The way I see it is that it was like The Shining, but with a different premise:
A slave/plantation owner tried to cure his ailing wife from an illness using black magic verses written by his slave, instead it turned his entire family into demon-possessed ghouls, including his kids, so he killed them and tortured to death the slave who provided the verses. The townspeople don't believe the plantation owner and lynch him, sewing his eyes/mouth shut and pillorying his body into a "scarecrow".
The gold coin thieves apparently know a family member who lived at that house, and use the house as refuge, not knowing what happened. When they shoot the demon in the field, the demon was likely one of the other "family members" or slaves who had been possessed by the demons but escaped death by the plantation owner.
By the time the gold coin thieves went into the house, they became part of the possession/demonic transformation - but weren't aware of it. That's why the dog attacks the Henry Thomas character and why one of the confederate soldiers shoots him at the end.
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FranLovesBetteD
13 years ago
Thank you so much for this! I watched this movie last night for the first time and, even though I kinda liked it, I remained full of doubts more than anything else, but you just clarified most of them through your post.
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
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ss5mmyers
13 years ago
The plantation owner sacrificed his slaves in a ritual to save his wife, but the demons tricked him and turned the wife and kids into demons. He killed his kids and put them presumably down the well.
Then the townsmen come and lynch the farmer and Jeffy Hollister witnessed it and later recounted the empty house to the gangleader in the movie. Whether this was an act of friendship when they were friends or an act or revenge when Annabelle wanted him instead of Jeffy is debatable.
The curse of the house slowly either killed the outlaws or turned them as well into demons.
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FranLovesBetteD
13 years ago
Thanks to you too for the explanation! I think I'll have to re-watch this movie soon, and then I'll be able to get many things that I didn't the first time. I bought the DVD along with "The Burrowers" as both trailers look rather good, but never got around to see it yet. I'm a newcomer regarding horror western, but I think it's a very peculiar, interesting combination. Thank you once more!
Animal crackers in my soup
Monkeys and rabbits loop the loop
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