Powerful

Highly Overrated But Still Good

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

"Ghost Chase" was an early effort by director Roland Emmerich before he moved onto big-budget Hollywood movies, and when he was turning out German-financed movies derivative of famous Hollywood movies. While this movie isn't as derivative as some of his other movies made at this time, you can still see influences, ranging from "Halloween" to "E.T." Actually, this unoriginality is one of the lesser problems I had with this movie. It's a pretty cheap-looking movie, for one thing, with poor cinematography and lighting. Much of the dialogue seems post-dubbed, and many of the special effects are tacky. And they apparently couldn't afford a decent-sounding musical score. But most of the blame falls on Emmerich's direction and script. Emmerich doesn't seem to know how to stage scenes many times (look at how the bicycle crash and the overpouring of coffee in a mug is filmed.) The script almost seems to have been written as the movie was filmed, with the plot taking forever to get going and then progressing at a sluggish pace when it's not being confusing. If you hate Emmerich's major Hollywood studio movies, take a look at this, and you'll see what real bad movie making is like.

Hollywood-Monster, or the more widely used & much better alternate title Ghost Chase, starts with a groovy credit sequence involving big pink animated eyes & a catchy 80's pop tune after which we are introduced to Fred (Tim McDaniel) who is a huge horror film buff & aspires to make his own & uses his friend's Warren McCloud (Jason Lively) & Laurie (Jill Whitlow) to star in it. One night, on his 21st birthday, Warren receives a phone-call from his lawyer (Julian Curry) who informs him that he is invited to the reading of his Father's will. Sensing some money Warren & Fred are visibly disappointed when all he is left is an old suitcase containing a clock, it's quite a nice looking clock but still only a clock. Meanwhile corporate villain Stan Gordon (Paul Gleason) has a mysterious interest in the suitcase himself & sends some seemingly random half German half American guy named Karl (Leonard Lansink) to steal it. Back at Warren's house & as the clock strikes one the ghost of his Grandfather's butler Lewis appears who reveals that there is an absolute fortune hidden in his Grandfather's house & he was murdered to protect it's whereabouts. Warren, Fred, Laurie & Lewis set out to find the missing fortune...This German production was co-written & directed by Roland Emmerich who would later go on to make mega budget Hollywood films like Universal Soldier (1992), Stargate (1994), Independence Day (1996), Godzilla (1998), The Patriot (2000) & The Day After Tomorrow (2004) & I personally didn't think it was too bad but at the same time wasn't exactly brilliant either. The script by Emmerich, Oliver Eberle & Thomas Kubisch is definitely aimed at children for the most part although there is some minor violence & bad language. Hollywood-Monster moves along at a fair pace although it is a bit dull at times, the comedy isn't really that funny while the horror elements are played down & it doesn't particularly satisfy in either department. Lewis the ghost is almost a secondary character, doesn't get much screen time & when he does get some he barely does anything other than stand there & talk anyway. The plot is silly, childish & somewhat predictable with all the clichéd feel good family elements present & correct like in the end the good guys win, the bad guys are defeated while love & friendship conquers all, but then did you really expect anything else? On the positive side Hollywood-Monster goes about it's business with a certain likability, as a whole the film sort of entertains & has a nice climax when our heroes have to fight a possessed suit of armour in a basement dungeon.Director Emmerich pays homage to the horror film throughout as he uses the typical slasher scenario at the start to try & fool his audience, he tries to get as many posters into the background as he can from the likes of The Shining (1980) to Friday the 13th (1980), he shows lots of clips from Night of the Living Dead (1968), has the lead character who drives around in a hearse & is obsessed by horror films & he sets various scenes in a special effects workshop. I must confess I'm confused as to why he has done this considering Hollywood-Monster is pretty family friendly, these homages & references are going to pass most children by especially one instance when he name drops Boris Karloff, how many pre-teens are going to know who Boris Karloff is?Technically Hollywood-Monster is well made with good cinematography, music & solid production values but nothing particularly stands out. The special effects are decent enough considering the time it was made. The cute, large eyed, bushy eyebrowed design of Lewis obviously is meant to appeal to children, I would have preferred him a little scarier. The acting was OK but nothing spectacular.Hollywood-Monster is an OK film but in no way a brilliant one, it passes an hour and a half without too much pain & provides a few decent scenes here & there although I'm sure children will get more out of it than adults. Worth a watch if you catch it on TV for free or it's going cheap somewhere.

It's weird how the writer/director of such exciting blockbusters such as ID4 and The Patriot could create such a strange film. I'll try my hardest to recount the plot. Two ultra-cheap filmmakers (art reflects life) have a great idea for a movie and rope in an unwilling but attractive starlet and make up a Muppet-like monster based on the photographs of a long-dead grandfather's butler. A rival studio producer wants to blow up the grandfather's house as the climax to his big budget movie so the butler's ghost comes back to possess the Muppet doll to lead them to hidden billions in the cellar.It's not a bad film, by no means, it's quite cringe-worthy in places but inconsistently entertaining. There are no big name stars or SFX but that is made up for with bizarre plotting and storyline. This film is more in the style of Roland Emmerich in his Making Contact/Moon 44 days. But if he had the budget he gets these days who knows what this film might have ended up as. I give it 6/10 for weirdness, plot and defying convention.

this movie exemplifies the captivating adventure a ridiculous ghost/beast to can add to a somewhat atrocious plot. this ghost is a recipe for fun and comedy as jason lively and friends search for the MILLIONS. as this high-tailed hilarity becomes almost unbearable, this fun loving ghost materializes and just about makes you choke on your own laughter. fun for children and senior citizens, but not middle aged soccer moms. what makes this even better.....jason lively is the pompous idiot from european vacation, only now he has a mullet! pure casting genius! amen.