Search - John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars on DVD

MPAA Rating: R Content Advisory: Graphic Violence, Profanity, Drug Content, Gore Movie Release: 2001 DVD Release: 12/04/2001 Format: DVD - Enhanced Wide Screen Letterbox for 16x9 TV,Pan and Scan Edition: Dual Layered,Special Collection Audio Tracks: English Subtitles: English, French SwapaDVD Credits: 1 Number of Discs: 1 Run Time: 1 hrs 38 mins Studio: Columbia TriStar Total Copies: 18 Genres: Action, Science Fiction, Horror, Escape Film, Sci-Fi Action, Sci-Fi Horror See Also: Ghosts of Mars [UMD for PSP], Ghosts of Mars [Blu-ray]

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). ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide

Ice Cube - James "Desolation" Williams
Natasha Henstridge - Lt. Melanie Ballard
Jason Statham - Jericho Butler
Pam Grier - Commander Helena Braddock

Action and horror mix in the thrilling sci-fi horror movie John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars. Columbia has put forth great pains to make sure that this 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer looks excellent. The colors all look bright and evenly rendered with the black levels solid and full. No edge enhancement, shimmer, or digital artifacting is spotted anywhere during the feature. The audio is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in English. This is a great soundtrack that features lots of loud surround sounds that should shake the floor of any room it's played in. All aspects of the dialogue, effects, and director/composer John Carpenter's throbbing music score are distortion-free. Also included on this disc are English and French subtitles. John Carpenter's Ghosts of Mars is featured in a "special edition" that includes some filling extra features. To start with, there is a commentary track by director John Carpenter and star Natasha Henstridge. This is a very informative track (we find out that the actress came in to take over the lead role at the last minute), and the two commentators seem to have a lot of fun discussing the movie. "Video Diary: Red Desert Nights" follows the cast and crew into the production of the film. This is a very fluffy piece that includes no narrative explanation of the footage being shot. "Special Effects Deconstruction" runs the same gambit as it takes a look at the production of some of the effects in the film. Backed by thumping music, this extra includes rough footage, storyboards, and some computer graphics used in the film. The featurette "Scoring Ghosts of Mars" is yet another light short that gives viewers a glimpse of the director/composer and his musicians scoring the film. Finally, there is a quick list of filmographies on the cast and the director. Strangely, there isn't one theatrical trailer or TV spot to be found on this disc. Overall, this is a nice disc that should please fans. ~ Patrick Naugle, All Movie Guide