Night Of The Tommyknockers

One of the hardest genres to combine is western and horror together. Why are these genres so hard to combine? Simply because you need an interesting western story and a interesting horror story as well, and i have seen quite many western horror films over the years. Some of them are ok, a few are terrible, and then we have the ones that are actually really good. I especially love western horror films that includes practical make up effects and some kind of evil creature / beast. There is especially one western horror film i like to talk about when i talk about this combination of genres, and that is the 2008 western horror film known as The Burrowers. I have mentioned this film in the past to other western fans, and it is too bad this film does not get more respect because this is a really good western horror film. The Burrowers begins in the year of 1879, a family from the settlements are brutally killed in their home. A team is gathered to look for Native Americans, who they suspect for the brutaly murders. They are about to find out, that deep underneath the earth, is unknown creatures looking for human victims. The Burrowers is not only a really good looking western film, but i really enjoy some of the characters as well. The creatures are actually quite different than we have seen before, which makes this film even more interesting. Director J.T. Petty managed to combine classic western ingredients with surprisingly effective horror elements. If you have not seen this film i suggest you pick up the film on DVD today, it is a must see for western fans. If you hear the name Michael Su you may remember some of his films such as Death Count and Bridge Of The Doomed. His latest film Night Of The Tommyknockers was recently released on DVD and Blu Ray, and i have been looking forward to this film for a long time. Is this the best western horror film in many years, or is Night Of The Tommyknockers not as good as i was hoing it would be?

When a group of minors blast for gold in the 1870´s, they accidently release creatures known as Tommyknockers. The Town of Deer Creek, Nevada, soon have to gather as many people as possible to survive these flesh eating beasts.

It´s been a long time since i have actually seen a good western horror film, and i can honestly say that Night Of The Tommyknockers may be the best i have seen since the 2014 western horror film Blood Moon. So what is it that makes this film so good? We have plenty to be pleased about so let´s get right into it. Let us begin with the costume design by Cheryl Prater, and i really think she managed to capture the right look for the time period of this film. You can tell that she did her research and wanted to make the characters look good on the big screen. The locations that this film was filmed at looks really good, and it really feels like we are back in the good old days of the late 1800´s. That´s one of the most important details in a western film, is to have to right atmosphere of the time period. What about the characters? I am very pleased to say that this might be one of the best acting performances i have seen legendary actor Richard Grieco ever do in his career as his character Dirk. Not only does he look cool and deliver smooth dialogue, he knows exactly what his character need to make a powerful impact. Legendary actor Robert Lasardo also give a performance that works really well as the crazy shooter Lucky. Let´s just put it this way, you would not want Lucky as a guest on Sunday dinner, he would probably kill everyone within seconds. I really enjoy the character Betsy played by actress Angela Cole. She´s definetely not afraid of challenges, or of men eiter. The biggest highlight of this film is without a doubt the humanoid creatures, and to see them attack gun slingers is of course a really fun combination. The horror elements are simple but match well with the story. I really enjoy the practical make up effects on the creatures, reminds me of the glory days of the 80´s in some ways. Director Michael Su have made several great films in the past, but there is no doubt in my mind that this is his most professional film so far. Not only have he brought back the western genre in an honorable way, but he also bring back the monster genre as we used to experience in the VHS era. Night Of The Tommyknockers will definetely knock you out of happiness and bring western fans something quite unique that we don´t see very often. If you don´t get a Blu Ray or DVD of this film, i might have to do a gun duel with you. And trust me, no one draws a gun faster than me ( im Swedish remember? We have our viking tricks ), so you really have no choice. A must have for the whole family.

Rating: DDDD