Sitting alone by a campfire in the middle of a dystopian future only invites trouble in Joseph Daniel Rodriguez’s short film, Ghost of the Deadlands. Our solitary figure is Lone Wolf (Aaron Delgado), a mysterious man hiding behind an eerie mask. In this futuristic west, strength comes in numbers, and the Lone Wolf is approached by the menacing Bloody (Billy Pon) and his two henchmen sporting automatic rifles.
It looks as if the Lone Wolf had trespassed in Bloody’s territory and is not welcome. They speak of the time before “the virus,” and the baddie talks his way around the death of some children. Like with any stand-off, things don’t end well for anyone.
“…Lone Wolf, a mysterious man hiding behind a mask.”
I’m particularly fond of this story. I liked the dystopian western setting and the story’s return to the kill or be killed philosophy of survival. Now add modern weapons and a supernatural element who judges the immoral, and you have yourself a tale worth telling.
Running at six minutes, Ghost of the Deadlands is short and sweet. Though we’ve seen this set up before countless times, it’s the final minutes, and the ultimate fate of our protagonist and antagonists make it all worth it. Rodriquez’s short is a low-budget action short, so yes…the effects could have been more intense, gory, realistic, etc. Instead, we’re treated to some pretty good supernatural effects, which for me, left me impressed overall and interested in seeing a much bigger world of the Deadlands.
"…left me impressed..."
