Ghostkeeper (1981)

Ghostkeeper is a 1981 independent Canadian horror film directed by Jim Makichuk. The story centers on a trio of snowmobilers in the Canadian Rockies who become stranded at an abandoned hotel where an old woman seems to be hiding something.

Filmed in Banff, Alberta under a tax shelter in December 1980, the film had an unstable financial situation and the filmmakers nearly halted the production mid-way through due to depletion of its budget. The film was given a minuscule theatrical run in Canada and the United States and is consequently little-known among horror film fans, but has attained a cult following over the years. It was released in VHS format in the 1990s, and released on DVD by Code Red Releasing in April 2012.

Synopsis

The film opens with a title card reading "In the Indian legends of North America, there exists a creature called Windigo... a ghost who lives on human flesh." The audience is then introduced to Jenny (Riva Spier), Marty (Murray Ord), and Chrissy (Sheri McFadden), who are spending their New Year's Eve on a snowmobiling trip in the Rocky Mountains. After talking with a man at a small ski shop, the three decide to go riding before dark, but end up caught in a blizzard. Looming before them is a seemingly abandoned hotel at the top of the snow trail, isolated from tourists and miles away from the skiing area.