An archaeological dig in on Native American soil in the Southwestern United States excavates the mummified body of the cult leader and mass murderer Nahalla. Nahalla's spirit possesses the body of Aranjo (Henry Bal), himself a shaman who has seen his religious convictions falling out of style. Nahalla uses his fresh, athletic body to start up a new series of murders around the excavation. He also seems very interested in the leading archeologist, Dr. Kay Foster (Julie Amato). You probably guessed when reading the word "mummy" that she looks exactly like Nahalla's former wife and killing spree partner.
As soon as the murders start, the tribal committee of the Native Tribe (that never gets a name) on whose land the dig and part of the killings take place, start to mutter all the typical "I told you so" warnings, putting aside the fact that they let themselves get talked into allowing the dig by Tom Eagle (Victor Mohica), one of the "moderns" and influential iconoclasts of their tribe and also Kay's boyfriend.
Tom isn't willing to accept a supernatural explanation for the murders at all. One can't help but think that his work for getting the dig permitted was mostly about proving a point regarding his own modernity and skepticism and to keep his own repressed memory of some quite supernatural deeds of the shaman Ocacio (Frank Salsedo) at bay. As it goes with skeptics in movies, Tom will have to get over his (oh so terrible, terrible) unbelief if he wants to help the less skeptical Kay to put Nahalla back where he belongs again.
Ghost Dance is (even if the IMDB wants to tell you otherwise) quite an interesting film. The slasher elements aren't too well integrated into the supernatural Native Americana (and could mostly be cut from the movie without it losing much of interest) and the pacing might be too slow for some, but ignoring these flaws leads to the discovery of quite a few creepy and clever touches. I'm quite enamored with scenes like the sequence in which Nahall turns into a cat to spy on Kay or the simple but nicely constructed finale.
Peter F. Buffa's direction is mostly on a late 70s TV level. It's technically competent enough (if you can ignore the very dark night shots) but often not all that exciting, with some sudden bursts of creative framing or good ideas to jolt the viewer to attention as well as a few beautiful location shots that can make one forget the brown and ugly museum a few scenes too many take place in.
The Native American culture isn't explored deeply, but the film is as respectful as these things get.
It's all nothing to rock anybody's socks off, but if you're interested in horror films of the independent era and aren't afraid of slow and cheaply made but basically competent films with a few moments of excellence, Ghost Dance is well worth seeking out.
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