Horror Movie Reviews
More Details...Price: $9.95 |
Title: Ghosts of Mars (Special Edition) (2001) |
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Review of Ghosts of Mars (Special Edition)
- Ghosts of Mars may not be one of John Carpenter's finer efforts, but you can't knock the veteran director for staying true to his roots--it's clearly a Carpenter film, reveling in its B-movie blood lust, and fueled by the director's rock & roll rebellion as well as the sex appeal of star Natasha Henstridge. This rickety sci-fi/horror hybrid recalls Carpenter's Assault on Precinct 13, with various connections from throughout the director's career--for better and worse. It's the year 2176, and human colonists on Mars are controlled by a political "matronage," with women (for reasons unexplained) holding court in the capitol city of Chryse. Mars Police Force Lt. Ballard (Henstridge) has been sent to retrieve James "Desolation" Williams (Ice Cube), the planet's most notorious criminal, from a remote mining-colony prison. With her ill-fated crew, Ballard discovers that the colonists have nearly all been possessed by ancient Martian spirits bent on reclaiming the planet, turning them into an army of self-mutilating freaks suggesting an unholy union of Marilyn Manson and the sadomasochistic Cenobites from the Hellraiser films. None of this makes much sense, and the shaky alliance between cops and criminals is a predictable excuse for rampant battle scenes between surviving humans and the ghost-possessed maniacs. Exotic weaponry abounds (along with cheap special effects and some laughable dialogue), resulting in the gruesome dispatch of expendable costars Pam Grier, Joanna Cassidy, Robert Carradine, and Clea Duvall. Driven by Carpenter's synth-metal score, this violent free-for-all has a few brief highlights, but it's suspenseless and ultimately absurd. It's not much, but for loyal fans it's probably enough. --Jeff Shannon
Amazon.com
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Comments for Ghosts of Mars (Special Edition)
- Posted on 2008-04-28
Ghost of Mars, ages nicely
When I first saw this it was because I am a huge fan of John Carpenter. I was a bit disappointed as it was no "Halloween", "Escape from New York", or "The Thing" remake. It was okay but not great. It revolves around a colony of miners on Mars going berserk after being exposed to an alien cloud. They put much more graphic items in their faces than any punker in Picadilly. The small security force there is severely challenged to stay alive since there are so many miners that have turned and their intent isn't just better food at the mining cafeteria. No in fact it is a much more bloodthirsty requirement they want met. I caught this again on television the other night and though not one of Carpenter's best works, a good one nonetheless. As one reviewer noted it is afterall another B movie, and as far as B movies go, this is pretty good stuff. I realized he actually had vision as this movie was ahead of its time. This type movie is much more common today and therefore well worth seeing. Come to think of it John has always been ahead of the curve. Decent acting, John Carpenter great music choices, and good sets, make this worthy of at least a rental if not a purchase at this great price. I intend to add a copy to my collection of horror. If you enjoyed this catch "30 Days of Night" and "Screamers". Good quality DVD with reasonable replayability.
Score: 3
- Posted on 2008-04-28
Can It Get Any Worse Than This Film?
I'm not sure. I don't think I've seen a worse film and I've seen plenty of stinkers in my day. I just caught this on the Sci Fi channel and I'm really not sure what I just watched. I imagine there was a plot hidden somewhere in this mess of a movie, but what it is I couldn't tell you. While watching this film I felt a numbness in my leg which slowly worked it's way up to my head. So by the end of the film I was numb all over. Probably the closest I'll get to a lobotomy.
If John Carpenter wrote this film high on various illegal substances or extremely drunk, it might be forgivable. Sadly I think he was sober for this film, which makes it all the more sad.
Score: 1
- Posted on 2008-04-08
Easy and Quick Transaction
I was pleased to find this item at such a great price. This was a perfect purchasing experience. The product arrived earlier than expected and was well package so that it arrived it perfect condition.
Score: 5
- Posted on 2008-03-21
I've Seen Worse
The flick's okay; its got momentum. The story line keeps moving; it has constant energy. BUT... the disc's bit rate is extremely low - it never gets above 3.0; and that means the video quality sucks. My advice is to wait for this flick to come out in HD.
Score: 3 - Posted on 2007-11-28
Time to Change Channels
Slow paced zombie slasher flic set on Mars with an atmosphere with much less tension, fear, and action than you'd get watching Sound of Music. Full length leather coat doesn't bring it any closer to sci-fi.
Score: 1