Director – Steve Beck (Thir13en Ghosts)
Starring – Gabriel Byrne (End of Days, Stigmata), Julianna Margulies (Snakes on a Plane, Dinosaur), and Ron Eldard (Super 8, Deep Impact)
Release Date – 2002
Rating – 3.5/5
Blu Release – 4/5
When I was in high school I was a full fledged horror fiend. I was obsessed with horror and I couldn’t get enough. The remake of House on Haunted Hill and Thir13en Ghosts were films that really impressed me and I had high hopes for the Dark Castle label. In 2002 they took a turn from remaking the works of William Castle to release their original film Ghost Ship.
The film was fairly entertaining but would soon be forgotten by genre fans soon after release. In fact, I remember renting the film a few times during it’s initial release but after a few months I forgot about it myself. A few weeks ago Scream Factory announced the release of the film on blu with amazing artwork. It had been sometime since I last saw the film so I reached out to Scream about reviewing the blu. I want to thank them for sending a copy my way!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a salvage crew who is approached by a mysterious man about salvaging an ocean liner. The reluctantly agree and make their way out to find it. Once inside strange things begin to happen and the crew suspect something more is at play here when gold bars are discovered on board. **Spoiler Alert**
Ghost Ship is not a film that brings something new to the genre or redefines a sub-genre but it is a well made supernatural horror film with a surprising amount of blood. I never see horror fans discussing this film which is a damn shame. The opening scene itself is fantastic and should be a huge part of horror history.
The acting in this one is pretty solid. The entire cast does a fantastic job but the characters are pretty one dimensional and forgettable. The cast did the best with what they were given but the characters are not that well written.
The story for this one is not your typical ghost story. It’s got elements of crime mixed in with a rather complex supernatural tale. Honestly, I think it works but because it’s not a straight forward ghost tale it may turn some horror fans off which is why it’s not as popular as it deserves to be. The film does reach a few dry spells but it quickly pulls itself out of it. With that being said, the ending does feel rushed and chaotic while reminding me a lot of a paranormal take on the ending of Anaconda. I’m sure genre fans that have seen both can agree with me there. It’s very cliched and disappointing.
Finally, the film has one of the most memorable openings of any horror film. There is so many deaths and it’s absolutely fucking amazing. The fact that hasn’t earned it a spot among horror fans really breaks my heart. The rest of the deaths in the film are not as entertaining as this opening scene but they are still fun. The practical effects look great, however, the visual effects are very dated. They did not age well. Overall, Ghost Ship is not perfect but I have so much fun with it. The blu looks absolutely stunning. The audio and video is clear which does make the visuals look even more dated but that’s beside the point. I highly recommend picking this one up.
Special Features:
NEW This Isn’t Real – An Interview With Actor Isaiah Washington
NEW Dark Castle At Sea – An Interview With Producer Gil Adler
NEW Every Body On Board – An Interview With Makeup Effects Supervisor Jason Baird
NEW Audio Commentary With Director Steve Beck
Max On Set: Ghost Ship Featurette
Visual Effects Featurette
A Closer Look At The Gore Featurette
Designing The Ghost Ship Featurette
Secrets Of The Antonia Graza Clips
Mudvayne “Not Falling” Music Video
Theatrical Trailer
