John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

( 10 )

Overview

Writer and director John Carpenter returns to the mixture of science fiction and horror that made The Thing (1982) a success. Natasha Henstridge stars as Lt. Melanie Ballard of the Martian Police Force, a member of a law enforcement team two centuries in the future, dispatched to the remote colony of Shining Canyon. There, the most notorious criminal on Mars, James "Desolation" Williams (Ice Cube), awaits transport to a more secure jail. Besides Ballard, the other cops include the rookie Bashira (Clea Duvall), ...
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More About This Product

Overview

Writer and director John Carpenter returns to the mixture of science fiction and horror that made The Thing (1982) a success. Natasha Henstridge stars as Lt. Melanie Ballard of the Martian Police Force, a member of a law enforcement team two centuries in the future, dispatched to the remote colony of Shining Canyon. There, the most notorious criminal on Mars, James "Desolation" Williams (Ice Cube), awaits transport to a more secure jail. Besides Ballard, the other cops include the rookie Bashira (Clea Duvall), hotshot and fast talker Jericho (Jason Statham), tough veteran and squad leader Helena (Pam Grier), and reliable soldier Descanso (Liam Waite). Once Ballard and her companions arrive in Shining Canyon, however, they discover that it's a literal ghost town. It seems that an archaeologist team led by Professor Whitlock (Joanna Cassidy) has uncovered an ancient relic at a nearby dig site, unleashing the vengeful spirits of the planet's long-ago warrior inhabitants, which have now possessed the bodies of the human invaders and set about trying to destroy them. After her team is decimated by the Martian specters, Ballard is forced to turn for help to the one person she can't really trust: Williams. Ghosts of Mars screenwriter Larry Sulkis broke into the film business as producer of the satirical commercials in Carpenter's They Live (1988).
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Special Features

Director and Natasha Henstrige Commentary; ; Video Diary: Red Desert Nights; ; Featurette: "The Music Behind The Movie"; Special Effects (SFX) Deconstructions
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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - R.J. Wafer
Even after 18 feature films and numerous TV excursions, genre auteur John Carpenter still gives his fans what they want: action, adventure, and mayhem. In Ghosts of Mars, the seasoned writer/director/composer lets loose with all the cinematic suspense and violence one could expect from the man behind Halloween and Escape from New York. On Mars in the year 2025, Natasha Henstridge turns the tables on her role in Species, this time fighting for the humans rather than killing them as a police lieutenant who must escort dangerous prisoner Ice Cube from an abandoned mining town to the Martian capital. However, in a Pitch Black-meets-Poltergeist twist, the local excavation has set free some Martian spirits from an ancient burial ground -- and oh, are they angry! Soon both the prisoner and the police crew -- which includes Pam Grier, Jason Statham, and Clea Duvall -- must band together to fight for life and limb. Nonstop action and incredible effects have come to characterize Carpenter's movies for nearly 30 years now, and Ghosts of Mars proves no exception to the rule.
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert
The payoff is a series of well-staged action sequences, made atmospheric by the rusty red atmosphere which colors everything. At one point the cops barricade themselves inside the mining camp's police station, which will remind Carpenter fans of his first feature, Assault on Precinct 13.
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Product Details

  • Release Date: 3/31/2009
  • UPC: 043396295315
  • Original Release: 2001

    • Rating:

  • Source: Sony Pictures
  • Presentation: Wide Screen / Subtitled / Dubbed
  • Sound: Dolby AC-3 Surround Sound
  • Time: 1:38:00
  • Format: Blu-ray
  • Sales rank: 22,958

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits
Ice Cube James "Desolation" Williams
Natasha Henstridge Lt. Melanie Ballard
Jason Statham Jericho Butler
Pam Grier Commander Helena Braddock
Joanna Cassidy Professor Whitlock
Richard Cetrone Big Daddy Mars
Clea Duvall Bashira Kincaid
Rosemary Forsyth Inquisitor
Duane Davis Uno
Robert Carradine Rodale
Liam Waite Descanso
Technical Credits
John Carpenter Director, Score Composer, Screenwriter
Howard Berger Makeup Special Effects
Robin Bush Costumes/Costume Designer
William Elliott Production Designer
Gary B. Kibbe Cinematographer
Sandy King Producer
Robert Kurtzman Makeup Special Effects
Gregory Nicotero Makeup Special Effects
Larry Sulkis Screenwriter
Paul Warschilka Editor
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Customer Reviews

Average Rating 3
( 10 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(1)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(2)

2 Star

(1)

1 Star

(3)

Your Rating:

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Sort by: Showing all of 10 Customer Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    John! What were you thinking?

    Wow... not sure what Carpenter was thinking when he made this flick. I've mostly been a fan of John Carpenter's work but this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Filled with cheesy not so scary zombie like creatures that are hilarious at times and down right annoying at others. This one is a stinker for sure... still can't believe this got 'Two thumbs up' from Ebert and Roeper... someone must have paid them off.

    1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted July 29, 2012

    DISSAPOINTED ! one of the worse i eva seen from

    DISSAPOINTED ! one of the worse i eva seen from john..

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Posted January 3, 2011

    Great Movie

    Really interesting story line, and memorable quotes. I love this movie.

    Was this review helpful? Yes  NoThank you for your feedback.   Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.

  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    Sci-Fi/Western

    I'm a John Carpenter nut, so to know John Carpenter is to know that he loves spaghetti westerns that time forgot. Ghosts Of Mars is just a Sci-Fi reincarnation of those types of films. I have to defend Carpenter because he creates these films not to be taken seriously or to be full of themselves but to simply entertain, and sometimes even enlighten. He is a master of uniqueness and he is not afraid to play things up tongue and cheek. I'm going to be generous with the rating and give it a 4 for it's creativeness.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    John Capenter's most worst movie ever

    Why did John make such garbage, it stupid you don't get the point and sand ghost like martains posseing people the only okay thing about it is the gore effects but if you are a big fan of Jon carpenter avoid this and vampires

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    ENTERTAINING

    I actually did enjoy this movie. It's action filled and full of surprises. Not the best Carpenter film, but it's a good one.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted October 1, 2010

    not up to Carpenter par

    I am a big John Carpenter fan and was roundly disappointed with this one. It could have been good: the cinematography, the story, most of the actors. Sadly, the whole thing was let down by angry Mars guy who just growled & shrieked his way through the second half. Some good elements but, on the whole, not up to par. With even mediocre villany, this movie would have been as good as Escape from New York.

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  • Anonymous

    Posted September 3, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted January 2, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

  • Anonymous

    Posted December 17, 2009

    No text was provided for this review.

Sort by: Showing all of 10 Customer Reviews