Haunted (1977)

You won't be disappointed!

Absolutely brilliant

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This is bad. Really bad. Bad acting, script, sets, everything. It's in English, but its dubbed. Into English. The story is stupid and offensive, the characters laughable. and the acting like the spoken parts of a bad musical. I love movies so bad they're good, but only if they have a sense of humor. This movie has Also Ray and Virginia Mayo instead. And don't forget that when you first see Virgina Mayo she describes her first sexual encounter in a way that will make you not want to have sex. And there's these two guys running around in cut off blue jeans looking for the adult film they're supposed to be in. "Just turn it around in your mind, and you'll see. See? We're friends already."So, 1 star as a movie, but 10 stars as something to watch when you're high.

Innocent young nubile Indian maiden Abanaki (gorgeously embodied by buxom brunette looker Anne Michelle) gets falsely accused of witchcraft and is sent out to the dessert to die in the unsparingly harsh Arizona heat. She vows to exact revenge on the relatives and descendants of those responsible for her death in a hundred years. When enticing British gal Jennifer Baines (also played by Michelle) rolls into town, irascible caretaker Andrew (ferociously essayed with growly conviction and hyper-aggressive intensity by the ever-manic Aldo Ray) naturally suspects the lass of being a lethal reincarnation of Abanaki. Writer/director Michael A. DeGaetnano relates the spooky story at a steady pace, makes effectively bleak use of the drab and arid ghost town location, creates and sustains a nicely eerie mood, and delivers a sizable smattering of tasty female nudity (ladies will be happy to know that Aldo removes his shirt and shows off his hot'n'hairy chunky physique in a disgustingly sweaty sex scene). Ray's frenzied eyeball-rolling histrionics provide the key source of energy and entertainment throughout. Moreover, there's solid work from Virginia Mayo as batty old blind lady Michelle, Jim Negele as the likable Patrick, and Brad Reardon as the nerdy Russell. In addition, there's an extremely brutal and intense full body burn gag at the very end that's sure to make you gasp. William E. Hines' stark cinematography gives the picture an appropriately gloomy look. Lor Crane's shivery score does the shuddery ooga-booga trick. The funky theme song "Indian Woman" sung by Billy Vera hits the right-on groovy spot, too. An entertaining little drive-in fright flick.

This film wastes absolutely no time in showing titty, as a young Native American girl convicted of gold thievery is stripped and tied to a horse, sent forth into the desert to die alone. Said nubile was innocent, and vows her revenge.100 years have passed, and the old mining town is now a decrepit and unutilized movie ranch. Aldo Ray and (blind)Virginia Mayo are among the few living there. Some guys install a telephone booth in the cemetery, and a girl en route has car trouble and must stay there. Sound interesting so far? It's not. Nor does it ever become so...HAUNTED is barely even worth calling a horror film, as its supernatural elements are hardly tapped, and the overall chill-factor barely registers. There's a lot of bad music, especially the ultra-cheesy theme song, but apparently somebody thought the public would appreciate a soundtrack LP(!)Nothing of a movie wastes an able cast, and offers too little to recommend it. Spare yourself.3/10

This film was in most video stores during the 80s but hasn't been seen much in the past few years. Though it's no horror classic, it does have a unique flavor. It was filmed in 1976 but only released 3 years later. It's better than most of the many made-for-video horror fests. Haunted is set in a desert ghost town and features great photography. The storyline is about an attractive female visitor to the town who looks just like a woman who was executed in the same area 100 years ago. Haunted is very low budget. There are only about a dozen people in the cast but the film is still competently made and has some eerie moments. It also has some unusual folk songs (in fact,a soundtrack from this movie was released, how many horror movies can say that?) The film's poster is a bit misleading as it shows a person impaled on the letters in the title. However, the film's body count is very low and the blood and guts is almost non-existent. Not that it matters though as the story will keep viewers hooked. Haunted's chief asset is Aldo Ray. Once upon a time, Ray worked in major Hollywood productions but by this time, he was taking any part that was offered. At the start, Ray's character is nasty. He then gets nastier and nastier while the film goes on. By the end, he is really off the deep end. One may wonder if he is acting or going nuts in real life while the scene is being shot! In any event, Haunted is one of the few obscure horror films that is worth your time!