Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

John Hillcoat

Writers:

Nick Cave (written by)
Gene Conkie (written by)

Release Date:

1 June 1989 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama | Horror

Plot:

Prison gangs clash in a high-tech security jail where there are no rules.

Plot Keywords:

Prison | Violence | Prison Sex | Tattoo | Hanging

Awards:

1 win & 8 nominations

Cast

David Field	...	Wenzil
Mike Bishop	...	David Yale
Chris DeRose	...	Grezner
Kevin Mackey	...	Glover
Dave Mason	...	Lilly
Nick Cave	...	Maynard
Bogdan Koca	...	Waychek
Freddo Dierck	...	Robbins
Vincent Gil	...	Ruben
M.E. Duncan	...	Junkie 1
Nick Seferi	...	Junkie 2
Tony Clark	...	Simone
Yilmaz Tuhan	...	Food King
Ian Mortimer	...	Jack
Mick King	...	Edwin Neal

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Finland:K-16 (1996) | Finland:K-18 (1992) | France:-16 | Australia:R | New Zealand:R18 | UK:18

Filming Locations:

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Company:

Correctional Services

Movie Connections:

Features Forced Entry (1973)

Prisons of the future...or prisons of today??

Stunning, almost horrific statement of the effect prisons have on the rest of society, Hillcoat has created a no-holds-barred, fabricated `report' on the inner-workings of an imaginary future prison that is worth seeing - if you can stomach it. There's certainly no doubting what writers Nick Cave and Gene Conkie think of prisons as Australian society's most corporal method of punishment and rehabilitation: although the on-screen activity is certainly shocking enough, what is perhaps even more so is what is not shown (perhaps because it didn't get past the censors?). Field's best role ever.