Ghost Machine – DVD Review

Remember those cheesy films in the 90′s that dealt with virtual reality? C’mon on, you recall the likes of The Lawnmower Man and Virtousity and how they were all about the boundless opportunities of entering an alternate universe via virtual reality.The best of the bunch was the 1995 sci-fier Evolver, which depicts a popular VR gamer who battles a robot in real life – it’s on DVD and I highly recommend it. All good things must come to an end as the sub-genre took a nap after the thunderous dud that was Lawnmower Man 2: Beyond Cyberspace.

The Film:

Military techs steal a top secret warfare software used for simulated combat training and head to a deserted prison for some fun and games. Nine years prior it was used for torturous interrogation against the enemy, and in the process, a cyberterrorist met her ultimate death. The unclean spirit of the woman infiltrates the software seeking revenge on the man who murdered her.

Don’t let the title fool you, this is not a remake or sequel to the techno terror picture Ghost in the Machine. It is though a wasted opportunity to take the trappings of a prison and make a first rate thriller. There is not a single ounce of character development as this is one motley crew you could care less about. The spectral entity is held back quite a bit and never fully let’s out her rage, which really sucks because the FX are sharp and it would of been a gas to see her let loose on these chowderheads. Nothing tops the guy who looks alot like Tom Cruise, whose name is actually Tom, and who happens to be a part-time Ghostbuster who is looking to capture the ghostly lady. Alrighty then.

The DVD:

Audio/Video: The audio is well done and the video is top notch, almost HD quality.

Extra Features

The Making of Ghost Machine: A 30-minute look at the behind-the-scenes on the production. Nice to see hottie Rachael Taylor (Shutter).

Interview with Writer Sven Hughes: 10 minutes of Sven yaping about his mediocre script.

Trailers: Ghost Machine, Lies and Illusions, Streets of Blood, Grace, Stan Helsing, and Red Mist.

The Film: Rating:

The DVD: Rating: