IMDb > Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988)

Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988) More at IMDbPro »

Overview

User Rating:
7.2/10   612 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 34% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
John Hillcoat
Writers:
Nick Cave (written by)
Gene Conkie (written by)
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Contact:
View company contact information for Ghosts... of the Civil Dead on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
1 June 1989 (Australia) more
Genre:
Drama | Horror more
Plot:
Prison gangs clash in a high-tech security jail where there are no rules. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
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Awards:
2 wins & 8 nominations more
User Comments:
riveting... more (19 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)
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
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Additional Details

Parents Guide:
Add content advisory for parents
Runtime:
93 min
Country:
Australia
Language:
English
Color:
Color
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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 more
Company:
Correctional Services more

Fun Stuff

Movie Connections:
Features Forced Entry (1973) more

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User Comments

   (Comment on this title)
13 out of 13 people found the following comment useful.
riveting..., 30 January 2004
9/10
Author: melwyn from Australia

As others have said, this is a disturbing and frightening film. For me, it raised questions about exactly who are the barbarians in our "civil" society and at what point can it be said that we are no better than "them".

Some with no knowledge of conditions in modern prisons dismiss this as a brutal movie out for shock value and nothing else, but it is based on a true story. One previous comment says it was filmed in NT (Australia) and based on events that happened in an outback prison. However it was based on the testimony of David Hale, a warder at USP Marion, Illinois, USA, who spoke out about the management tactics and treatment meted out to both prisoners and staff at the prison - tactics which culminated in a lockdown after two people were murdered in one day. When Hale spoke out he was branded a drunk, a drug user and mentally unstable in order to discredit him. (If the soundtrack is still available, it is worth a listen. It features an extensive interview with Hale.)

The cast features four professional actors and two musicians (Cave and The Reels' Dave Mason). The rest are predominantly ex-cons with about a dozen ex-cops, ex-warders and tough types found hanging around in local Melbourne gyms thrown in. It was workshopped for several months before filming began. You will not see a more realistic picture of life in prison - unless you are unfortunate enough to find yourself in one.

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