The Shadow of Chikara main backdrop
The Shadow of Chikara main poster

The Shadow of Chikara

Visit website

4.7/10 • 16

1977-07-151h 54m

HorrorWestern

Two former Confederate captains try to remove diamonds hidden in the Arkansas mountains, but a native spirit guards the sacred site against intruders.

Directors
Earl E. Smith
Writters
Earl E. Smith

Top Billed Cast

View Credits
  1. Joe Don Baker

    Joe Don Baker

    Wishbone Cutter

  2. Sondra Locke

    Sondra Locke

    Drusilla Wilcox

  3. Ted Neeley

    Ted Neeley

    Amos Richmond - Teach

  4. Joy N. Houck Jr.

    Joy N. Houck Jr.

    Half Moon O'Brian

  5. Dennis Fimple

    Dennis Fimple

    Posey

  6. John Davis Chandler

    John Davis Chandler

    Rafe

  7. Grady Wyatt

    Grady Wyatt

    Dancer

  8. Linda Dano

    Linda Dano

    Rosalie Cutter

  9. Slim Pickens

    Slim Pickens

    Virgil Cane

Reviews1

View Reviews
Wuchak Avatar

Wuchak

Apr 26, 2025

6/10

Western set in northern Arkansas with Joe Don Baker and Sondra Locke After one of the last battles of the Civil War, a captain and his half-breed scout (Baker and Joy N. Houck Jr.) team-up with a college geologist (Ted Neeley) to find a deposit of diamonds in a cave in the Ozarks. On the way, they are joined by a woman (Locke), but are hindered by shadowy pursuers. "The Shadow of Chikara” (1977), also known as “The Curse of Demon Mountain” (amongst other titles), is worth seeing because of the unique locale for a Western, as well as the quality cast. Speaking of which, Locke and John Davis Chandler (in a small part) previously appeared together in “The Outlaw Josey Wales” from the year before. Sondra’s new beau from that flick, Clint Eastwood, visited the set a few weeks into the shoot for a respite, checking out the area and doing some fishing. I’ve heard this referred to as a cheap production, but it’s not. For instance, the opening Civil War battle scenes are convincing, not to mention the characters are fleshed out and well acted. The second half does get tedious though, yet there’s a nice surprise at the end. The blurry version currently available on streaming runs 1 hour, 31 minutes, but the original cut runs 23 minutes longer, which explains the abrupt (amateurish) editing in the short version. It was shot in north-central Arkansas at Bull Shoals State Park; and Yellville, which is a dozen miles to the southwest, as well as Buffalo National River, which is 15 miles further south. GRADE: B- (if I saw a quality print of the original version, I might rate this higher)

Media

  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster
  • The Shadow of Chikara poster

Recommendations

  • Carnal Knowledge main backdrop

    Carnal Knowledge

    6.6

  • No Backdrop

    Alien Cargo

    5.5

  • Once Before I Die main backdrop

    Once Before I Die

    3.0

  • The Hateful Eight main backdrop

    The Hateful Eight

    7.8

  • The Witch main backdrop

    The Witch

    7.0

  • Love, Simon main backdrop

    Love, Simon

    8.0

  • The Theory of Everything main backdrop

    The Theory of Everything

    7.8

  • Interstellar main backdrop

    Interstellar

    8.5

  • Naked main backdrop

    Naked

    5.8

  • Enola Holmes main backdrop

    Enola Holmes

    7.3

  • Titanic main backdrop

    Titanic

    7.9

  • The Shawshank Redemption main backdrop

    The Shawshank Redemption

    8.7

  • The Avengers main backdrop

    The Avengers

    7.8

  • The Devil Wears Prada main backdrop

    The Devil Wears Prada

    7.4

  • The Greatest Showman main backdrop

    The Greatest Showman

    7.9

  • Fifty Shades Darker main backdrop

    Fifty Shades Darker

    6.5

  • Big Fish main backdrop

    Big Fish

    7.8

  • The Hunger Games main backdrop

    The Hunger Games

    7.2

  • Wonder main backdrop

    Wonder

    8.1

  • In the Heart of the Sea main backdrop

    In the Heart of the Sea

    6.8

Status
Released
Original Language
English
Budget
--
Revenue
--
Keywords
arkansastreasure huntghostconfederate soldieramerican civil wardamsel in distressdiamondshorror western