so bad, it's good" kind of way. The characters and dialog are what you'd expect from this type of filmfamiliar, routine and unoriginal. The actors all do a decent job though, consideringI've actually seen bigger-budget films of it's type with worse acting (I know what you did last summer, anyone?) and add a bit of credibility to the film itself. The villain in this film (The 49'er) is obviously derived from the creeper from Jeepers Creepers, all the way down to the brown overcoat, the hat and the long white hair. Like the creeper he never talks, and is butt-ugly to boot. The gore is somewhat disappointing in my opinion. There are a couple of fairly gruesome moments, but too much is off-screen and the death scenes are often laughable (Spoiler ahead!). There's one truly hilarious moment where a girl gets decapitated by the said villain, and to achieve this 'effect', the filmmakers hid the actress's body beneath the villain's coat, with her head poking out, and put some fake blood on her neck. Seriously, you could see the outline of her shoulders! I think they could have done a little better there, even if the budget was low (And I'm sure it was, but, still
). The special effects are cheap but sufficiently effective and for the most part, moderately well done for a low-budget film. Either the effects guys or the director seem to have a thing for explosions and fire. Almost every scene towards the end of the film has at least a couple of characters being burn to death (Always filmed in slow motion) or SOMETHING exploding, be it a car or an old mine cave. Seriously, hasn't anyone ever heard the term; "Stop, drop and roll"!?!?!?
"Miner's Massacre" (Or "Curse of the forty-niner", what ever you want to call it) is cheesy and dumb, albeit entertaining, and as long as you don't have expectations through the roof, you'll be sufficiently entertained.
I'm feeling generous, so I'll give it a 4/10.
"Miner's Massacre" (Or "Curse of the forty-niner", what ever you want to call it) is cheesy and dumb, albeit entertaining, and as long as you don't have expectations through the roof, you'll be sufficiently entertained.
I'm feeling generous, so I'll give it a 4/10.
A rather generic light horror movie...
paul_haakonsen28 June 2021
Well, this 2002 movie titled "Curse of the Forty-Niner" (aka "Miner's Massacre") is a movie that I hadn't even heard about before now in 2021, 19 years after it was made, as I happened to stumble upon it by sheer random luck. And yeah, of course I sat down to watch it, as it is a horror movie that I hadn't already seen. Sure, I wasn't harboring much of any expectations for the movie, so writer Antonio Olivas and director John Carl Buechler had every chance to impress and entertain me.
And while "Curse of the Forty-Niner" was a watchable movie, it was hardly an outstanding foray into the horror genre. Writer Antonio Olivas seemed to build his storyline and plot around things that have been done countless of times before this movie, so he was sort of playing it safe I suppose. A gamble perhaps, but one that ultimately dragged the movie into mediocrity.
I had no idea that it was actually Vernon Wells that was playing the part of Jeremiah Stone, the undead miner. But then again, of course he was covered completely by prosthetic make-up.
The acting in the movie was adequate, but it was actually nice enough that they had managed to get the likes of Richard Lynch and Karen Black to show up in the movie.
For a horror movie then "Curse of the Forty-Niner" just didn't cut it. There was nothing scary about this movie whatsoever. I kid you not. This movie wasn't even remotely scary. Sure, if you are a complete newcomer to the horror genre, then perhaps you'll find an ounce of scary stuff here. But for a life-long horror veteran, this was a mere walk in the park.
The special effects in "Curse of the Forty-Niner" were adequate and served their purposes well enough. However, do keep in mind though, that the special effects will not knock you over from your seat. This was not a grand spectacle of special effects.
All in all, "Curse of the Forty-Niner" was watchable, but it was not an outstanding or memorable movie to grace the horror genre. It is the type of movie that you will watch once, and then forget about it and never return to watch it a second time.
My rating of "Curse of the Forty-Niner" lands on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars.
And while "Curse of the Forty-Niner" was a watchable movie, it was hardly an outstanding foray into the horror genre. Writer Antonio Olivas seemed to build his storyline and plot around things that have been done countless of times before this movie, so he was sort of playing it safe I suppose. A gamble perhaps, but one that ultimately dragged the movie into mediocrity.
I had no idea that it was actually Vernon Wells that was playing the part of Jeremiah Stone, the undead miner. But then again, of course he was covered completely by prosthetic make-up.
The acting in the movie was adequate, but it was actually nice enough that they had managed to get the likes of Richard Lynch and Karen Black to show up in the movie.
For a horror movie then "Curse of the Forty-Niner" just didn't cut it. There was nothing scary about this movie whatsoever. I kid you not. This movie wasn't even remotely scary. Sure, if you are a complete newcomer to the horror genre, then perhaps you'll find an ounce of scary stuff here. But for a life-long horror veteran, this was a mere walk in the park.
The special effects in "Curse of the Forty-Niner" were adequate and served their purposes well enough. However, do keep in mind though, that the special effects will not knock you over from your seat. This was not a grand spectacle of special effects.
All in all, "Curse of the Forty-Niner" was watchable, but it was not an outstanding or memorable movie to grace the horror genre. It is the type of movie that you will watch once, and then forget about it and never return to watch it a second time.
My rating of "Curse of the Forty-Niner" lands on a less than mediocre four out of ten stars.
"Loosen Up! I Don't Bite..., Usually!"...
azathothpwiggins17 May 2021
CURSE OF THE FORTY-NINER opens with the unholy resurrection of the title character (Vernon Wells), who immediately begins his murderous rampage. Wells is cranky because a group of young prospectors have arrived in his town to dig for gold.
Deaths by pickax, hook, and machete await.
As a throwback film celebrating the slashers of the 1970'-80's, all of the necessary elements are in place: A homicidal madman with a story and a grudge. A gaggle of youthful, randy, mostly brainless victims. A series of brutal murders, usually committed in "interesting" ways. Pretty much by-the-numbers, but fun in spots.
Co-stars horror luminaries, Karen Black and Richard Lynch...
Deaths by pickax, hook, and machete await.
As a throwback film celebrating the slashers of the 1970'-80's, all of the necessary elements are in place: A homicidal madman with a story and a grudge. A gaggle of youthful, randy, mostly brainless victims. A series of brutal murders, usually committed in "interesting" ways. Pretty much by-the-numbers, but fun in spots.
Co-stars horror luminaries, Karen Black and Richard Lynch...
The only reason that I voted 2/10 was for Eve
d4rk3v1L11 June 2005
this movie really SUCKS, SUCKS REALLY REALLY HARD, this movie should be in the Bottom 100, but it is so bad that almost nobody has seen it to vote for her so many times that it should be at the same time of "Manos - the Hands of Fate." I should have him position 1 (awful), but the reason for which I put him 2 was for Eve, the girl of the town that, besides some scenes of nudity, besides, I thought of voting for 3, but like they killed Eve, I returned at 2. it is that movies like this they should not be financed by anybody, since not even they took to the fame or other productions to the actors main, great falsehood, jaja, the history of a mining ghost that kills to "mansalva" and after they put an end to their misdeeds, it reappears, because with the end they shitted it very ugly.
FINAL SCORE (VOTE): 2 (for the nudity and the performance of the beautiful Eve)
FINAL SCORE (VOTE): 2 (for the nudity and the performance of the beautiful Eve)
Average creature feature
preppy-322 December 2004
Warning: Spoilers
Back in the 1800s an miner finds tons of gold and refuses to share it. Instead he hides it and kills everybody he thinks it interested in it. He's shot but curses anyone who finds his gold and then...disappears.
Cut to present day (well...2003 actually). A young guy finds some gold. The miner immediately comes to life and kills him. His friends come looking for him. They're the usual horror movie clichés--three couples all stock characters. The women: one's a bitch, another is a slut, the last is good girl with NO personality (meaning she'll live). The guys: one's a whiner with REAL greasy hair, another is a sexist jerk and the last is a nice guy with NO personality (he'll live). They find the gold and the miner comes after them. That's about the whole plot. Also pros like Karen Black, John Phillip Law and Martin Kove show up VERY briefly to give the movie some much needed class.
Actually this movie isn't that bad. The actors are all pretty good, the script is OK, the makeup on the miner is actually pretty scary and there are a few nice gory deaths.
Only real complaints: did we REALLY need the supposedly "comic" scene where a guy takes a dump in the woods and the ending is just silly.
All in all an average by the numbers horror movie but not bad OF ITS TYPE. I give it a 5.
Cut to present day (well...2003 actually). A young guy finds some gold. The miner immediately comes to life and kills him. His friends come looking for him. They're the usual horror movie clichés--three couples all stock characters. The women: one's a bitch, another is a slut, the last is good girl with NO personality (meaning she'll live). The guys: one's a whiner with REAL greasy hair, another is a sexist jerk and the last is a nice guy with NO personality (he'll live). They find the gold and the miner comes after them. That's about the whole plot. Also pros like Karen Black, John Phillip Law and Martin Kove show up VERY briefly to give the movie some much needed class.
Actually this movie isn't that bad. The actors are all pretty good, the script is OK, the makeup on the miner is actually pretty scary and there are a few nice gory deaths.
Only real complaints: did we REALLY need the supposedly "comic" scene where a guy takes a dump in the woods and the ending is just silly.
All in all an average by the numbers horror movie but not bad OF ITS TYPE. I give it a 5.
Delivers the Goods
NIXFLIX-DOT-COM1 October 2003
CURSE OF THE FORTY-NINER (or MINER'S MASSACRE, as it's actually called in the movie) may be low-budget, but it delivers the goods. To be sure, it's yet another mindless Teen Slasher, without any redeeming quality whatsoever. But the movie is very much aware of its insignificance to world culture, and in return we get all the goodies fans of the genre are used to.
Final word is that FORTY-NINER will not win any awards, but it doesn't sell its niche audience short. Although the leads are a bit bland. I didn't even know they had names, or that they were married (!), until almost toward the end.
5 out of 10
Final word is that FORTY-NINER will not win any awards, but it doesn't sell its niche audience short. Although the leads are a bit bland. I didn't even know they had names, or that they were married (!), until almost toward the end.
5 out of 10
how did this movie NOT win an Oscar?
KHayes66624 February 2006
Warning: Spoilers
The storyline is a ticked off claim jumper made a deal with the devil to find gold, and is forced to protect it forever. A bunch of friends find the gold and gets talked by the old miner and they're forced to blow the gold to smithereens in order to send him back to hell.
I mean seriously...how did this film NOT win the Oscar for movie of the year? What a compelling storyline of late 20 year olds running from a claim jumper straight out of the 1800's. I love how in other movies you can't kill the monster but they can knock it out...this movie they write the monster as completely indestructible.
The opening of the movie clearly rips off Nightmare on Elm Street part 4 but what the hell, not like that movie was a 5 star classic either.
Highlight of the movie is when we're introduced to a girl who's never been to school, never been out of the town, never learned to read or write....yet speaks perfect English, is smoking hot and wears the latest fashion. How did the Oscar's miss THAT?
OK I'm done with the bad jokes, this movie is pure crap and only watch it if u have nothing better to do and all the spices on the spice rack are in alphabetical order already.
2 out of 10
I mean seriously...how did this film NOT win the Oscar for movie of the year? What a compelling storyline of late 20 year olds running from a claim jumper straight out of the 1800's. I love how in other movies you can't kill the monster but they can knock it out...this movie they write the monster as completely indestructible.
The opening of the movie clearly rips off Nightmare on Elm Street part 4 but what the hell, not like that movie was a 5 star classic either.
Highlight of the movie is when we're introduced to a girl who's never been to school, never been out of the town, never learned to read or write....yet speaks perfect English, is smoking hot and wears the latest fashion. How did the Oscar's miss THAT?
OK I'm done with the bad jokes, this movie is pure crap and only watch it if u have nothing better to do and all the spices on the spice rack are in alphabetical order already.
2 out of 10
Laughable... Wasted Talent.
terrible220 October 2008
Certainly expected more after seeing the cast list, but WOW!
I think a first time director could have done a better job with this project, and the fact that a veteran like John Buechler made it, puzzles me to no end. Somehow, the budget allowed them to secure a bevy of D-List actors, whom they succeeded in embarrassing for an hour and a half. The unknown actors were just plain awful, less Steve Wastell who does a decent job as Axl. The story is so bad, that it really needs no mention. The overall production value seems standard, with some above average camera work, if you can make it through the God-Awful "slo-mo" scenes and the painful "person on fire" sequences. I knew it would be dumb, I just had no idea how dumb, and unfortunately it's time spent that can never be returned to me. I suppose if you enjoy really bad "B" films, this might work for you, but if you value any story at all, this one is simply dreadful... A complete waste of time.
I think a first time director could have done a better job with this project, and the fact that a veteran like John Buechler made it, puzzles me to no end. Somehow, the budget allowed them to secure a bevy of D-List actors, whom they succeeded in embarrassing for an hour and a half. The unknown actors were just plain awful, less Steve Wastell who does a decent job as Axl. The story is so bad, that it really needs no mention. The overall production value seems standard, with some above average camera work, if you can make it through the God-Awful "slo-mo" scenes and the painful "person on fire" sequences. I knew it would be dumb, I just had no idea how dumb, and unfortunately it's time spent that can never be returned to me. I suppose if you enjoy really bad "B" films, this might work for you, but if you value any story at all, this one is simply dreadful... A complete waste of time.
They Axed For It?!?
Coventry23 December 2008
My mate and I chose to watch this obvious piece of junk purely based on its tagline
After nearly 30 years of lousy and rudimentary teen slashers, I can't believe that only just now some nerdy horror brainiac come up with the brilliantly witty slogan "They Axed for it"! Other than that, "Miner's Massacre" is just as random, annoying and forgettable as all the rest out there
. Perhaps even more! The script contains all the typical clichés and features all the dreadfully stereotypic characters you wish a horrible and painful death to. The gore effects are computer engineered and thus beyond pitiable and the obligatory "big" stars (Karen Black, John Philip Law and Richard Lynch) are entirely wasted in spite of their top billing. Cursed mines and abandoned ghost towns form an ideal horror setting the creators of "My Bloody Valentine" already figured that out in the early 80's but his dull film simply hasn't got any innovative ideas or even remotely surprising elements to offer. Bunch of greedy twenty-something losers, which refer to themselves as friends even though they clearly can't stand each other, desecrate an ancient mine in search of the gold that is allegedly hidden there. Of course they unwarily resurrect the zombie miner this way and he just 150 years of rest in order to prepare for a massive teen massacre. Yay! The cast is exceptionally irritating in this one. The girls all have impressive racks but refuse to show anything. Instead, they all prefer endless whining and the taking of needless risks. The dim-witted blokes clearly just serve as screen fillers. In her barely five minutes of playtime, Karen Black still manages to make an utter fool out of herself by depicting the most prototypic and hysterical local nut woman ever. The zombie has a stupid and very unconvincing face, but he looks okay and reasonably menacing when shown in the distant shadow of the moonlight whilst swinging around his pick-axe. Since the best thing about "Miner's Massacre" concerns the aforementioned tagline and you can read that on the box in the video store itself, there's very little else to recommend here. Director John Carl Buechler scored a few modest hits during the eighties, like notably the original "Troll" and a fair "Friday the 13th" sequel, but it's obviously time to retire now.
So Cheesy It's Funny
coloradokid71926 October 2006
I liked this film in spite of it being a cheesy, low-budget "slasher." I adore Karen Black, no matter what she's in. I also enjoyed Jeff Conaway's cameo. Stephen Wastell is one of the best of the "unknown" actors in this film. Sean Hines also turns in a better-than-average performance for a film of this genre. The guys seemed to be taking it more seriously than the women. Alexandra Ford's laughable "southern" accent comes and goes with no warning. The plot is reasonably predictable, but offers a few surprises, so I'll leave it at that.
Continuity doesn't seem to exist in this film, so it's just as much fun to watch for the inconsistencies as anything else. Rent it or catch it on cable for a laugh, buy it if you're a hardcore fan of the genre. I caught it on the Sci-Fi channel, but now I'm going to order the DVD.
Continuity doesn't seem to exist in this film, so it's just as much fun to watch for the inconsistencies as anything else. Rent it or catch it on cable for a laugh, buy it if you're a hardcore fan of the genre. I caught it on the Sci-Fi channel, but now I'm going to order the DVD.
Come on, Its a B-Horror Film, At Least Appreciate It
the_entombed2517 July 2005
I saw this movie a long time ago, around the time it first came out. Then almost a year after that, I bought it, just for the sake of a song they had on the menu.
I read a lot of people's reviews, and the movie was bashed. One of the reasons why I feel that it was bashed was because it's a B-horror film. I Despise B-movies, but, I have to admit, for a B-movie, this one was actually not TOO bad.
Sure, It was HORRIBLY acted, directed, scripted, and overall, just cheesy, but do realize, those elements can be total assets to a movie like this. That is why I enjoyed it. The death scenes were really cool yet cheesy. Also not to mention, The "fourty-niner" killer was not too bad. Unfortanetly, he wasn't original; He looked almost tied with The Creeper From Jeepers Creepers, and Rob Zombie.
The camera angles ticked me off, but it is a B-flick, and it is expected. I enjoyed what was made of it, even though it was POORLY made, even for a B-flick, because there are good B-flicks.
I'll still appreciate what it is. You cant just watch it expecting it to be amazing. It's one of those movies that you have to appreciate with what was made of it.
I read a lot of people's reviews, and the movie was bashed. One of the reasons why I feel that it was bashed was because it's a B-horror film. I Despise B-movies, but, I have to admit, for a B-movie, this one was actually not TOO bad.
Sure, It was HORRIBLY acted, directed, scripted, and overall, just cheesy, but do realize, those elements can be total assets to a movie like this. That is why I enjoyed it. The death scenes were really cool yet cheesy. Also not to mention, The "fourty-niner" killer was not too bad. Unfortanetly, he wasn't original; He looked almost tied with The Creeper From Jeepers Creepers, and Rob Zombie.
The camera angles ticked me off, but it is a B-flick, and it is expected. I enjoyed what was made of it, even though it was POORLY made, even for a B-flick, because there are good B-flicks.
I'll still appreciate what it is. You cant just watch it expecting it to be amazing. It's one of those movies that you have to appreciate with what was made of it.
Below Average at Best
thelancinator30 December 2005
Let me start out by saying I LOVE horror movies. Big budget, low budget, big name actors, no name actors, it doesn't matter. And when it comes to judging movies I am very forgiving. This movie however, is pretty bad.
The actors show little or no emotion when delivering their lines and the acting is worse than many lower budget horror flicks I've seen. As the actors get killed off, you could care less. There is very little gore (I have no idea what film other reviewers watched when they say there is good gore in this one, because there isn't) and the special effects are substandard at best. They steal so much from so many better horror movies (Jeepers Creepers, Friday the 13th, Leprachaun) and it still doesn't help.
Luckily I saw this on Showtime and didn't have to actually pay any extra money to see it or waste a spot in my Netflix queue on it. There are so many better horror movies out there and I recommend you see those instead of this big letdown.
The actors show little or no emotion when delivering their lines and the acting is worse than many lower budget horror flicks I've seen. As the actors get killed off, you could care less. There is very little gore (I have no idea what film other reviewers watched when they say there is good gore in this one, because there isn't) and the special effects are substandard at best. They steal so much from so many better horror movies (Jeepers Creepers, Friday the 13th, Leprachaun) and it still doesn't help.
Luckily I saw this on Showtime and didn't have to actually pay any extra money to see it or waste a spot in my Netflix queue on it. There are so many better horror movies out there and I recommend you see those instead of this big letdown.
Elina Madison - Where for art thou?
Dr. Gore5 July 2004
Warning: Spoilers
*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*
I must be the horniest user on the IMDb. Am I the only one dismayed at the lack of nudity in this otherwise fine film? "Miner's Massacre" has three to five hot babes, depending on your definition of hot. The only one who shows a bit of nudity is Elina Madison who graces us with her rear end. This made me happy because I achieved my objective. I rented "Miner's Massacre" to see Elina Madison in action. Mission accomplished.
I got an email the other day from someone who knew Elina and wanted to know all about another film she was in called "El Chupacabra". I had posted a comment on that disasterpiece and it inspired Elina's bud to drop me a line. I vaguely remembered Elina in that movie. I needed a refresher. "Miner's Massacre" fit the bill.
So a bunch of teens decide to go to a gold mine. Unfortunately for them, there is a zombie miner there who wants the gold all for himself. The miner is an interesting monster. He has gold lust like the Leprechaun and has the same tailor as the Creeper. He wields his pick axe and takes out anyone that comes between him and his nuggets.
I enjoyed "Miner's Massacre". It was a simple and straight forward slasher flick. Annoying teens show up, they should die for being alive and the miner is happy to accommodate them. Elina had the best death of all. The miner had his eyes on her and launched a heat-seeking shovel toward her neck. Oh yeah. That's the good stuff.
I must be the horniest user on the IMDb. Am I the only one dismayed at the lack of nudity in this otherwise fine film? "Miner's Massacre" has three to five hot babes, depending on your definition of hot. The only one who shows a bit of nudity is Elina Madison who graces us with her rear end. This made me happy because I achieved my objective. I rented "Miner's Massacre" to see Elina Madison in action. Mission accomplished.
I got an email the other day from someone who knew Elina and wanted to know all about another film she was in called "El Chupacabra". I had posted a comment on that disasterpiece and it inspired Elina's bud to drop me a line. I vaguely remembered Elina in that movie. I needed a refresher. "Miner's Massacre" fit the bill.
So a bunch of teens decide to go to a gold mine. Unfortunately for them, there is a zombie miner there who wants the gold all for himself. The miner is an interesting monster. He has gold lust like the Leprechaun and has the same tailor as the Creeper. He wields his pick axe and takes out anyone that comes between him and his nuggets.
I enjoyed "Miner's Massacre". It was a simple and straight forward slasher flick. Annoying teens show up, they should die for being alive and the miner is happy to accommodate them. Elina had the best death of all. The miner had his eyes on her and launched a heat-seeking shovel toward her neck. Oh yeah. That's the good stuff.
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