Ghosts of Mars Blu-ray Review

"Ghosts of Mars" receives a relatively commendable video presentation on this Blu-ray release from Mill Creek, particularly considering its mixed historical reputation. The transfer emphasizes red hues, especially prominent against the Martian landscape, which maintain a subdued desaturation that aligns well with the film's austere atmosphere. Other colors, such as the sporadic blues and prevalent blacks of character attire and gear, are rendered with respectable depth, avoiding extreme shifts in lightening or crushing. Skin tones appear balanced, steering clear of any significant warm or pasty biases. This color palette complements the movie's grim tone, suggesting the filmmakers’ intent to create an environment evocative of hellish desolation.

From a textural standpoint, the image retains a light grain structure throughout the film, which is consistently rendered without significant disruption. While broader scenes of the red terrain lack precise detail and sharpness, close-up shots present high levels of clarity, showcasing fine details such as pores, hairs, and scars. Despite inherent softness in some corners and edges due to the original photography, the overall stability and cleanliness of the print contribute positively to the viewing experience. Compression artifacts, though present, do not detract significantly from the overall image quality. The presentation benefits from a remarkably clean print free from debris and blemishes, making it a robust offering for fans of the film.

It should be noted that grain and compression challenges are particularly evident in the glossy red scenes, with noticeable instances of blocking and banding. There is also a tendency for black levels to fall into crush, especially in darker scenes. However, scenes lit by gel lighting featuring purples, yellows, and other vibrant hues add depth and visual interest that contrast appealingly with the film's primary red tones. Overall, despite some technical limitations, this Blu-ray release provides a solid visual experience that should satisfy most viewers.

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of "Ghosts of Mars" offers a robust DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack, upgrade from Sony's previous Dolby TrueHD 5.1. Significantly active and enjoyable, the DTS-HD track successfully complements the film’s aggressive tone. The score—marked by a blend of John Carpenter’s classic synths and heavy metal riffs from artists like Anthrax and Steve Vai—stands out. Although it lacks finesse and impeccable detail, the music is delivered as Carpenter likely intended: a tonal assault accentuating the action rather than a nuanced orchestral piece. The wide front-end berth and aggressive surround implementation suit the movie’s intense nature.

Action sequences benefit from effective back channel engagement, offering chaotic gunfire with good positioning and definition. Major shootouts effectively use positional speakers to heighten the immersive experience. The surround sound is aggressive, though at times uneven, particularly under the weight of the electric guitar-heavy soundtrack. The subwoofer provides substantial rumbles, enhancing explosions and battle scenes despite the bass sometimes appearing muddy and lacking precise punch.

Environmental sounds, such as eerie winds and the haunting howls of ghosts, are well-integrated into the soundstage, enhancing the film's unique atmosphere. While the soundtrack excels in moments of high intensity, quieter scenes benefit from clear dialogue, firmly grounded in the front-center channel, ensuring that even amidst the chaos, speech remains undistorted and well-prioritized. This audio presentation, while not flawless, effectively captures the essence of Carpenter's vision and enhances the film's aggressive cinematic experience.

Mill Creek's Blu-ray release of Ghosts of Mars maintains the same supplemental content initially provided by Sony in their 2009 release. This package includes an engaging commentary track by Director John Carpenter and Actress Natasha Henstridge, delivering in-depth insights into the film's production process. The video diary "Red Desert Nights" offers nearly 17 minutes of raw, behind-the-scenes footage, revealing day-to-day activities on set. "Scoring Ghosts of Mars" presents intriguing sessions where Carpenter and Anthrax collaborate on the film's soundtrack, capturing the raw energy of their recording process. Additionally, the special effects deconstructions provide over six minutes of detailed breakdowns of key visual effects sequences. Notably, this release lacks DVD or digital copies and does not include a slipcover.

Extras included in this disc:

• Audio Commentary: With Director John Carpenter and Actress Natasha Henstridge.
• Video Diary: Red Desert Nights: Behind-the-scenes footage.
• Scoring Ghosts of Mars: Recording sessions with John Carpenter and Anthrax.
• Special Effects Deconstructions: Breakdown of visual effects sequences.

The 2001 film "Ghosts of Mars," directed by John Carpenter, offers a blend of '70s exploitation and blaxsploitation set against a sci-fi backdrop. The narrative unfolds on Mars in the year 2197, transforming western tropes like empty towns, lawmen, outlaws, trains, and exploited workers into a futuristic veneer. The story centers around a police operation led by characters played by Pam Grier, Natasha Henstridge, and Jason Statham. When their mission stirs up conflict in a Martian ghetto, it incites a turf war against possessed Martians. Ice Cube’s character, Desolation Williams, emerges as the most captivating aspect of the film, embodying an anti-hero who clashes with authority while maintaining a personal code of conduct.

Visually, the film leverages night shooting for its exterior scenes, creating a bleak, hopeless aesthetic punctuated by the characteristic reds of the Martian landscape. This atmospheric desolation is intimidating but falls short in delivering its intended cruelty. The movie attempts to merge humor with a metal soundtrack and digital gore but doesn't fully embrace its genre mash-up. The dialogue is occasionally crude, and the action sequences suffer from messy editing, making them difficult to follow.

Despite its intriguing setup, "Ghosts of Mars" struggles to identify with any single theme wholeheartedly. It brushes against subtextual themes such as us-versus-them and rich-versus-poor without committing fully, reflecting the restrained approach of Carpenter and his crew. What's left is an oddity with sporadic coherence, haphazardly assembled but somewhat redeemed by Ice Cube’s performance. The film ultimately positions itself as an exploitation cinema curiosity with a touch of sci-fi flair but fails to engage its potential audience deeply.

John Carpenter’s “Ghosts of Mars” channels the essence of '70s exploitation and spaghetti westerns, attempting to fuse these genres into a gritty Sci-Fi/Action hybrid. The film features an ensemble cast including Ice Cube and Natasha Henstridge, adding a unique dynamic to its narrative of Martians possessed by vengeful spirits. While its plot lacks the nuance and sharpness characteristic of Carpenter’s eminent works like "Halloween" and "Escape from New York," the relentless action scenes and intriguing, albeit chaotic, blend of elements contribute to overall entertainment.

The Blu-ray presentation by Mill Creek provides a satisfactory audiovisual experience, mirroring the robust but unrefined nature of the film itself. The sound design, notably the music, complements the high-octane sequences, albeit occasionally overshadowing dialogue clarity. Visual clarity remains decent, though certain scenes appear less polished compared to higher-tier transfers. The bittersweet aspect is the duplication of the 2009 Sony disc's content, bringing no new supplemental material to long-time fans or new viewers looking for deeper insights.

John Carpenter is an extremely talented filmmaker with numerous classics to his name -- "Halloween," "Escape from New York," "The Fog" -- but "Ghosts of Mars" is one of the director's flops. It's easy to see what Carpenter was trying to accomplish with the film, an effort to craft a somewhat hellish, unrelenting, hard-edged Sci-Fi/Action hybrid that, whether he intended or not, does have some mild similarities to the video game series "Doom." The movie is broadly entertaining but lacks the precision of Carpenter's best films. It boasts an interesting cast and some good music that blends well with the action. Unfortunately, the story is a weak spot but the stylization, action, and music carry the film to acceptable quality. Mill Creek's Blu-ray contains the same supplements as the 2009 Sony disc. I cannot verify how similar or different the A/V presentations may be, but the Mill Creek disc delivers good experiences in both categories. Recommended.