Ghost in the Machine (1993)

User Rating:

3.9/10   

Director:

Rachel Talalay

Writers (WGA):

William Davies (written by) &
William Osborne (written by)

Release Date:

29 December 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Plug in to your worst nightmare

Plot:

Karl, a technician in a computer shop, is also the "Address Book Killer," who obtains the names of his victims from stolen address books...

Plot Keywords:

Address Book | Computer | Hospital | Airline Employee | Magnet

Cast

Karen Allen	...	Terry Munroe
Chris Mulkey	...	Bram Wlaker
Ted Marcoux	...	Karl Hopkins
Wil Horneff	...	Josh Munroe
Jessica Walter	...	Elaine Spencer
Brandon Quintin Adams	...	Frazer
Rick Ducommun	...	Phil Stewart
Nancy Fish	...	Karl's Landlord
Jack Laufer	...	Elliott Miller
Shevonne Durkin	...	Carol Maibaum
Richard McKenzie	...	Frank Mallory
Mimi Lieber	...	Marta
Mickey Gilbert	...	Mickey the Driver
Ken Thorley	...	Salesman
Carl Gabriel Yorke	...	Safety Technician

Also Known As:

Deadly Terror

Runtime:

104 min | USA:93 min (VHS version) | Argentina:93 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Argentina:16 | Iceland:16 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Sweden:15 | Australia:M | Norway:18 | UK:18 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Santa Monica, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Approximately 40 minutes into the movie, a computer is scrolling through a list of names in a phone book, in search of its next victim. The names listed are mostly Hollywood producers. Going through the list slowly reveals Caryn Mandab(ach), Wink Martindale, Lorne Michaels (SNL), Bill Melendez (Charlie Brown specials), Neal Marlens (Growing Pains), Thomas L. Miller (Full House) and a host of others. The name the computer is searching for is Terry Munroe, which (maybe by coincidence) happens to be the birth name of actor Stepin Fetchit.

Goofs:

Continuity: In one of the early scenes, we see Karen (mother) traveling along the street in her Volvo sedan from a distance, in which you can clearly see there is no-one visible in the passenger front seat. It is empty. In the next scene we see her son sitting in the seat.

Quotes:

Phil Stewart: You don't think a hacker did this do you?
Bram: Well, when you leave it out in the open no self-respecting hacker is going to pass it by.
Phil Stewart: [grits teeth and pulls hair out] Auugghhh! God Damnit!
[tears out of room]
Phil Stewart: Get the hell out of my way!
Bram: You know you don't handle stress very well, Phil.
Phil Stewart: Jesus Christ.

Movie Connections:

References "The Monkees" (1966)

Soundtrack:

Electric Slice (Shall We Dance)

* * out of 4.

Serial killer who murders people after he steals their address books is in a freak car accident while heading towards his newest would be victim's (Karen Allen) house. At the hospital he dies while getting a cat scan during the middle of a thunder storm. As a result his spirit is transfarred to the electrical system. There he continues to stalk and find the right moment to carry out his murderous ways.

If you can get past the premise, you might have some fun with this flick. The effects are average at best and the cast is nothing special, but the film does have its moments and a rather exciting finale. Rated R; Strong Violence.