Charming and brutal

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

This was bad enough. I really hope that there is no sequel. Maybe that is giving away part of the plot to let you know that it is open to the possibility, but no, it really isn't.There is really not at all special about this movie. Well, the special effect were fairly good, but nothing to write home about.There were some hot babes in her, especially Elina Madison and Alexandra Ford, but nothing to see folks. PG-13, definitely not an R. That also tells you the slasher aspects were less than spectacular. The shovel to the head was the only thing that was unusual.Tame scare fare.

Director and FX man John Carl Buechler doesn't have to do much in order to terrify me; the sight of his name in the credits alone is enough to strike fear into my heart.His lamentable straight-to-video output in the 80s sat on the bottom shelf of the horror section at my local rental shop; twenty years later, and his DVDs occupy the same space. It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. You can rely on old JCB to serve up dreck, whatever the format and regardless of advances in movie-making technology.In this contemptible offering, a bunch of friends travel to a remote town where they discover the secret treasure hoard of Jeremiah Stone, AKA the forty-niner—an evil, claim-jumping, cannibalistic miner who caused havoc in the mid-1800s. Before his death, Jeremiah cursed anyone who should find his gold, and it's not long before the pick-axe wielding killer is back, bumping off the hapless treasure seekers.With its dreadful script, unimpressive make-up effects and Scooby-Doo style villain, 'The Curse of the Forty-Niner' is par for the course for Buechler. Only genre stalwarts Keren Black, Richard Lynch and John Phillip Law lend this movie any credibility whatsoever, with the rest of the cast giving performances ranging from bad to awful (although I'll forgive Alexandra Ford, who is a complete hottie).Even fans of bad schlock horror will be disappointed since most of the women keep their clothes on, and a lot of the deaths occur off-screen (which is probably not such a bad thing since the on-screen deaths are pathetic).'The Curse of the Forty-Niner' is another in a long list of duds for John Carl.

The storyline is a ticked off claim jumper made a deal with the devil to find gold, and is forced to protect it forever. A bunch of friends find the gold and gets talked by the old miner and they're forced to blow the gold to smithereens in order to send him back to hell.I mean seriously...how did this film NOT win the Oscar for movie of the year? What a compelling storyline of late 20 year olds running from a claim jumper straight out of the 1800's. I love how in other movies you can't kill the monster but they can knock it out...this movie they write the monster as completely indestructible.The opening of the movie clearly rips off Nightmare on Elm Street part 4 but what the hell, not like that movie was a 5 star classic either.Highlight of the movie is when we're introduced to a girl who's never been to school, never been out of the town, never learned to read or write....yet speaks perfect English, is smoking hot and wears the latest fashion. How did the Oscar's miss THAT? OK I'm done with the bad jokes, this movie is pure crap and only watch it if u have nothing better to do and all the spices on the spice rack are in alphabetical order already.2 out of 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