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.

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

"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