Inn of the Damned


Inn of the Damned is a 1975 Australian western horror film, directed by Terry Bourke. It has been called Australia's first "horror Western".

Plot

In 1896, a crazed woman and her husband run an inn in eastern Victoria and take revenge for the deaths of their children years before. Cal Kincaid, an American bounty hunter, arrives to investigate recent murders and puts an end to the killing.

Cast

Production

Like Bourke's previous feature, Night of Fear, the film was originally a one-hour script intended for a projected TV series, Fright.
The Australian Film Development Corporation invested $280,000 in the film.
It was filmed in the Mangrove Mountain region of the NSW Central Coast and at Artransa Studios in Sydney. Filming began in November 1973 and took nine weeks but the film was not released until late in 1975. Shooting was marred by disputes between the producers and its principal investor, Australian [Film Development Corporation]. At the time it was the most expensive local film made in Australia.

Release

Critical reception

called it "more odd than good", and "best viewed as a curiosity." DVD Verdict wrote, "as curiosities go, this Australian horror western from the early '70s definitely deserves some attention."

Home video

The film was released on DVD alongside 1972 Australian horror film Night of Fear by Umbrella Entertainment on 16 March 2005. This combo was re-released for Blu-ray on 9 November 2022 as volume 20 of Umbrella's Ozploitation collection.