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Movies / On DVD / John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars
John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

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John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars (2001)

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Reviews Counted: 99

Fresh: 19

Rotten:80

Average Rating: 3.6/10

Consensus: John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars is not one of Carpenter's better movies, filled as it is with bad dialogue, bad acting, confusing flashbacks, and scenes that are more campy than scary.

Runtime: 1 hr 38 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Theatrical Release: Aug 24, 2001 Wide

Box Office: $7,307,616

Synopsis: In the year 2176, Earth has colonized Mars, and all positions of power are held by women. Police Lieutenant Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) is assigned to take a crew via train from the metropolis of Chryste to the deserted mining town of... In the year 2176, Earth has colonized Mars, and all positions of power are held by women. Police Lieutenant Ballard (Natasha Henstridge) is assigned to take a crew via train from the metropolis of Chryste to the deserted mining town of Shining Station to capture an extremely dangerous convict, Desolation Williams (Ice Cube). When Ballard and her crew arrive at Shining Station, an eerily deserted town, they find not only Williams, but also scientist Dr. Whitlock (Joanna Cassidy), who has secluded herself in the colony for safety. She tells Ballard and her crew that a mining project released a mysterious cloud from beneath the planet's surface. It is possessing the colonists, causing them to hunt down and kill off any non-possessed beings. Ballard and her crew decide that they must destroy the possessed beings for the good of the planet, a job which is more difficult than anyone predicts. John Carpenter's 17th theatrical feature combines action, horror, and sci-fi with thematic elements from earlier works (most notably ASSAULT ON PRECINCT 13 and THE THING). Rough around the edges with lots of energy and a sense of fun, GHOSTS OF MARS is a spirited genre cocktail. [More]

Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier

Starring: Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall, Joanna Cassidy

Director: John Carpenter

Director: John Carpenter
Screenwriter: Larry Sulkis
Producer: Sandy King
Studio: Screen Gems

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DVD Info

 
 
 
 
Release:

Dec 4, 2001

[DVD Details]
 
 

DVD Features:

  • Region 1
  • Keep Case
  • Widescreen - 2.35
  • Full Frame

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 - English

Additional Release Material:

  • Audio Commentary - 1. John Carpenter - Director, Natasha Henstridge - Star
  • Trailer - 1. Original Theatrical
  • Featurette - 1. Video Diary: RED DESERT NIGHTS
  • 2. SCORING GHOSTS OF MARS
  • 3. Special Effects Deconstructions

Interactive Features:

  • Interactive Menus
  • Scene Selection

Text/Photo Galleries:

  • Filmographies

Reviews for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
11/02/01
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
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Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Mark Halverson
Sacramento News & Review
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Ghosts of Mars is not Carpenter at his best. It may very well be Carpenter at rock bottom.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
02/14/08
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
12/30/06
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
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A turd wrapped up in a nice bow is still a turd.

Full Review Source: Supercala.com | comment Comment
12/31/05
John Venable
Supercala.com
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
02/25/04
J. V. McAuley
Zap2it.com
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Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Jim Shelby
Palo Alto Weekly
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More Mars lacks than Mars attacks and an outing for Carpenter die-hards only.

Full Review Source: RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland) | comment Comment
03/04/03
Harry Guerin
RTE Interactive (Dublin, Ireland)
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
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Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
10/30/02
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
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Original movies on the Sci-Fi Channel have better production values.

Full Review Source: Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL) | comment Comment
06/20/02
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
N/R

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Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
06/19/02
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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a complete and utter disaster

Full Review Source: NutzWorld | comment Comment
05/12/02
Blake French
NutzWorld
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The monsters were just not scary.

Full Review Source: Goatdog's Movies | comment Comment
05/05/02
Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies
N/R

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Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
03/14/02
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

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Full Review Source: Sci-Fi Movie Page | comment Comment
02/21/02
James O'Ehley
Sci-Fi Movie Page
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You'll wish you were on Mars and not on Earth suffering through this movie.

Full Review Source: 3BlackChicks Review | comment Comment
02/04/02
Kamal 'The Diva' Larsuel
3BlackChicks Review
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There's a great deal of promise in the outline of the tale, but somewhere along the line, the execution went awry.

Full Review Source: Baseline.Hollywood.com | comment Comment
12/21/01
Ted Murphy
Baseline.Hollywood.com
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
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Latest News for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

January 17, 2007: Disney Signs On with "John Carter of Mars"
Not too long ago Jon Favreau was this close to directing "John Carter of Mars" for Paramount Pictures, but the studio let their option on the property lapse -- and we... More...

May 13, 2005: John Carpenter to Return to Directing with "Apostle"
Yahoo! brings some news that should please the horror fans out there. Seems that legendary scare-master John Carpenter ("Halloween") will be returning to the... More...

June 06, 2001: Clea DuVall, Pam Grier, and Joanna Cassidy have joined the cast. Opens in new window
More...

June 06, 2001: And about how the fighting in his film eschews those trendy Matrix moves. 'There wasn't a lot of flying around at the Alamo,' says Carpenter. Opens in new window
More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars

This movie is great
by: PetticoatJunction 8/18/07


tj and zohoe are two retarded ****s
by: PetticoatJunction 8/18/07


Sucked
by: Zohoe 2/29/04


....
by: tj 2/29/04


Bad
by: tj 2/29/04
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