Ghosts of Mars (Carpenter) in Second Takes on Films of the 2000s Forum

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Ghosts of Mars (Carpenter)

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bipolarber	Ghosts of Mars (Carpenter)	Lead	[-]
Jun 8 09 2:28 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Tags : None I was watching this again the other night, (a copy I picked up in the $5 bin at WalMart) and found I was enjoying it. Sure, it isn't some high falutin' peice of "speculative science fiction" but as an action movie, obviously inspired by Rio Bravo, I didn't think it was half bad... It's always great seeing Pam Grier on screen, and Jason Statham wasn't too shabby either. I mean honestly, how seriously can you take a movie that had one of the main characters look directly at the camera in the final shot with a "can you believe this crap?" expression on his face... A rock n' roll, science fiction western... hey, crazier ideas have worked! Now I'm searching for a copy of the soundtrack. I've driven from one end of the country to the other at times, and after the sun goes down, there's nothing like John Carpenter movie music pulsing in your ears as you drive through the darkness. Escape from NY, and They Live have been my favorites so far, but this one, featuring some honestly kick ass heavy metal guitarists, definitely will add to the "drive time" collection. "[The audiance] will populate the darkness with more horrors than all the horror writers in Hollywood could think of. If you make the screen dark enough, the mind's eye will read anything into it you want! We're great ones for the dark patches." -VAL LEWTON
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Dr Acula		#1	[-]
Jun 8 09 5:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I enjoy it too, but I've got a hunch that it was fairly editorially messed with. I know that Courtney Love was supposed to be in it, but wound up injuring herself before starting the filming, so Natasha Henridge (the Species lady) took her part (and I though she did pretty good), Ice Cube got the Statham part, and Statham moved to a smaller role. My God, what's Bond doing?... I think he's attempting re-entry, sir. http://www.eccentric-cinema.com/ Cole's Comics: All About Jack Cole http://colescomics.blogspot.com/
evilskippy		#2	[-]
Jun 8 09 5:18 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It doesn't make a of a lot of sense but it is fun to watch. "The world's going to change tonight, doctor, I'm glad you'll be able to watch it. And... happy Halloween."
Bill Warren		#3	[-]
Jun 8 09 7:03 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I hated it. I thought Carpenter didn't give a damn about the movie.
bipolarber		#4	[-]
Jun 9 09 1:25 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Well Bill, obviously you aren't alone. This film pretty much bombed at the box office. It unfortunately came at the end of a series of "Mars" oriented films, and the audiance for such was prety well burned out by the time GOM reached the theatres... I thought is was a great little "check your brain at the door" actioner... and certainly, if given a choice, I'd rather sit through this movie than pretty much anything directed by Michael Bay, Bruckheimer, or Sommers. "[The audiance] will populate the darkness with more horrors than all the horror writers in Hollywood could think of. If you make the screen dark enough, the mind's eye will read anything into it you want! We're great ones for the dark patches." -VAL LEWTON
Bill Warren		#5	[-]
Jun 9 09 1:30 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bruckheimer is a producer, not a director.
bipolarber		#6	[-]
Jun 9 09 1:32 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	True enough... but when I see his name attached to a film, I feel like a tick that's just accidentally crawled under a Hart's collar... ick. "[The audiance] will populate the darkness with more horrors than all the horror writers in Hollywood could think of. If you make the screen dark enough, the mind's eye will read anything into it you want! We're great ones for the dark patches." -VAL LEWTON
Coughcool		#7	[-]
Jun 9 09 2:45 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I enjoyed it. Truly a modern day masterpiece..... Just kidding but I did like it.
skelton knaggs		#8	[-]
Jun 9 09 8:14 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Bill Warren wrote: I hated it. I thought Carpenter didn't give a damn about the movie. Didn't hate it. Didn't like it. Bill's second sentence makes sense to me... "You can't smell any reefer, can you"?
Python	Ghosts of Mars	#9	[-]
Jun 12 09 12:39 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I couldn't get into this one. I watched it the first time, then tried again. Once should have been enough. I agree with Bill - I got the feeling that Carpenter was sleepwalking through this - as if he didn't care. But, I've always thought Carpenter to be vastly overrated.
Nickolas Cook		#10	[-]
Jun 18 09 1:18 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	It's the only Carpenter flick where I felt ripped off seeing it at a theater. It was a narrative mess. Too many elements with too little attention. Nickolas Cook My Books The Black Glove: a horror blog/magazine My Official Website: Horror Jazz and Blues Revue
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Hamicus Helen		#11	[-]
Jun 19 09 9:01 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I couldn't get past 20 minutes of this. "You think that when you die you go to heaven. You come to us!"
Doc Dynamo		#12	[-]
Jun 22 09 3:06 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I've never seen this. Was Carpenter going back to Assault on Precinct 13 on this? It sounds like a similar plot.
JamesD		#13	[-]
Dec 26 09 7:48 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Doc Dynamo wrote: I've never seen this. Was Carpenter going back to Assault on Precinct 13 on this? It sounds like a similar plot. It does have some similarities, yes, (and that story goes back to Rio Bravo, as biopolarber mentioned), and the plot reads like a Western transplanted to a science fiction setting. I'm a Carpenter fan who even liked his Village of the Damned remake, and I couldn't find much to like about this one. Which is disappointing, as the new element Carpenter brings to the story ("spirits" of an ancient Martian civilization possessing the colonists) isn't bad.
Carl Eyesnheart		#14	[-]
Dec 26 09 8:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Not Carpenters best by any stretch, but I will take it any day of the week over his horrible VAMPIRES. My fanzine all about Rock N Roll: www.sonicruin.com
Phantom Stranger		#15	[-]
May 8 10 12:32 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I'm a big Carpenter fan (I even got to meet him at a convention when he was promoting this film) but this is his worst film. Just bad in every respect, I hope he comes back soon with something better
skelton knaggs		#16	[-]
May 8 10 12:59 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Is that Limburger cheese I smell? Nope. It's just Ghosts of Mars. "You can't smell any reefer, can you"?
bipolarber		#17	[-]
Jun 1 10 12:17 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	I don't think I'd pick GOM as his worst film. I still feel that the remake of Villiage of the Damned was a total waste of time and talent. At least Ghosts succeeds as a mindless action flick. I look at VOTD, and all I can think of is that this was Chris Reeve's last film before the accident that injured his spine. "[The audiance] will populate the darkness with more horrors than all the horror writers in Hollywood could think of. If you make the screen dark enough, the mind's eye will read anything into it you want! We're great ones for the dark patches." -VAL LEWTON
Carl Eyesnheart		#18	[-]
Jun 1 10 5:21 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	bipolarber wrote: I don't think I'd pick GOM as his worst film. I still feel that the remake of Villiage of the Damned was a total waste of time and talent. At least Ghosts succeeds as a mindless action flick. I look at VOTD, and all I can think of is that this was Chris Reeve's last film before the accident that injured his spine. I'm still standing by Vampires as his worst. I love Carpenter and will pretty much look past all of his warts. I still see him as the U.S. version of Fulci, relying more on style than actual making any sense, but much more enjoyable. Vampires, though, I found offensive in many, many, many ways. It was probably the first movie that really made me understand the critics when they called a film misogynistic. My fanzine all about Rock N Roll: www.sonicruin.com
Adolf Kitler		#19	[-]
Jun 24 10 12:46 AM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	Carl Eyesnheart wrote: bipolarber wrote: I don't think I'd pick GOM as his worst film. I still feel that the remake of Villiage of the Damned was a total waste of time and talent. At least Ghosts succeeds as a mindless action flick. I look at VOTD, and all I can think of is that this was Chris Reeve's last film before the accident that injured his spine. I'm still standing by Vampires as his worst. I love Carpenter and will pretty much look past all of his warts. I still see him as the U.S. version of Fulci, relying more on style than actual making any sense, but much more enjoyable. Vampires, though, I found offensive in many, many, many ways. It was probably the first movie that really made me understand the critics when they called a film misogynistic. Vampires didn't offend me except for the fact that it was just bad. I'm used to filmmakers crapping all over religious beliefs and misrepresentation since most of them are either godless heathens or members of that sci-fi cult Tom Cruise is so proud of, but at least be entertaining. Just about anything can be overlooked as long as the film is entertaining. Vampires wasn't. On topic, Ghosts of Mars has it's moments but could have been a much better film if it was allowed to be, or as Bill Warren sez, if Carpenter gave a damn. Still, much better than the unwatchable Vampires. Even that goofy Jon Bon Jovi sequel was better, and that's saying nothing. http://allstarchampionshipbelts.webs.com/
flashback		#20	[-]
Apr 18 12 12:07 PM Reply Quote More My Recent Posts	ghosts of mars succeded for what it was.an action science fiction movie. it came across as a modern yet retro style at the same time. it is not carpenters best movie but is pretty good.
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