I’ve never been much into horror films,
which usually feature some insane maniac killing
as many teens as possible, in as many ways as
the writer can think up, in one gruesome scene
after another. The Japanese version of THE
RING was an exception, and THE
AUDITION was a revelation, but American horror
isn’t in the same league as the Japanese
take on that genre (there are rare exceptions,
of course, such as the classic NIGHT OF THE LIVING
DEAD). Naturally, I expected very little from
GHOST SHIP. Due to this, I ended up liking it
far more than I felt I would.
Without a doubt, all the usual horror staples
are present: a haunted ship (taking the place
of the usual haunted house), greed, panic, hysteria,
one character as the focus of all that’s
evil, and lots of horrendous scenes of evisceration
and murder. Nothing new here, but unlike the teen
slasher films, GHOST SHIP has something few others
of its ilk can claim: style.
The ship in question is an Italian luxury liner
called the Antonia Graza. The year was 1962. Well-dressed
passengers, a sexy lounge singer, a setting that
oozed European charm – all this filled the
screen as the movie opened. The room was filled
with song, people danced happily as the ship slipped
effortlessly through the waters of the North Atlantic,
and all appeared to be well. Then a horrific but
memorable scene – somewhat similar to something
from RESIDENT EVIL but magnified many times over
– brought everything to a standstill and
left this reviewer both taken by surprise and
impressed by the quality of the production.
Cut to the present, when the Graza has been missing
for 40 years. A salvage crew led by Gabriel Byrne
ends up finding the ship, huge profits seem assured,
and then…well, we all know what happens,
don’t we?
I didn’t find the butchering that followed
to be particularly interesting, but flashbacks
to the fate of the Graza’s crew were moving,
and the explorations of the empty ship and the
once oh-so warm but now cold ballroom created
a mood that makes the film worth seeing.
A solid and classy effort, GHOST SHIP will make
this an enjoyable night out for those that like
horror. However, if you don’t appreciate
severed limbs and brutal death scenes, then stay
home and plop your copy of MARY POPPINS into the
VCR for its 100th viewing.
 
Julianna Margulies
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