The Daily Dig: Ghostkeeper (1981)

This calculated ghost story had to abandon its script due to a lack of funds, leaving it heavy on atmosphere and thin on action.

Snowmobilers shack up in a run-down lodge and find it’s not as abandoned as they had expected. Let’s dig into 1981’s GHOSTKEEPER, directed by Jim Makichuk!

As I See It

When a film invokes the myth of the “Windigo” (sic) right off the bat, it’s natural to expect some anthropomorphic, ungulate creature to haunt the frame. Unfortunately, budgetary restraints play a big part in storytelling.

Reportedly, since this film was serving as a “tax shelter” (think The Producers, without the humor), the money dried up quicker than Makichuk could yell “Action!” With funds gone, just halfway through filming, he was faced with a choice: shut it down or keep filming with no money.

Showing the firm determination of a true filmmaker, Makichuk tightened his boots, abandoned the rest of the script (knowing he couldn’t afford to film it), and improvised the rest of the filming. You have to respect someone with that much resolve.

Unfortunately, as a first-time filmmaker, Makichuk didn’t have the chops to fly by the seat of his pants, just yet.

It’s a real shame because there is so much promise in the tone he set. The first half of the film has such adroit patience. That restraint turns to boredom when the promises can’t be followed through, for reasons we’ve already discussed. Then, out of nowhere, we get a chainsaw murder, something you would never expect.

Can you imagine Makichuk being a couple of decades later, when the technology became so accessible that anyone could make a movie with the device in their pocket and the drive to do so? We probably would have ended up with a few sophomoric films that showed immense promise and catapulted him into consideration for films with real money behind them.

Sometimes the scariest beast is the industry that chews up potential.

Famous Faces

Most of the cast were local players who didn’t have or pursue a feature film career otherwise, except for Riva Spier (Jenny), who mainly did voice-over work but did have a bit part in David Cronenberg’s Rabid.

Of Gratuitous Nature

I don’t think they’d have much of a problem getting a PG-13 rating, at most, in modern times, even with the chainsaw kill.

Heartthrob

The location naturally drew comparisons to The Shining. I think that discounts the amount of purpose Kubrick put into set design. That said, the resort lends so much to the tone that it’s impossible to stifle your imagination for what could have been shot there.

Ripe for a Remake

I would love for Makichuk to be afforded the opportunity to make the film he wanted to make without restraints.

Spawns

No progeny to report.

Where to Watch

A long effort by Makichuk saw Ghostkeeper finally get a DVD release in 2012 by Code Red Releasing, who also gave it a Blu-ray release in 2017 with a new 2K scan. You can stream it on Amazon Prime.