Ghosts of Mars (2001)

[Dave]

Anyone seen this? Is it worth renting the DVD?

The story takes place some 175 years in the future in a dusty frontier mining town on Mars. A small squad of police have been sent to transfer an extremely dangerous criminal, Desolation Williams, back to the main administrative Martian city, Chryse. Our heroine, Melanie (Henstridge), is second in command of this squad. What no one realizes is that mining operations have uncovered --and disturbed-- the ruins of an ancient Martian civilization and unleashed a kind of spiritual doomsday defense system that will relentlessly destroy any alien presence (in this case, Earthlings) inhabiting Mars. When the cops arrive at this remote outpost, no one but the criminals locked away in the local jail have survived... And the "Martian Ghosts" are determined not to let them get away.

 

[Tabitha]

Originally posted by Dave
Anyone seen this? Is it worth renting the DVD?

I haven't seen it, but I know it got universally panned on release. What on Earth has happened to Carpenter?

 

[Dave]

I don't know either, do you know that it was him and Dan O'Bannon that had the original idea for 'Alien'. They were fellow students in the graduate programme in film studies at the University of Southern California.

Carpenter wanted O'Bannon to act in what later became 'Dark Star' but was originally made as a student film. They collaborated on it, but fell out and never worked together again. Some elements of 'Dark Star' however, go on to appear in 'Alien' written by O'Bannon and Ronald Shusett.

I think that the low budget 'Assault on Precinct 13' is also excellent. But it seems that the more money he gets to spend, the worse the film gets.

 

[Tabitha]

Dan O'Bannon - also the man behind the script for Total Recall, I believe. I knew he had a hand in Alien, but didn't realise the Carpenter connection. Actually I know very little about Carpenter, just a spattering of his older movies, I haven't even seen Dark Star - that's like SF heresy or something

 

[ray gower]

Ghosts of Mars- Stop me if you've seen this one

John Carpenters- Ghosts of Mars
From IMDB

Set 200 years in the future, intergalactic cop Melanie Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) and her team have an assignment of transferring a dangerous criminal named Desolation Williams (Ice Cube) to a prison in the outpost city of Chryse on the planet Mars. But in a turn of events, an adjacent mining team on the Red Planet has unearthed an ancient Martian defense device that unleashes warrior ghosts of the planet's original inhabitants who in turn possess most of the workers. Upon arriving at the outpost, Ballard and her team, including Desolation Williams, must band together to survive the vengeful spirits bent on eradicating all human life on their planet.

What does a film have to do to get an 18 certificate now?
Certainly graphic beheadings and blood are no longer enough!

The film has been slamed for poor effects, grotty sets and robotic acting.
Whilst it is true I got vivid doses of de-ja-vu for Carpenters classic Assault on Precinct 13 and Hawkins' Rio Grande, it is not a bad film.

Okay the suspense could be done better. The opening gives the result before it starts. And if you've seen either of the other two films in the last couple of years, then there is no need to see this one for at least another two.

Best line from Sergeant Jericho Butler- 'This doesn't make me happy!' as a severed arm drops on the floor in front of him

 

[imported_Deadeye]

I got this movie for DVD. This movie rocks!!! My favorite John Carpenter movie

 

[Tabitha]

Does the movie have any extra special features on dvd? Other Carpenter films have been quite generous with their documentaries and commentaries and the like.

 

[imported_Deadeye]

Yeah Ghosts of Mars has alot special feature. It has video diary,commentary from John Carpenter and Natasha Henstridge,special effects deconstructions, the scoring from GOM,filmographies. And it's really good on DVD Tabitha.

 

[Krystal]

Finally could see this movie, I enjoy it. It was good. My favorite parts when they were trying to get to the train, how the ghost left her because of the drug. I was telling the person that see it with me before the ghost take her that probably she survived because the ghost couldn't stand the drug she use. Also love the interaction between the cop and the criminal. This two make a great team. Love the end. Also you got to love the precision of the ghost when attacking, wow always getting to the right spot.

Krystal