Private Project

Ghost Light

In this 80s horror throwback, four college students encounter murderous phantoms in an empty theatre on Halloween night.

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Halloween night, in the 1980s.... Four college students sneak into an old theatre to drink beer, smoke pot, and give each other the creeps. To set the mood, drama student Mike tells a scary story about the ghosts of a murderer and his victims rumored to still haunt the building.

Frat jock Josh is intrigued and sorority queen Kelly scoffs, while Julia, Mike’s quiet date, seems unusually anxious at talk of hauntings. Spooky things begin to happen… but are these kids just pranking each other, or is something otherworldly at play?

In the glow of the “ghost light” burning on the empty stage, a session with a Ouija board goes horribly wrong and calls the supernatural to the fore. The tension and horror keep building as the kids find themselves trapped, stalked through a dark and rambling theatre by bloodthirsty phantoms… eventually stumbling upon an old mystery that shrouds the building in evil and darkness.

As the night wears on in blood and screams, a secret may hold the key to survival. Not everyone makes it out alive, but they all learn that some ghost stories are real… and deadly!

  • Dan Blakeman
    Director
  • Dan Blakeman
    Writer
    Bugbaby (short)
  • Drew Blakeman
    Producer
    Bugbaby (short)
  • Linnea Quigley
    Key Cast
    "Debra"
    Return of the Living Dead, Night of the Demons, Sorority Babes in the Slimeball Bowl-O-Rama, Hollywood Chainsaw Hookers
  • Ariel Myren
    Key Cast
    "Julia"
    Killing Time, The Fixers, My Crazy Ex
  • Alec Anderson-Carrasco
    Key Cast
    "Mike"
    What Hides in Silence
  • Sarah Polednak
    Key Cast
    "Kelly"
    The Society: Endangered Species, Black Panthers of WWII, Only Seven Days
  • Mason Eaglin
    Key Cast
    "Josh"
    Unstoppable, The Quarterback Next Door, Return of the Lost Heiress
  • Harry Manfredini
    Music
    Friday the 13th (Parts 1-7, 9 & 10), House (Parts 1-3), DeepStar Six, The Omega Code
  • Steven Gonzalez
    Director of Photography
  • Christopher Adam Hruby
    Editor
    Black Pumpkin, The Ritual House
  • Kelton Ching
    Special Effects Makeup
    The Cleaning Lady, Family Ornaments, Howdy Neighbor!
  • Hunter Freedman
    Wardrobe
    Luderdale, Regression
  • Chris Kooreman
    Sound Editor
    Black Pumpkin, Bloody Bobby, Legend of Fall Creek
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 22 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    November 15, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    300,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
  • Catacombs Film Festival
    Los Angeles, CA
    United States
    Best Horror Film 2026
Director Biography - Dan Blakeman

Dan Blakeman is a writer and director who spent his childhood devouring late-night horror movies and local theatre productions. He created and ran The Visceral Company in Los Angeles, which under his guidance as Artistic Director was recognized as one of the best-reviewed theatre companies in LA for several years.

As a playwright, all of his previous original full-length plays have received multiple productions by other companies. He adapted his one-act play, Bugbaby, into an award-winning short film starring cult movie legend Mink Stole. He has also written several adapted scripts, including the first fully realized stage production based on the works of H.P. Lovecraft, which have received critical and audience acclaim as well as award nominations. (Please see resume for career highlights.)

Dan studied theatre at Oklahoma City University and the University of Oklahoma, earned a BFA in Film and Video with a concentration in screenwriting from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, and studied playwriting with Pulitzer and Tony nominee Tina Howe.

GHOST LIGHT is his feature film directorial and screenwriting debut.

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Director Statement

I’ve been a lifelong horror movie nut. Some of my fondest teenage memories are being curling up on my couch in front of a warm TV, with friends or alone, watching the exploits of Jason and Freddy and Michael and a ton of others who never got a sequel.

I’ve always had a soft spot for scared people walking through darkened hallways and deserted spaces, waiting for the inevitable moment something lurches out of the shadows provoking blood curdling screams and chases with an illusion of escape. I prefer long, drawn-out suspense to gore – throwing buckets of blood at the camera will get a reaction, but they can’t get an audience perched on the edge of their seats holding their collective breath.

The 1980s was the best era for horror films, and my wish with GHOST LIGHT is to recreate a period-piece replica of the movies that took so much of my youthful attention. Movies without messages, that didn’t rely on sociopolitical zeitgeist to draw an audience, that didn’t connect the scares to heartbreak and emotional tragedy, but put you in the dark simply to frighten and thrill you.

Think of GHOST LIGHT as the fever dream of a 14-year-old who binged on the entire horror section of the local video store one weekend. Our film's DNA is drawn from the agoraphobic shadows of John Carpenter, the sweeping camerawork of Dario Argento, the off-kilter paranormal of Wes Craven, and the straight-on terror of Tobe Hooper – and draws more than a little from movies like Hell Night, Demons, One Dark Night, Night of the Demons, and the first several installments of Friday the 13th. A constant in these films is a campy, humorous undertone and rude characters delivering witty zingers, which has been a guiding force driving the script since its first incarnation as a stage play.

GHOST LIGHT is not a grim march through emotional territory, but rather a roller coaster ride that delivers laughs and terror in equal measure. The original stage script has been optioned three times, but as a totally different animal for a live and immersive medium, only by fully embracing the 1980s aesthetic has enabled it to be transformed into a satisfactory film experience. While modeled on movies of the 80s, pacing and tone are tuned to the sensibilities of today’s audiences.

GHOST LIGHT has no pretense of being great art, just an 80s cinematic terror funhouse. I want to create the same feeling as a low-rent amusement park haunted house ride, the suspense of moving down a dark unknown path, and the screams and peals of laughter which follow you through to the other side.