Ghost Image

I caught this a few days ago on Showtime while flipping through the cable guide. I'm a fan of Elisabeth Rohm from her Law and Order days and a huge fan of Roma Maffia from the first time I saw her in Disclosure with Michael Douglas. I'd never heard of this film so I didn't know what to expect, but the opening scene hooked me right in and I immediately found myself engrossed in the story.

I thought all the characters were engaging and I became caught up in the various story lines and plot twists throughout. Elisabeth plays the main character, Jennifer, a complex woman both fragile and strong who's life is an endless series of tragedies. She's on psychiatric medication due to her feelings of guilt on being the only survivor of a car crash that killed the rest of her family when she was little. If that isn't bad enough, the morning after her and her boyfriend host a party she loses him in a car crash and then some really strange things start happening.

As you watch, you question many things such as is her boyfriend really communicating with her through video footage from the party or is it all in her head? Is her dead, bloody little sister really appearing to her or is that also in her head? Was her boyfriend's death really an accident? And if not, was she the intended target? And who is stalking her? As the homicide detective, played by Roma, begins to wonder if Jennifer is responsible for her boyfriend's death, Jennifer starts to wonder too!

Though I could tell this was a low-budget film due to the mostly TV-actor cast and the limited locations, I thought, for the most part, the acting was superb as was the writing and directing. And the cinematography and score were outstanding! As I watched the film I wondered how they were going to resolve the plot twists and, considering the setup and tragedies surrounding Jennifer's life, how it could possibly have a satisfying ending. But to my surprise I found the ending very satisfying and emotionally uplifting. Check it out, it'll be well worth it.

The ghost of her late boyfriend talks to Elizabeth Rohm's character through a video in this slow-moving cable movie. The boyfriend died in a car accident that may not have been an accident. Rohm's character is trying to piece together the story. Everyone thinks she's nuts, of course, and the cops think she may be responsible for his death. The movie plays out more like a soap opera episode than a ghost story, unfortunately. Rohm is just OK as the bereaved (and haunted) gal pal, and the rest of the cast is your standard generic TV-type cast. Devoted TV fans may recognize Stacey Dash playing a former girlfriend of the deceased. A truly decent character actress, Roma Maffia, is wasted as the detective on the case. The ending is a real howler, by the way.

I caught this movie this morning and was shocked by how terrible the acting was. The plot was probably mediocre, but you'll have a hard time following it due to the poor acting, cheap imaging (ie: dead boyfriend), awful delivery (Elizabeth Rohm) and just another cheesy twist. Several times I had to look at the movie information just to verify this movie was not done in 1985. At some point during the movie, I zoned out wondering if actors could get paid for such a terrible movie.

I'm rating this movie a 3 because I just saw the worst movie ever, Vampire in Vegas and Ghost Image deserves a 3 because they did not blur images on clothing and spent more than $500 on location.

Although this is a low-budget film, one would never know it given such a good story with solid acting. You'll see a few familiar faces and a few news ones that play a convincing roll. I was impressed with the cinematography. Great cityscapes and good locations were chosen wisely. It is clear that the director of this film has a solid grasp of the important elements of making good films! Impressively, you won't find a cheesy 'canned' soundtrack either. The music fits nicely with the storyline. I couldn't find any flaws that often plague low-budget movies.

You'll want to check this out on DVD for sure. The special features are just one more nice bonus for a good film. It also includes a video for the ending song. What could be better ?! Overall a film worth seeing. I would highly recommend this film to anyone!

In GHOST IMAGE, Jennifer (Elisabeth Rohm) loses her boyfriend in a car accident. She soon starts seeing him in her latest party video, and he talks directly to her. Adding to the confusion, Jennifer has a history of hallucinations.

As the story unfolds, we find that the accident might not have been so accidental, and Jennifer becomes the prime suspect for police.

Roma Maffia plays the highly suspicious lead cop on the case, and Stacey Dash plays Jennifer's friend Alicia.

This is a somewhat interesting, though fairly sappy supernatural thriller...