After a train robbery goes bad, two brothers leading a gang of cowboys must survive the night in a ghost town inhabited by a coven of witches.
Starring: Melora Walters, Zachary Knighton, and Noah Segan
Directed by: Aaron B. Koontz
Written by: Cameron Burns, Aaron B. Koontz, and Keith Lansdale
“The Pale Door” enters the rare territory of a western horror film. Not many of them have turned out as well as fans would have liked, but taking a ride through the old west is always appreciated. This particular ride starts very much like a western, and then goes full out horror. Forget cowboys vs indians, this time it’s going to be cowboys vs witches!
The story starts with young brothers Duncan (Zachary Knighton) and Jake (Devin Druid) on the night of their parents death. The scene shows the early bond the brothers have, and one that remains years later. Duncan is the older brother, and now the leader of a gang. They’re all wanted, but that doesn’t stop them from preparing their next heist. Jake is certainly the more innocent of the brothers, who has stayed out of trouble until now. With the gang one man short for the job, he volunteers and Duncan reluctantly lets him join them.
So what would the old west be without a train heist. They seemed to have had a good plan, but two things go wrong. One they thought they were getting treasure, but instead find a young girl (Natasha Bassett), and two Duncan is shot and in need of medical help. The girl, Pearl, insists they can get help from people in her town, which isn’t too far away. They have no choice but to follow to what quickly appears to be a strange town. That’s quickly ignored by the gang because they’ve landed in a brothel, and are about to have some fun, at least that’s what they thought.
From here on out the story transitions from a western to horror movie. The gang is about to find out that this isn’t the paradise they think it is. Seduction quickly becomes a lust to kill, as the ladies turn into their witch form to dispose of the men. They’re dark as if they were fresh off being burnt at the stake, and look so wonderfully creepy walking all over the walls. After seeing so many movies where witches are just normal looking women with a darker attitude, it’s a pleasant surprise to see these witches as hideous creatures.
This sets up some great action scenes starting with the gang fighting their way out of the brothel. Some don’t make it out creating some nice and bloody deaths. Just because some make it out doesn’t mean they’re safe. The witches continue to haunt the men with spells, and more vicious attacks. The witches have a goal in mind, and aren’t going to stop until they get it. No spoilers here, but it does bring this tale full circle for certain characters.
Western horror movies are hard to find so enjoy them when you can find them. Finding good ones might be even harder, but it looks like we found one with “The Pale Door.” It all centers around two brothers who are more than willing to sacrifice for each other. The movie begins very much like a good old western, but becomes a lot of bloody fun by the end. If you’re looking for a reason to watch the movie all you really need to know is it features cowboys vs witches! Not regular witches, but creepy nasty witches ready to rip the cowboys apart. They didn’t need to put a spell on me to get me to give this movie 3.5 pools of blood.
HorrO
Available in Theaters, On Demand, and Digital August 21st. Distributed by: RLJE Films/Shudder
More info about this film at: http://promotehorror.com/2020/07/30/official-trailer-and-poster-for-the-pale-door-available-august-21/
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