The Ghostmaker

After acquiring the coffin of a 15th-century mathematician who cheated death, a group of friends' slowly find the drawbacks to it's continued usage when they start crossing the line far more frequently and violently.

There's not a whole lot to this one that really works, and it tends to get off-track quite often. The biggest problem with this one is the fact that the whole film is dependent on the idea of using this strange device being something that's terrifying or creepy, but instead none of what goes on here is really all that creepy or scary. Being astral projected into the area and witnessing events as a spectral being is not in the slightest bit scary a concept, and these scenes doing this are some of the blandest, more arduous scenes in the film with absolutely nothing going on that's in any way interesting to watch. It's so difficult to get through these since none of them are played off with the intent of being creepy or scary, just more of a curiosity by the discoverers which is so far removed from the intent of a horror film that it ends up becoming quite painful to sit through these with almost nothing of any value going on here and being so long into the film that when it finally gets going it's almost the final act which is quite a bit of time to get things going. There's a big difference in the way the action of what goes on in these scenes being far more enjoyable and entertaining overall since something's actually going on for once, as the endless chasing being done trying to get back his girlfriend makes for some rather chilling moments with the house battle, making effective use of the poltergeist stage for a chilling moment before settling back into action with the encounter in the gym which works quite well in putting his ghostly state to full-effect while forcing his smarts to come into play in finally being able to confront the menace. While not the greatest ploy, the tactic of putting the ghostly guardian of the coffin along for the ride does make for a fine sense of chilling atmosphere by having something to be scared of during the more boring sequences and it gets a lot of play in the finale which helps that as well, and helps this out quite well even with the slew of problems on display within.

Rated R: Graphic Language, Graphic Violence, Brief Nudity and drug use.

This is one of the good horror film i have watch.. I would recommend my friends on this film.. Its rather interesting and scary at some parts.. Not sure why it's not widespread among horror movie lovers and i feel its under rating too.. Maybe the advertising part wasn't enough.. People are not aware of this movie.. I found this movie online quite randomly otherwise i don't even know it exist.. Usually i watch horror movies rather attentive and really appreciate if its good.. This movie really deserve a higher rating.. Compliments to the people involve making this film.. Thank you. I hope those people who watch this movie after reading my review enjoy it..

I've been waiting for years to get my hands on a copy of this movie. And I was pleased to finally see it. I was worried when it spent so many years being delayed which raised some concerns. But it's a decent horror flick. The acting, film and effects are good and are on par with any well made modern flick. On a 1-10, I'd give it a 7 (I think more could have been done with the story or plot) but and 8 for subject matter and originality. The movie reminds me of the Guillermo del Toro movie Cronos. The ancient mechanical horror theme is very similar. The protangonists too are very flawed and the box brings their own demons to the surface. It doesn't scare me or really creep me out but it was entertaining and wasn't predictable.

I've seen tons of bad horror movies. I'll probably watch this movie aqain down the road at some point. I can't say that for many. I even purchased a copy of it.

This is a simple story revolving around three men, a love interest, and a mystical coffin.

The original title was "Box of Shadows", and if you think of coffins as just boxes, and deep latent desires as shadows, then the title is great. But I like the current title, The Ghostmaker, because it is more direct and relevant when presented with trailers or synopses.

The storyline revolves around a long lost coffin invented by a mad man centuries ago. It is soon uncovered by Kyle, a good looking college junkie who only cares about refurbishing used collectibles for resale to fund his addiction and his lavish lifestyle with girlfriend Julie. Joined by his two buddies -- Sutton, a wheelchair-bound college mate who generously sponsors his board and lodging, and Platt, a steady, down-to-earth intellectual -- Kyle uncovers hidden biomechanical contraptions while cleaning out the casket, and ropes them in to figure out the who's, whats and how-much of the treasure.

As it turns out, the contraption has mysterious powers that give the living "occupant" a taste of the afterlife for a few short minutes. As the story unfolds, we discover how these addictive escapades unleash the deepest, darkest shadows trapped inside the kids. But their wanton abuse of the ghostmaker carries a heavy price, as the trio soon discover and subsequently attempt to outwit.

The story plods along smoothly and at a comfortable pace, drawing the viewers into the scenes and engaging their empathy with the characters. The smooth continuity and flow helped me to enjoy my voyeuristic journey with Kyle, Sutton and Platt, to discover exactly what dark secrets and consequences lie beneath the ghostmaker. The elements of suspense and science fiction help to cast away our sense of logic and doubts, to just enjoy the movie for the simple premise that it offers: a glimpse of what is possible if we can affirm the existence of the afterlife; to experience extra-corporeal abilities; and to explore how such newfound powers can simultaneously inspire and corrupt our mortal consciousness.

Overall, this is not a high-budget flick, but it makes optimal use of limited resources to convey an interesting plot in a simple, engaging way. The possibilities of ghostmaking are broad enough that there is even some potential left for a sequel!

I got to watch "The Ghostmaker" for the second time now, and must admit that I could only vaguely remember fragments from the movie from the first time around.

But I have to say that the movie just wasn't much better actually the second time around. Sure, it has some good aspects here and there, I will get to those in a bit, but in overall then this just was a less than mediocre foray into the horror / thriller genre.

"The Ghostmaker" is about a some friends who stumble upon an ancient coffin from the 15th century, which turns out to be an intricate machine that can project a person into a ghost-like incorporeal state. And what seems to be fun and games soon turn out to have deadly consequences.

The concept idea of this machine is actually interesting, and it is apparently based on some real idea, nay fantasy idea of some long dead inventor.

However, the storyline just wasn't impressive enough to make "The Ghostmaker" a particularly enjoyable horror movie. Why? Well, because it was so predictable that it hurt. You knew what would happen long before it did, and you could see what would be the result of things in the movie a mile away.

The acting in the movie was fairly good, and people did perform adequately with their given roles, despite having a fairly generic script and storyline to work with.

The reaper figure was actually interesting, especially since it was tied to the coffin and had machinery parts to it as well. That was actually a great touch of detail and concept idea that worked out quite well. However, it just wasn't much of a menacing presence.

And as for the special effects in the movie, well the special effects team actually managed to pull off the effects quite nicely and also in a believable manner. And that lifted up the movie quite a bit.

"The Ghostmaker" is certainly a watchable movie, you just shouldn't expect to be blown away by it. I am rating it four out of ten stars because it just isn't an outstanding or a particularly memorable movie. And as for it being a horror movie, then it just lacks to muster a punch that makes you take notice.