Ghost in the Machine (1993)

An electric surge causes a serial killer's soul to end up in a computer system.

Director:

Rachel Talalay

Writers:

William Davies, William Osborne

Stars:

Karen Allen, Chris Mulkey, Ted Marcoux

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Karen Allen	...	Terry Munroe
Chris Mulkey	...	Bram Walker
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

Storyline

Karl Hochman is a technician in a computer store. He is also known as the "Address Book Killer" due to his habit of stealing people's address books and proceeding to murder anyone listed in the book. Terry Munroe and her son Josh come into the store to purchase software, and a salesman uses Terry's address book to demonstrate a handheld scanner. Karl obtains the book, and while driving to Terry's house that night in a thunderstorm, his car runs off the road and lands upside down in a cemetery. While Karl is undergoing an MRI at a hospital, a surge of lightning courses through the building, and Karl's mind is transformed into electrical energy. Karl uses the electrical grid and computer networks to continue his killing spree. It is up to Terry, Josh, and computer hacker Bram Walker to stop him before it is too late.

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Plot Keywords:

title directed by female | supernatural horror | movie reality crossover | slasher | computer | 

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Taglines:

Last Night A Serial Killer Died...

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Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for high-tech horror violence

Did You Know?

Trivia

The trailer features the scores of 1987's "Predator" and 1986's "Aliens".

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Goofs

At Terry's ATM and on the computer address search, her last name appears as Munroe. On her son's computer info, his name is spelled as Monroe which is what the credits show.

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Quotes

Computer Ghost of Karl: You can't run, you can't hide, you can't win.

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Connections

Features In Living Color (1990)

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Soundtracks

Stop 'cos You're Breaking My Heart
Written by Mark Sandell and Neal Watson
Courtesy of Firstcom / Chappel Production Music Library

User Reviews

THIS SCARED ME HALF TO DEATH!! I LOVED IT!!

I saw this film on regular TV a few years back, and I watched because I like Karen Allen. I REALLY enjoyed this film, and YES, I WOULD RENT IT. It had good special effects and I thought the plot was great. A lot of people have seen this film, so that tells you that at least the title is a grabber. I go against all the nay-sayers though, and say this is worth your time if you like scary flicks. I remember the ending being especially suspenseful, right down to the final minutes. I do not watch every horror film that comes along, and most of them are forgettable anyway, but this one has always stuck with me. I would definitely give it FOUR STARS. (Hey, the majority is not always right!)

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 December 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Deadly Terror

Filming Locations:

16711 Bosque Avenue, Encino, Los Angeles, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$12,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,854,431, 2 January 1994

Gross USA:

$5,086,909

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$5,086,909

Company Credits

Production Co:

Twentieth Century Fox

Technical Specs

Runtime:

95 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1