lost-in-limbo How many titles does it want to come under, and how close do they want to sound. For an immensely under-seen film, it's a long list that's for sure and this could mean there's a whole bunch of alternative versions. Possibly? Anyhow 'Curse of Demon Mountain' is very offbeat, but murky western / horror variation set during the end of the American Civil War. It's a low-cost looking production, but its minor handling and realistically down n' gritty vibe helped engrave a hauntingly grim atmosphere. Never does it fault on that aspect. The material might be slight, but because of its ambiguous air, paranoid questioning and often mentioned superstitious framework it does genuinely keep you compelled.At the end of the Civil War Southern Captain Wishbone Cutter, Indian/Irish companion Half-Moon O'Brian and geologist Amos Richmond head out on a journey to a cave which supposedly holds some valuable stones. Along the way they come across a young lady, Drusilla Wilcox, who was the last survivor of an Indian ambush and decide she'll come too. But it doesn't seem quite right, as they are being followed by some unseen force who doesn't want them to reach their destination.Really there's nothing there to blow you away about the concept, but the claustrophobic build-up, the uncertain spookiness and unpredictable developments make-up for its clunky and patchy moments. Earl E. Smith (who was director/writer/producer) can fall into some slipshod mechanisms, but his organically leery and edgy touch is well devised. The simmering score felt rather one-note, but the terrible audio sound on my VHS didn't do it any favours. In the soundtrack there's an odd inclusion of "The Night the Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band, which plays during the opening battle sequence. The performances are very well brought across. Joe Don Baker burly and larger than life temperament is kept under check with a dominant, but careful portrayal as Cutter. Sondra Locke brings a bewildering innocence to her role. Joy Houck, Jr sensationally holds his own with Baker and Ted Neeley is ably good too. Slim Pickens also clocks in for awhile.I see it brought up, but the use of horses in one particular scene is quite disturbing if it was for real. I can't see it not being so.An interestingly novel and for most part an effective production, which has got be an eventual cult item.

annualman-1 On Friday 14th May 1982 this was the first film I ever recorded on a VCR - thats why I remember it so vividly - and I loved it. Yesterday I finally tracked it down on DVD under the title Curse of the Demon Mountain in the UK.This has to be the worst official DVD release I have ever seen. I was still able to enjoy the movie, it is (in my opinion) a masterpiece of the horror/western cinema subgenre, but the film transfer was awful.Sound was poor, colours went from over exposed to faded, the film was full frame (despite being shot in Panavision) and the sound went totally muted whenever an insult was hurled! Talk about censorship! The horse fall was there, the bloody battle at the start, the arrow in the arm, but any old insult gets censored out! Unbelievable.Its about time Chikara got the DVD treatment it deserves. Full 2.35 to 1 widescreen, with loads of extras. I would love to see it that way.And I would happily pay good money for the chance!

Steve Nyland (Squonkamatic) This is perhaps the most interesting & disturbing film I have seen in a couple years. Interesting because there is a fantastic idea here and a certain amount of novelty in it's look + mood. And disturbing because the film apparently shows a scene of such barbaric cruelty to some of the animals used in it's filming that it stopped the fun cold in it's tracks. The story managed to re-interest me in time for the conclusion but it is little wonder to me that Paramount "shelved" the project, or at least quietly distanced themselves from it. I am not sure if it's a a bad movie, a good movie or a stupid movie, but it is fascinating.THE PLOT: Mutton-chopped Confederate captain Joe Don Baker and his faithful mystic half-breed Native American scout survive the Civil War to go in search of a hidden cache of diamonds secreted in a haunted cave on a "cursed" mountain that has a history of general weirdness about it. On the way they collect Jesus Christ: Superstar (who shaved in time to be in the movie) to act as their geology expert, and rescue cinema waif Sandra Locke from the same fate that Clint Eastwood saved her from a year earlier in "The Outlaw Josey Wales". She even reprises her role: potential gang rape victim/white slave prisoner (her name is "Drusilla", one usually associated with half naked Roman Slave Girls) stumbling around the west in search of willing anti-hero types to save her. She finds some.The motley band of explorers make their way up the foreboding mountain -- meeting up with your requisite "Deliverance" type bushwacker cannibal hicks upon the way, one of whom is even a mute who plays a musical instrument rather than speaking -- while dodging attacks from unseen hostile Injun warriors who have declared the mountain sacred. You get the picture, and my hat's off to the fellow reviewer who stated that it's "Predator" without the slack-jawed comments. Like "Predator" the film twists and mixes motifs from different genres: War, High Adventure, Western, Romance, Drama, Social Satire, and eventually Horror. The ending is *very* effective & creepy, with Sandra Locke in her best screen moments ever ... Never seen "Ratboy" but she is better here than in "The Gauntlet", if that is any comparison.So anyway they search for treasure, fight off mystical demon braves, everybody falls in love with Ms. Locke (except for Half Moon the half-breed, of course, which is odd since he is the one whom she instantly identifies with & is most suited for as a mate) but this movie was made during the paranoid 1970's and concludes with as creepy of an ending as you can ask for. In fact, if it wasn't for the presence of one single sequence from the movie -- which is sadly too vital to the plot to be removed without throwing the logic of the film into the gutter -- I would rate this as a near miss mini masterpiece of alternative cinema waiting to be re-discovered by people who enjoy daring, adventuresome low budget 1970's cinema. Here is what happens:The film is of course set on a mountain. A character is done away with by having him tumble over the side of the mountain to crash lifelessly on the valley below, presumably in the form of a mannequin or dummy thrown over the side to be filmed as it lands below. All well and fine, except that the character was leading a team of horses, who also go over the edge to crash on the valley floor below along with the dummy. I certainly do not know exactly how the sequence was staged, but you do not have to be a rocket surgeon to conclude that those were actual horses (hopefully deceased before being pushed over) smashing onto the valley floor along with the dummy of the actor. Even if they were cadavers of horses that were used (how sick is that??) it is still extremely disturbing to see their twisting, contorting forms smash into the ground just to get a really cool looking effects shot.The event is so disturbing that it overwhelms the equally absurd use of "The Night The Drove Old Dixie Down" by The Band, performed by The Band, during a battle scene montage depicting the South losing the war. One of the characters in the film is even named "Virgil Cane" right from the lyrics. I wonder how the deal to include the song in the film was struck, and if the producers promised Robbie Robertson personally that the song would be used in the most gratuitous manner possible within the first ten minutes. Fortunately it's a good enough song & well edited montage to allow a pass for bad taste. Or poor judgment.But the horses thing ...I cannot get over it and would point to both potential soundtrack rights issues and use of animals without a "no-harm" disclaimer at the conclusion as the primary reasons no responsible media company is interested in reviving this movie. To make matters worse the "public domain" prints available on DVD in North America (look for it on Archive.Org) show an edited full-frame time compressed TV version which looks like it was transferred to home video by people who weren't actually watching the movie. A bargain price DVD from Britain did slightly better but quickly went out of print. VHS era pressings seem to have relied on the TV print ("Curse of Demon Mountain") with an extremely rare British tape alleged to show a more complete edit ("The Shadow of Chikara"). There was also a VHS release from Greece ("Shadow of Chikara") which had the adult language but damned if I know the runtime. Or where to find one.Consider it another one of those mysterious cinema oddities that you sort of have to see for yourself to believe it was actually made at all.6/10

Mr. Pulse Joe Don Baker has made some slip ups in his time but truly, Demon Mountain, or Shadow of Chikara as it is listed here has to be up at the top of the heap. The film hurts. I mean physical torture. I think I'd rather have my eyeballs put through the VCR than put this tape in my machine again. I got this thing dirt cheap, and I got robbed. It's worth less than dirt.A little rule of thumb for you bad movie lovers out there. Sign #32 that the movie you are about to watch is a stinker; it has more titles than you can think of for it. This film's library of title includes The Ballad of Virgil Cane, or The Curse of Demon Mountain, or perhaps you are more familiar with Shadow Mountain, or some even call it Wishbone Cutter, but whatever you wish to call it, the old line about roses and stank still applies. This thing stanks. When a movie cannot even bother to watch the length of its heroes sideburns, what can be said? Watch Joe Don Baker's mutton chops in several scenes (especially the one where they first meet the girl). From close up to wide shot, his sideburns morph, long and short, and back and forth. That's not incompetent, that's just sad.The plot involves a bunch of Civil War vets from the South who make a trek up that titular (Well quasi-titular, the mountain is mentioned in a few of the gazillion titles anyway) to what purpose I admit I cannot recall. You can bring criticism down upon me now, and question my integrity as a reviewer, but the way I see it, I am doing you a favor.It goes on and on and on like the gasping monologue the Slim Pickens delivers at the opening of the piece (During a Civil War battle scene slightly more engaging than something reenactors from that period could do. And I'm talking in the condition they are in NOW). You feel sad for him, and you feel sad for Joe Don (I mean the guy is not a superstar, but even he deserves better than THIS), but most of all you feel sad for yourself.