Ghostkeeper

While few horror movies can hold a candle to The Shining, filmmakers never stop trying. The year after Kubrick’s 1980 King adaptation came out, a small, low-budget Canadian slasher emerged—though it was never released in U.S. theaters, and a video didn’t materialize until 1986—that shares desolate snow-lodge settings, protagonists with questionable sanity, and loose ties to the Wendigo myth.

Ghostkeeper follows three vacationers—a rather serious brunette named Jenny; her creep of a boyfriend, Marty; and a flirty blonde, Chrissy—on a New Year’s snowmobiling trip to the Rockies. They are, of course, warned of the area’s dangers by the local store owner, but when they spot a sign that says “Private Property Keep Out,” the daredevils naturally read it as an irresistible invitation to explore whatever (likely hell) lives down the path. In this case, it’s a spooky abandoned ski lodge.

It’s certainly not an imperative that films have to be anywhere near the caliber of The Shining to make it into the horror pantheon, and Ghostkeeper has its share of distinctions—atmosphere, above all, which it positively drips with. Outside, the glistening white mountainous backdrops are gorgeous, and inside, the dwelling’s darkened rooms and hallways are given an orangish glow via the terrific mood lighting of candles and handheld kerosene lamps.

A serious blizzard is brewing in extreme subzero temperatures—you can practically feel the chill—and the trio decides to spend the night at the lodge. It seems to be unoccupied, and no guests have registered in five years, but they soon encounter the presence of an older woman and her creepy son… and some sort of monster in the basement, too (who is far less scary than the caretakers, and ultimately doesn’t have much to do). The film’s title card states, “In the Indian Legends of North America, there exists a creature called Windigo… a ghost who lives on human flesh.” Yet, as it turns out, this storied spirit is not the principal object of the plot. Apparently, budget constraints forced the focus away from the supernatural elements.

The established actors stand out in a cast largely consisting of local nonprofessionals. Riva Spier is a strong presence as Jenny, who is burdened by a family history of mental illness—that’s as deep as the character development goes—and Georgie Collins is chilling as the woman of the lodge. The surprisingly proficient gore effects achieved on a shoestring, a frenzied scene influenced by The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and the rich score by Paul Zaza—also responsible for the music of other notable ’80s Canadian slashers such as My Bloody Valentine, Curtains, and Prom Night—further elevate the sinister vibe. You really couldn’t go wrong watching Ghostkeeper—director Jim Makichuk’s only theatrical feature—on any dark and snowy night.