A Lenda do Cavaleiro Fantasma

I love Westerns. I love Horror.

Naturally, when I saw a trailer for this many years ago, I was stoked. However, after seeing the final product, I wish it had stayed buried.

While displaying some decent cinematography (which was all they showed in the trailer; surprise-surprise), everything else in this film was a lousy mesh of Z-grade talent. Among the lifeless direction, we get a dude ranch set, horrible editing, a soundtrack consisting of three drum beats and sound design worse than a student film. These aspects were the highlight of the movie.

Where 'Legend of the Phantom Rider' ('Pelgidium' at least sounded interesting) really screws the pooch is in it's casting. I've seen people on daytime soap operas that would make more convincing Old West characters. The lead bald guy (Blade/Pelgidium) should be barred from the acting profession - he's as bad as they come. Even reliable actors like Angus Scrimm and Denise Crosby felt gone.

Did I mention that every scene moved like a slug at a salt mine?

Please...do yourself a favor and stay as far away from this film as possible.

Interesting but failed attempt to mix western and horror. There's just not enough horror in it, that's pretty much the problem with it. The titular character (aka Pelgidium) has no background story whatsoever (Why the hell does he do what he does?). The prologue-scene is incomprehensible (compared to the rest of the story) and all-in-all, there's not really much going on in this movie. But it does have Angus Scrimm in a supporting roll and Pelgidium's face actually looks like he could have been the brother of Jenifer (from Dario Argento's MOH-episode). I'll just be a softie again and not flunk this dusty baby, because, well, it doesn't really deserve to be flunked. The leading scorned woman is portrayed by Denise Crosby from "Pet Semetary" and (fans of spectacular cheesy 80's action sci-fi rejoice!) Charles Band's "Eliminators"!

This movie comes as a refreshing surprise in a world - the horror movies scenario - that is normally very dull and predictable. This is a perfect mixture - perhaps too slow sometimes, but still effective - of a supernatural tale (a couple of eternal avatars who fight one against the other across the space and time) with a classic western tale, built around the usual ghost town of the late Civil War era. Good acting, good atmosphere, very good photography, make this movie a one of kind experience, full of ethereal surprises, often recalling other not forgotten movies (like several Clint Eastwood ones) and especially in the character of the disfigured stranger the old, good comic book Jonah Hex.

In 1865, while traveling with her family close to the city of Sogus, Sarah Jenkins (Denise Crosby) is raped and her husband and son are cowardly killed by a group of outlaws. Sarah and her daughter survive and walk to Sogus, where they are advised by a local to leave the place, which is dominated by the bandits leaded by the maleficent Blade (Robert McRay). However, tired and starving, they decide to stay in the town and the owner of a store and his wife lodge them. The gang of evil criminals rules the city with fear and violence, killing people without motive. Pelgidium, a mysterious rider with a deformed face, appears in the town as if he were listening to the prayers of the locals, and faces the bad guys. "Legend of the Phantom Rider" is a mixed bag of western, violence and mystery. This deceptive low budget movie was released on VHS in Brazil, the art of the cover is prepared to attract the viewers as if it were a horror film, but indeed it is a violent western. The soundtrack, with the constant sound of drums usually used in the climax of the story, is very boring. I did not like this film. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "A Lenda do Cavaleiro Fantasma" ("The Legend of the Phantom Rider")

I 1st watched this movie in early 2000 & somethin, somethin off 1 of the movie channels after reading the description for it.I expected it to be a Supernatural Horror set in Western times.It really wasn't a Supernatural Horror but did have a Supernatural feel to it.Watching it now, I watched it because the cover art looked pretty cool.Up until now I had completely forgotten about it.I don't think my opinion of the Legend Of The Phantom Rider has changed since the 1st time I saw it.I was disappointed when I 1st watched it & I'm disappointed now.I'm disappointed it wasn't more of a Horror flick & I'm disappointed it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be.I'm guessing if you're looking for it to be more of a Horror flick like I was, You'll be disappointed as well.The movie wasn't all that great either.It felt like something to watch, just to be watching it.I've completely forgotten about the Legend Of The Phantom Rider for 15 years now & that should about sum up what I think about it.I can imagine somebody looking at it once but (definitely) not more than once