FLASHBACK: John Carpenter’s Ghosts Of Mars (2001)

Originally intended to be the third film in John Carpenter’s Snake Plissken series—(which would have been titled ESCAPE FROM MARS)—GHOSTS OF MARS follows a Martian police unit sent to retrieve a dangerous criminal from a remote mining post. On arrival, they discover that ghosts of ancient Martians have possessed all the miners.

Written, directed and scored by Carpenter, the film stars Natasha Henstridge, Ice Cube, Jason Statham, Pam Grier, Clea DuVall, and Joanna Cassidy.

Carpenter says he made GHOSTS OF MARS an over-the-top action movie in the tradition of 1980s action movies COMMANDO, PREDATOR, and RAMBO: FIRST BLOOD PART II.  He was frustrated that audiences expected it to be a serious horror movie. "The name of the movie is GHOSTS OF MARS, I figured the campiness would be self-explanatory."

Following the film's weak reception at the box office, Carpenter  decided to retire as a filmmaker. He didn't make another feature until 2010's THE WARD.

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