Don the Slayer is back after a short absence. Beau Yotty, an independent actor and film-maker, created the character Don the Slayer as a vehicle to let his talents shine. In 2017, viewers saw Don tackle a succubus in Midnight Workout and stop a creepy demon in Call the Babysitter. Now, his hometown is under siege once again when a small, ancient totem awakens the spirit of an evil Egyptian queen. It’s up to Don and a small group of friends to banish her back to the underworld before her influence can spread. The dusty countryside is about to turn pink in Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys from Lone Gunslinger Pictures. Written, directed and starring Beau Yotty, Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys also stars Cat Roberts, Amanda Michalek, Tessa Gardenier, Wayne Lundy, Dan Weisgerber, Jacqueline Teixera and Adam Voyles.
As the third title featuring Don the Slayer and Beau Yotty, here’s why I think Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys finally got “it” right. The feature film is classic in the most modern way, if that makes sense, and it lassos in a wide audience. We need more gunslingers, more westerns, more hunky men in jeans who can kick ass and settle for love later. Although it’s a female driven show, Wynonna Earp on the SyFy Network is perhaps so successful because westerns are almost a forgotten subgenre at this point. I’m happy that Don and Wynonna are keeping the torch burning. Then, you throw Egyptian folklore into the mix, which nearly died out after the Hammy Horror Films and The Mummy saga from 1999 to 2008. Basically, what I’m saying is Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys is full of content that hasn’t been visited in over a decade. An Egyptian Western with likeable characters and 80’s styled supernatural elements, I’ll take it!
As a production, Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys is more successful than its predecessors Midnight Workout and Call the Babysitter. While the two previous films did a good job at establishing Don the Slayer as a relate-able, capable hero, they were in a little rough around the edges – one in story-line and the other in production quality. And while Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys isn’t perfect, it’s still a step or two in the right direction in terms of filming a product that makes viewers say “wow.” I will suggest putting extra time into keeping the audio and video quality at consistent levels. Both aspects bounced around during the film, from good to bad, which subtracts from the overall appeal. Luckily, the beautiful locations, the mounting suspense, and the prop/costuming helped Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys become successful and something I would recommend to people. And, honestly, I liked everyone in the hero group.
Who will Don the Slayer face next? Where will Don the Slayer adventure to next? That’s up in the air right now, but I think Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys is enough to get fans wondering. I love the path that Lone Gunslinger Pictures is going with this, and I believe the next installment in the Don the Slayer series could be enough for a distribution deal. Unearthed: The Curse of Nephthys is more of a supernatural drama thriller than a horror film, but I enjoyed my viewing none the less. It’s a retro western with a kick ass hero and an ancient villain, and the execution from start to finish was just wonderful. Much better than I expected. Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.
