By Chaos, Freelance Writer
Epps (Julianna Marguiles) and the ghost Katie in a scene from 'Ghost Ship'.
- Contributed
IF PEOPLE did the smart thing in horror movies, the films would probably be no more than five minutes long. If people refused to go into rooms where they knew something odd was going on (think Scream) or left when everyone else was dying in a myriad of ways or just listened to the cry 'Let's get out of here!' (usually delivered by a black man) the mortality rate would be a lot lower.
In other words, if people acted more sensibly, we would have a lot less horror movies. This would not necessarily be a bad thing. Ghost Ship is no exception.
It is an extremely 'watchable' film with one basic flaw the concept that is supposed to be the rationale behind the entire film. Unfortunately, that cannot quite be explained here since one would be at risk of 'spoiling' the movie for those who have yet to see it. That flaw and the fact that people refuse to run for their lives when confronted with the obvious possibility of their deaths are its two main faults.
As stated, Dark Castle Entertainment's Ghost Ship is actually a very good viewing experience, with the odd glitch here or there. It features Jullianna Marguiles, who has moved past her ER days with a performance that tries to, and to some extent achieves, her change from an emergency room nurse to something of an action star.
In all honesty, and this may be something of a spoiler, Dark Castle owes money to Stephen King for the movie's rip-off of a scene of the author's justifiably classic The Shining. Moving on ... Ghost Ship uses as its basis a long-lost ocean liner with something of a sordid past to put it mildly. The movie is beautifully photographed, with the usual horror movies clichés worming their way out of the woodwork. Bodies will appear when doors are fearfully opened and someone will run away screaming when played a practical joke upon. Items appear that have no business being on an ocean liner abandoned for the past 40 years.
Back to the shooting. There is a particular flashback scene that is absolutely beautiful. It uses the same style from Pink's Just Like A Pill music video, in which rapid horizontal and vertical movements of the camera and slick editing blend together a moment that is more than merely breath-taking. To tell the story of Ghost Ship would be to give too much away, but suffice it to say that it features two of the more innovative ways you will ever see people die on film, including a pseudo-seduction, even if the rationale behind the same, to all intents and purposes, sucks. Another high point comes when the crew first find the ship and explore it. Shot in varying shades of blue and grey, the ship, the Antonia Graza, is something of a beauty to behold.
Ghost Ship stars the underrated Gabriel Byrne as the captain and co-leader 'Murphy', Julianna Marguiles as the other co-leader 'Epps', Isaiah Washington as 'Greer', Ron Eldard as 'Dodge', Karl Urban as 'Munder' and Alex Dimitriades as 'Santos', who make up a salvage crew offered a chance at riches by a Royal Air Canadian Force 'weather spotter' Ferriman played by Desmond Harrington, who has found a strange strip adrift in the Bering Straits and has offered the location of the ship on the basis that he receive a 'finder's fee' when the salvage is retrieved. The movie then rolls along, unfortunately down a gentle incline down hill, from there on.
Perhaps its the fault of M. Night Shyamalan and David Koepp, who directed Stir Of Echoes, for the nowadays constant inclusion of children in horror movies.
Then again, John Carpenter's Halloween series, as well as the Nightmare on Elm Street set (remember the two girls with the skipping rope singing one, two, three...?) are to blame, but nowadays, from movies such as last year's The Others and Resident Evil to 2002's The Ring have been incapable of not having a child who is so far from normal it makes you wonder about child abuse and its effects.
Ghost Ship is no exception, although it must be said that the execution of the concept in this film is above par. Here the little girl seen in the trailer, who also has an accent a la the ones in The Others and Resident Evil, acts a 'spirit guide' to the one person that will survive the fiasco the salvage crew's decision to salvage the lost ocean liner results in.
Another noteworthy aspect of the film is its soundtrack. Featuring songs by among other groups Mudvayne, the music perfectly sets the tone for the action and horror that takes place.
Ghost Ship at the end of the day is entertaining, if a little short on the scare factor, relying more on shocking you than anything else. Directed by Steve Beck, it has a twist at the end that no one will see coming and despite the clichés, is well worth watching. Oh, for the record, the name of one of the characters is a play on Greek and Roman mythology that actually helps make the movie have a little more sense but you have to pick up on it from the onset. I did not. Maybe you will.
