This special limited edition spot gloss slipcover (designed by Wes Benscoter) is limited to 6,000 units and is only available on our website and at select indie retailers. Absolutely no major retailers will be stocking them.
When an excavation team led by Dr. Kay Foster unearths a burial site on an American Indian reservation, the tribal elders caution them that they are bringing about great danger - for they have disturbed the resting place of Nahalla, who, legend has it, was a sadistic and feared cult leader. Ignoring these warnings, however, the team transports the body back to the museum in hopes of identifying it. Sure enough, the grim predictions soon come to pass when a young couple are found gruesomely slaughtered after a late-night lovemaking session at the museum. Unbeknownst to Dr. Kay and her team, a local medicine man has managed to summon Nahalla. Now, possessed by his evil spirit, he is stalking the shadows, intent on meting out bloody vengeance to those who have disturbed his slumber.
Arriving in 1982 just as the slasher boom was waning, director Peter F. Buffa’s THE GHOST DANCE offered a novel spin on the already then-tired slice-and-dice formula by weaving American Indian folklore into its story whilst still offering up all the requisite hacking and slashing dictated by the genre. Criminally underseen and hitherto languishing in a notoriously murky VHS transfer, Vinegar Syndrome has at long last summoned up THE GHOST DANCE for its Blu-ray world premiere, newly restored in 4K from original 35mm film elements - which finally affords viewers the chance to properly savor Fred Murphy’s (Stir of Echoes, The Mothman Prophecies) sumptuous desert photography - and offered up with a treasure trove of illuminating newly-produced special features.
directed by: Peter F. Buffa starring: Julie Amato, Victor Mohica, Henry Bal, Frank Salsedo, James Andronica, Patricia Alice Albrecht, Deloris Maaske, J. Christopher Senter, Henry Kendrick 1982 / 93 min / 1.85:1 / English Mono
Additional info:
Region Free Blu-ray
Scanned and restored in 4K from its 35mm internegative
Commentary track with genre critic and author J.A. Kerswell and film and TV historian and author Amanda Reyes
"Looking into the Past" (25 min) - an interview with co-writer/director Peter Buffa
"This Is Great Stuff!" (22 min) - an interview with co-writer/producer Robert M. Sutton
"Dances with Ghosts" (17 min) - an interview with stunt coordinator Don Shanks
Reversible sleeve artwork
English SDH subtitles
Overall rating: 4.4588237 / 5 from 170 reviews.
AI Generated Review Summary
The Ghost Dance, a limited edition horror film, has received praise for its fantastic release, stunning 4K transfer, and beautiful artwork. The film's unique blend of American Indian folklore and slasher elements, along with its excellent photography, has made it a popular choice among horror enthusiasts.
"Transfer looks great and some great cinematography." — Joseph K.
"Waited a long time for this one to get a good release so happy it was vinegar syndrome awesome rare 80s slasher!" — Billy B.
Reviews
The Ghost Dance
"Interesting little slasher movie that I wasn’t even aware of before VS released it. Video and audio quality is great and it’s packaged very well with cool artwork. If you’re a big slasher fan, definitely worth the watch."
— Joseph K. (5/5)
SKU: VS-481 SLIP
"Although there has been a lot criticism from older VS fans that the company has changed into a more mainstream way, this release is the perfect proof that they are still able to deliver classic VS fodder. This is what they call a bread and butter VS release: super obacure early 80s slasher that was hardly available at all before. And I loved it. The set up with the native American angle is very unusuale, but handled well. The transfer is not from the OCN, but still looks great and fresh Extras include three fairly long Interviews with crew people and an audio commentary with Britain's slasher expert No. 1 Justin Kerswell, who wrote one of the best books about the genre. He also runs the website Hysteria Lives and is part of the podcast The Hysteria Continues, who are frequently featured on other slasher commentaries. The art work kicks a ton of ass too. Overall a must have release."
— Dominik F. (5/5)
Native Slasher
"A standout slasher that brings anthropology and Native American customs and beliefs to the mix. I also enjoyed the practice of the Ghost Dance as a form of protest, which accurately reflects history."
— Joe Z. (4/5)
Original and atmospheric slasher
"That slipcover immediately attracted me. What did I get? A slasher with an original setup, villain and setting, upping the atmospherics while being quite sedate in terms of gory shenanigans. But the story, the suspense and mystery keep this engaging. Thanks to VS, we again get an obscure slasher to finally witness in great condition"
— Tim V. (4/5)
Desert supernatural
"The Ghost Dance honestly hit a little different for me being from the southwest, and I mean that in the best way possible. There’s something about the atmosphere and desert setting that gives the whole movie this eerie, almost familiar feeling that stuck with me more than I expected. I liked how it mixed supernatural horror with that slower early 80s pacing without losing the tension underneath everything. It’s definitely rough around the edges at times, but the mood and setting made it feel way more memorable to me than a lot of similar horror movies."
— Kenia C. (4/5)
Interesting
"A unique 80s slasher with supernatural elements. It is pretty serious the whole time. Low, low budget but there's some good gore."
— Anthony P. (4/5)
Cool Early 80s Slasher!
"Slasher fans have an underseen early 80s entry to add to their collections! Fans of early 80s slashers will want this one. It looks great and was previously never even on DVD. The reversible art is the original cover art which is great. There are some nice extras, but unfortunately no trailer included."
— Sam N. (5/5)
The Ghost Dance
"This era of film making is always interesting to see what stories are made. VS definitely gave this hidden gem the boost it needed to find an audience again. Saw this once back in the day and forgot about it. Great transfer and extras as well!"
— Robert S. (5/5)
Solid and atmospheric
"A slow-burn horror with a strong atmosphere and interesting ideas. Not perfect, but definitely worth watching for fans of the genre."
— Jamie M. (4/5)
Spiritual slasher
"A nice slasher in a cool environment Kind a unique slasher with a dose of supernatural! Great edition , good picture and decent extras Recommended to the fans of slashers!"
— Patrick J. (4/5)
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