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Grim Prairie Tales

Original title: Grim Prairie Tales: Hit the Trail... to Terror
  • 1990
  • R
  • 1h 26m
IMDb RATING
5.4/10
1.2K
YOUR RATING
Grim Prairie Tales (1990)
HorrorWestern

Travelling across a prairie, a cynical Old West bounty hunter and a clerk try to top each other's ghost stories around the campfire.Travelling across a prairie, a cynical Old West bounty hunter and a clerk try to top each other's ghost stories around the campfire.Travelling across a prairie, a cynical Old West bounty hunter and a clerk try to top each other's ghost stories around the campfire.

  • Director
    • Wayne Coe
  • Writer
    • Wayne Coe
  • Stars
    • James Earl Jones
    • Brad Dourif
    • Will Hare
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.4/10
    1.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Wayne Coe
    • Writer
      • Wayne Coe
    • Stars
      • James Earl Jones
      • Brad Dourif
      • Will Hare
    • 18User reviews
    • 15Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos12

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    Top cast42

    Edit
    James Earl Jones
    James Earl Jones
    • Morrison
    Brad Dourif
    Brad Dourif
    • Farley
    Will Hare
    Will Hare
    • Lee
    Marc McClure
    Marc McClure
    • Tom
    Michelle Joyner
    Michelle Joyner
    • Jenny
    William Atherton
    William Atherton
    • Arthur
    Lisa Eichhorn
    Lisa Eichhorn
    • Maureen
    Wendy J. Cooke
    Wendy J. Cooke
    • Eva
    Scott Paulin
    Scott Paulin
    • Martin
    Jenna Barlow Grodsky
    Jenna Barlow Grodsky
    • Sarah
    • (as Jennifer Barlow)
    Dan Leegant
    Dan Leegant
    • Dr. Leaderman
    William Martin Brennan
    William Martin Brennan
    • Bluey
    • (as William M. Brennan)
    Tom Simcox
    Tom Simcox
    • Horn
    Bruce M. Fischer
    Bruce M. Fischer
    • Colochez
    • (as Bruce Discher)
    James Glick
    • Dying Chief
    Hannah Fixico
    • Old Indian Woman
    Joan Lemmo
    • Old Indian Woman
    Joel Shoptesse
    • Indian Man
    • Director
      • Wayne Coe
    • Writer
      • Wayne Coe
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews18

    5.41.1K
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    Featured reviews

    eddy-28

    An intrigingly fascinating plotline.

    Grim Prairie Tales is an acclaimed film of bizarre anthology and spellbinding horror featuring an all star cast. Academy Award nominees James Earl Jones and Brad Dourif lead a cast including Scott Paulin (Turner & Hooch), Will Hare (Back to the Future), Marc McClure (Superman), Lisa Eichhorn (The Talent Mr. Ripley), William Atherton (Die Hard) and Michelle Joyner (Cliffhanger) to star in a tale of two pioneers who cross paths in a Western desert land and tell tales of both ghastly hauntings and supernatural tragedies. It's a low-buget film, but has some good quality of directing and acting. I especially liked the first and last stories the most.
    8technicalbeat

    great mixture of horror and fable

    This movie managed to sneak up on me and I have never forgotten it. Brad Dourif was his usual superb and James Earl Jones absolutely masterful (one of his best performances). Its just too bad cable providers and show selectors have not seen fit to provide it to subscribers and viewers looking for compelling film. Brad Dourif's acting prowess was confirmed in his role as "Doc" on HBO's Deadwood series. Do yourself a solid and chase this one down. The dark humor in GPT is golden and is frequently profound. I wish this was the pilot to a series but sadly it was a one off. Praise should also go to the writer and producer.
    Dethcharm

    "You Wanna Hear A Story?"...

    GRIM PRAIRIE TALES: HIT THE TRAIL TO TERROR is a mixed genre western / horror anthology film. Two strangers (Brad Dourif and James Earl Jones) meet in the open prairie, antagonize each other, and Jones' character begins to spin spooky tales.

    Tale #1- A man decides to ride through an Indian "burial ground". This turns out to be a big mistake.

    Tale #2- A traveling man happens upon a mysterious woman. They set up camp, one thing leads to another, and bizarre horror ensues.

    Tale #3- A family of homesteaders arrive at their new property, where the young daughter learns a very dark secret about her parents.

    Tale #4- A gunslinger competes for the top position in a small town. He just might be too perfect for his own good. This tale is the better of the four, and includes a creepy animated dream sequence.

    The wraparound story closes with some nice humor. Mr. Dourif and Mr. Jones are great together, making their interactions fun to watch. The tales are enjoyable, with the last one being the best.

    An obscure movie worth a viewing...
    5ryan-10075

    Grim Prairie Tales

    A clerk (played by horror vet Brad Dourif) sets down in the old west for the night, but a bounty hunter (played by James Earl Jones) visits him wondering if he can join him for the night. We soon begin to get to know the two characters and some of their strong differences. They in turn share four "scary" stories to each other.

    Scary is in quotations, but because that is what they ain't. The first one is about an old man (Will Hare) who stumbles across a Native-American burial ground and a dying Native and its repercussions of doing so. The second one is about a traveling store clerk (Marc McClure) who comes across a pregnant woman who has been thrown out of her town. The third is about a man (William Atherton) who relocates to some new land with his family, only for them to find out a secret about him. The fourth and final story is about a hired gunman who experiences a haunting after his latest killing. Unfortunately for me none of these stories really work. They are either too short or fall off the cliff at the end.

    The best part of the movie and what does really work is the interaction between Dourif and Jones. If only the stories were a level above what they were I would recommend this one. I think they need more terror. I would recommend it though to any Brad Dourif or James Earl Jones fans. For perhaps they will see more in the movie than I did and maybe enough to make it an enjoyable experience for them.
    7mattressman_pdl

    Greatly sprited western-horror piece

    Brad Dourif (the voice of Chucky) and James Earl Jones (the voice of Darth Vader) play two heavily contrasted travelers in the nineteenth century who end up camping together and telling scary stories. Dourif Plays Farley Deeds, a naive clerk who is on his way to see his wife who is visiting his ill mother-in-law. Jones plays a gruff bounty hunter who is attempting to cash in on the corpse that hangs off the end of his horse. Together, they are a priceless pair with some of the most humorous and interesting exchanges in film lore. The tales are overshadowed by the two star's immense talent and their unusually great chemistry.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      In 1992, writer/director Wayne Coe was considering making a sequel called 'Grim Prairie Tales: Rescue Party'.
    • Goofs
      The studio lights are repeatedly reflected in Brad Dourif's glasses.
    • Quotes

      Morrison: What surprises me is that you've survived so long, not knowin' two spits and half a fart about the country you're in.

    • Connections
      Featured in Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched: A History of Folk Horror (2021)

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    FAQ16

    • How long is Grim Prairie Tales?Powered by Alexa
    • Where is Wayne Coe in 2014?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 26, 1990 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Spuk am Lagerfeuer
    • Filming locations
      • Santa Clarita, California, USA
    • Production company
      • East-West Film Partners
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 26 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Ultra Stereo
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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