Instant Favorite.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I've been trying to complete a review for this film for over a year, but have found it hard to really pin down what makes this such a unique and fascinating piece of cinema. I was 16 when Ghosts...of the Civil Dead was first released and seeing it at the cinema had a massive impact on me. Viewing through such young eyes perhaps makes it more memorable, I can't say. But this is a film which should have you thinking about it for days or even years afterward.Except for a few external shots and the closing scenes, the film occurs entirely within the walls of a privately owned maximum security prison. A cheery automated voice tells us this corporation is "the future of containment". This future is laid out before us over the next two hours- where guards terrified of what the inmates are capable of routinely abuse and dehumanise the prisoners until they explode in rage. Some of the inmates are then released, to commit yet more heinous crimes and prove to the general public the need for the so-called prison-industrial complex. The insinuation is, at the cost of a few lives, the corporation continues to grow.The soundtrack, not mentioned on the IMDb page, was by long time collaborators Nick Cave and Mick Harvey (both of The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds). Bandmate Blixa Bargeld provides voice overs in the film, and Cave (who co-wrote the film) appears as the chaotic "Maynard" to astonishing effect. Another Melbourne musician (Dave Mason of The Reels) surprised fans with his turn as Lily, the desirable trans inmate who flaunts her sexuality whilst struggling to escape her reality through using drugs.This film is not for the faint-hearted. There are graphic scenes of drug use and violence, which was actually shocking for the time. Today, maybe it isn't so extreme thanks to the films which came after it. But for film buffs, this is definitely one to see. Despite the heavy reliance on explicit violence, Ghosts...of the Civil Dead has a story which is executed with chilling precision.

Theo Robertson's review of this title suggests that this film is worth a watch if you liked the nature of HBO show Oz, but didn't like the outlandish plots and events as it went on and this claim is a very valid one because this film really focuses very much on mood over narrative. What this produces is a film that is slow and oppressive and in this regard it is very convincing as a setting because as you watch you do feel the time passing slowly and with little to fill it apart from petty drama and violence, and you do feel the constant heat and tension of the cells where the threat of violence is constant.In terms of plot we are basically put back before a massive lockdown occurred and shown what occurred that caused it. This essentially means acts of cruelty and violence between guards and inmates with a building tension within scenes. In regard to this aspect of the film it is really well done because it is hard to watch and difficult to really be part of what is happening. The downside of this is that the film is technically very light on plot and as such the slow movement is something you will feel. It also isn't very rewarding as a story or a film – it does give you a sense of immersion in the created world, but this is a tough sell and ultimately although it is building towards something, that "something" isn't really as strong as I would have liked.The delivery supports the aim of the film and as such the direction and sets are convincingly real while the cast never feel like anything other than guards and inmates – even the presence of Nick Cave doesn't break the illusion. All of this side works and it does produce a memorably cruel and tough experience, but I really felt like I got through it rather than being rewarded with an engaging experience or a takeaway learning. This is the paradox I guess – the film is so good at producing an endlessly grim, pointless and depressing world that it turns watching the film itself into such an experience.

Manages to instill in the viewer a true sense of claustrophobia and unease. The violent scenes are some of the most graphic i've ever seen and especially the scene with the guard in the cage gives me the shivers of impending dread whenever i watch it. Also the use of tattoo as punishment is another horrible thought. Cave is brilliantly unhinged in his role and the scenes of him drawing on the walls in his own blood will be oddly believable to anyone who ever saw some of the more ferocious birthday party gigs of the early 80s.A truly original movie that is only half the film that Cave's script was meant to portray........The soundtrack (by Cave etc) is also brilliantly effective Can we have a DVD release please?

ghosts of the civil dead was an excellent, but slow moving movie. They made the decision to depict most of the violence through typed prison reports, giving the movie a slow-building pace. You are also never introduced to any characters which gives the movie a weird feel. Finally, there is not so much a story as a series of events loosely connected, but all building to a point, that is the riot and subsequent lock down that the film begins with. Anyway, it definitely is a good film, with excellent performances by David field (who gets raped and has the word c*nt tattooed on his forehead) and nick cave (who spends the whole time ranting and raving and smearing his blood on the wall). Also, the guy with the dreadlocks is truly scary when jumping on top of the cage after stabbing the guards. In conclusion it was excellent cinematic style, but i couldn't help feeling that it would have been nice to see some things rather than hear about them.....