SUMMARY: RUNNING TIME: Approx. 24:02 Min.
This web episode premiered on November 16, 2018. After nightfall, wisecracking co-hosts Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej explore Tombstone, Arizona, seeking to witness proof of its alleged supernatural sightings.
Accompanied by Bergara’s narrative of the historical background and computerized graphics, the duo visits the sites of the ‘Gunfight at the O.K. Corral;’ the subsequent assassination of Morgan Earp (at the time, it was a saloon/billiards room, now the locale is a gift shop); and Big Nose Kate’s Saloon (which was once the hotel where Tom & Frank McLaury had roomed the night before they died at the O.K. Corral).
Also included is their search (one at a time) of the saloon’s basement to attempt contact with the alleged ghost/ex-bartender-turned-silver thief known as ‘The Swamper.’
REVIEW:
The good news is that Ryan Bergara (also the series producer) articulately provides Tombstone’s historical background. Meant for Generation-Z viewers, this episode’s computerized graphics also merits a thumbs-up.
Dubiously, the flip side is watching Bergara & Shane Madej, half-mockingly, present themselves as amateur ghost hunters. Their credibility fails to impress, considering the most logical stakeout site – Boot Hill Cemetery was not included on Bergara and Madej’s itinerary. Weak jokes and mild eeriness aside, the duo’s live-action ghost-hunting (i.e., pleading for supernatural contact multiple times) comes off as utterly weak and inane. The conclusion that Tombstone’s haunted aura remains a mystery is an utter cop-out.
Note: One can only presume Bergara & Madej had gained legal permission to stake out Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in the middle of the night, let alone peering into closed businesses with their light-up cameras.
“The Haunted Town of Tombstone” might spark some faint chuckles, but the twenty-four minutes lost watching this dreck is still non-refundable.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 2½ Stars
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