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Ghost Ship (Widescreen Edition)

Ghost Ship (Widescreen Edition)

List Price: $19.96
Your Price: $13.48
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Waterlogged but watchable
Review: For the past several years, the folks at Dark Castle productions have given us a horror film just in time for Halloween. First came House on Haunted Hill, then 13 Ghosts, and finally Ghost Ship. Rest assured that Ghost Ship is better than the absolutely wretched 13 Ghosts, but doesn't have the appeal of House on Haunted Hill.

Forty years ago, the Antonia Graza, a luxury liner, was lost at sea. We learn in the incredibly gory opening scene of Ghost Ship how the passengers and crew of the ship met their untimely deaths. Jump forward to the present day. A salvage team, led by Julianna Margulies (Tv's ER) and Gabriel Byrne (End of Days, Stigmata) stumble across the Antonia Graza while at sea. The crew boards the ship in hopes of striking it rich. The problem is, the ship is haunted by those that died forty years ago. In typical horror movie fashion, the crew is disposed of one by one in reverse order of celebrity status.

The acting isn't top notch, but it's not pure garbage either. It's refreshing to see Margulies in a role that doesn't involve taking blood and urine samples. Byrne, who is becoming a fixture in suspense, is good as usual. The rest of the cast is so-so, but it really doesn't matter, as they're just there to be bumped off in interesting ways.

The creepy visuals are truly the star of this picture. The opening scene will leave viewers wide-eyed. A steel cable flies across a dance floor, cutting everything (and everyone) in it's path in half. Later in the film, a grand ballroom, which is in shambles after forty years at sea, spontaneously reconstructs itself around a crew member. This is absolutely amazing to watch.

Overall, this is not a great movie in terms of dramatic content. It was panned by most critics, but in all actuality, there are worse ways to spend a dark and stormy night.

3.5 stars

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Visually stunning, spectacularly entertaining gore fest!
Review: Wow! If you love a great splatter scene, you will be hooked on this movie within the first five minutes. Remember when the lawyer split in Thirteen Ghosts? Within 5 minutes of Ghost ship a cable on a luxury cruise ship snaps and slices an entire deck full of people in half. Awesome special effects here!

The main premise of the movie follows a salvage crew hired by a man who claims to have found a large derelict vessel, offering them a large percentage to help him haul it in. They find the ship, and more than they bargained for. There is millions of dollars of gold on the Antonia Graza, but also a bevy of guests who have never left.

Epps, played by Julia Margulies, believes that she has seen a young girl aboard the derelict ship who tries to warn her away. But before anyone will listen to her, greed and accidents take over and the crew becomes trapped aboard the Antonia Graza and, of course, people start dying.

Truly a visual stunner, don't miss the flashback scene perfectly choreographed to an almost sexy melody using slow motion and step-speed filming to perfection, and when the movie is finished, check out the video 'Not Falling' by Mudvayne. Also noteworthy is the special effects feature on the DVD, detailing how the FX team made such a magnificent splash (pun intended) with the opening gore scene. Watch out for the pork and beans!

If you are a lover of horror and splatter, do not miss out on this treat. It sure hooked that sexy Italian singer. Enjoy!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: not what I expected
Review: I gave this movie four stars purely for my surprise at its effectiveness. I admit I only sat down to watch this for the talent: Gabriel Byrne and Julianna Margulies. However, I was impressed with the quick, jolting cinematography. Steve Beck does not set up those tired "Look behind you!" shots that appear in so many horror films. The "danger on the sea" premise reminded me so of several films (which shall not be named) with terrible plotlines, that I didn't expect a plot with any kind of imagination. All I will say is, I was surprised. This film is best watched cold, that is, with no information about the people or events. "Ghost Ship" will delight anyone who enjoys a few shocks.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Grade B Horror Film's Grade: 2\5
Review: "Ghost Ship" is another grade B horror film that just isn't scary. Director Steve Beck is more interested in mood and showmanship, but unfortunately, he can't even get that right despite some spooky art direction and what looks to be a pretty big budget. And this isn't the first time that Beck has told a ghost story, he directed "Thirteen Ghosts," which, in my opinion, is one of the better horror films in recent history.

"Ghost Ship" could have been fun had it gone in more interesting and unpredictable directions. Instead, we're treated to a fairly dull movie experience with one dimensional characters and very few scares. And it's all capped off by a sequel-ready ending complete with an obtrusive hard rock tune that offsets any sense of terror "Ghost Ship" might have had to offer.

In my opinion, this film should not be purchased. It is an okay rent, but make sure it a 99cent rent, as more would be a waste of your money.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Ghost Ship is Surprisingly Good.
Review: I decided to ignore most reviews of this film and check it out anyway. I am very glad I did. I don't understand why people think its so bad. Ghost Ship is about a crew who aboard an abandoned ship that went missing in 1962, and was never heard of again. The crew finds it and strange things begin to happen. They start seeing Ghosts, hence the title. The ghosts are the passengers who were brutally killed on the ship, obviously.
The film has a few scary moments and it moves along quickly. There is a major plot twist at the end that I did not see coming at all and I thought it was brilliant. You can't comment on the acting of a horror movie, it's pointless, but luckily Ghost Ship has a cast of well known, and talented actors such as Gabriel Byrne, Julianne Marguiles, and Ron Eldard. If not for them, the film could have been a lot more cheesy, but I thought the film was intriguing, scary, and creepy. The opening scene by far one of the most gruesome scenes in film is worth seeing this film for.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: All dressed up, but nowhere to go
Review: While it mostly plays like any other horror/sci-fi variation on the 'haunted house' concept you've seen, "Ghost Ship" is at least distinguished by two superbly crafted passages: a stunningly sick opening sequence; and a wonderfully conceived musical montage towards the end where the little-girl-ghost reveals precisely what has happened on board. But two moments don't make a movie. A very talented cast and some refreshingly high production values are squandered on a story which not only adds nothing to the genre, but actually gives you quite a bit less than you deserve. It's disappointing that Dark Castle Entertainment, helmed by self-proclaimed devotees of a genre which has all but exhausted itself, wouldn't be able to find more innovative material than this. Director Steve Beck tries to dress things up with a few especially bloodthirsty episodes and some luscious special effects, but there's no hiding the predictability. Ultimately, "Ghost Ship" is neither frightening enough, nor original enough - just not engaging enough on any level - to be anything more than occasionally stirring eye candy. It doesn't help that viewers attentive to character names will spot the twist, even before they've left dry land.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: DANCES W/ GHOSTS
Review: THE FIRST SCENE WAS COOL AS HELL . IT KELPT MY INTEREST TILL THE LAST HALF HOUR . THAN IT GOT DUMB AND WHAT WAS UP W/ THAT LADY SINGING ! YUCK CAN ANY ONE SAY "SINGING LESSONS " I HOPE THEY DON'T MAKE A SEQUEL .

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: don't watch with great expectations
Review: I'll give ya the good and the bad as quickly as I can.

The good; Acting. Everyone was pretty on their game in this film. The visuals were pretty good too, they kept the movie creepy in a classic way.

The bad; the plot. Maybe I've seen too many ghost stories but how many times can we learn the lesson, gold leads to dead cursed stuff. The movie was well written for what it was but it wasn't much. Cheap scares all done before with little variation. Personally it's a film I'm not likely to remember in 6 months unless I see the cover again.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Improving on a new Halloween (day, not the movie) tradition
Review: If you saw Deep Rising, 13 Ghosts, or House on Haunted Hill and liked them, you'll love this movie. Intended as a Halloween bit of fun, this film, inspite of nearly comical flaws, works! Comical flaws? You get to see the same clip of the character Grier saying "Where you going? twice. In the cabin of one of the ghost a hat changes position 3 times, twice in the same scene.
More fun is the opening number Senza Fine which, judging by the posing of the busty singer, must be Italian for "Get a Load of These" (you'll get that when you watch it)
Some obvious problems with the film include:"Dodge" enunciates like a community theater judge, "Munder" is accent is alterantely British and American, and "Murphy" went on about how he'd been at sea a long time, how the sea does strange things, how the sea gives you an opportunity, blah blah blah.
Didn't I say I liked this film? Yes I did. All of these things
add to the charm.
If nothing else, you have to see the opening mass bisection. It is stand alone in both its horrific nature and dark humor. Half the team that put Army of Darkness together worked on it. Very little CGI, mostly cunning camera work and rubber corpses. Excellent!!!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: DANCES W/ GHOSTS
Review: THE FIRST SCENE WAS COOL AS HELL . IT KELPT MY INTEREST TILL THE LAST HALF HOUR . THAN IT GOT DUMB AND WHAT WAS UP W/ THAT LADY SINGING ! YUCK CAN ANY ONE SAY "SINGING LESSONS " I HOPE THEY DON'T MAKE A SEQUEL .


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