Ken Van Sant is Carson Weaver and Titus Himmelberger is Miles Oakley, renown bounty hunters on the trail of a bank robber.
That bank robber, Mathias Black, has a $5,000 reward on his head. Carson would like nothing better than to collect that bounty and ride off into the sunset for good.
The trail leads to the small logging community of Amityville. Population 37, according to the sign just outside town, though there doesn’t seem to be nearly that many people around.
The bounty hunters find Mathias’ campsite, with his horse butchered nearby. They also find lots of blood at the scene.
They eventually find Mathias too. He’s been tied to a post — shot, stabbed, burned and very much dead.
Soon, they’re trying to avoid the same fate. Seems they’ve stumbled into a town built on land that belonged to a violent race of ancient spirits. Spirits determined to get revenge on white men who intrude upon their land.
The only people left in Amityville, including town administrator Malcolm — are under control of those spirit.
Ken Van Sant as Carson Weaver, coming across an outlaw’s campsite and finding sings of a struggle in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Titus Himmelberger as Miles Oakley, proclaiming the outskirts of town ‘creepy’ in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Review:
A low-budget horror Western that isn’t worth your time. Did anyone else notice the light switch on the wall of Malcolm’s office in 1846?
The film had some campy potential. And a couple of scenes — the attack of the flies, Carson’s conversation with his partner’s severed head — nearly reach the so-bad-they’re-good threshold.
But it’s a slow slog to reach that point, the special effects aren’t and the dialogue borders on inane.
In fact, too often, characters speak when they should just react with alarm or fright. Thing is, this pair of bounty hunters never seem very frightened, just ambling from one bad omen to another, which deadens the impact of everything happening around them.
Noyes J. Lawton as outlaw Mathias Black, fleeing toward town after seeing ‘the devil’ in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Tim Hatch as Jed Rexford, the man who challenges Carson Weaver to an other worldly duel in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Directed by:
Mark Polonia
Cast
Ken Van Sant … Carson Weaver
Titus Himmelberger … Miles Oakley
Jeff Kirkendall … Regis Kanterbery
Natalie Himmelberger … Angela Barnes
Tim Hatch … Jed Rexford
Mark Polonia … Mr. Malcolm
Noyes J. Lawton … Mathias Black
Runtime: 73 min.
Mark Polonia as Mr. Malcolm, town administrator, with stolen bank loot hidden in his office in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Natalie HImmelberger as Angela Barnes, being questioned by the bounty hunters in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Memorable lines:
Mathias Black, running for his life toward Amityville: “I saw the devil! I saw the devil!”
Miles Oakley, coming upon Mathias Black’s campsite.: “Something bad happened here. Notice there’s no woods sounds. Or critter noises.”
Carson Weaver: “Yeah. Like everything’s dead.”
Miles Oakley, upon discovering blood covered fence posts where he and his partner left their horses: “This isn’t looking good, my friend.”
Carson: “No horses. Looks like we are guests for the night.”
Miles: “Look at this mess. Our horses were butchered.”
Carson: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Miles Oakley: “What the hell is that? He was dead as a door nail. Now he’s plum walkin’ around. What’s goin’ on here? There’s evil afoot here.”
Carson Weaver, when his partner informs him of the ancient spirits that control Amityville: “That’s crazy talk.”
Miles Oakley’s head, sitting atop a bed: “Is it? When was the last time you remember talking to a severed head?”
Jeff Kirkendall as Regis Kanterbery, a man who lacks the rage of his fellow townsmen in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
Outlaw Mathias Black after ‘the devil’ and the town residents are done with him in Once Upon a Time in Amityville (2024)
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