Prisoners and guards clash in a high-tech security jail where there are no rules.Prisoners and guards clash in a high-tech security jail where there are no rules.Prisoners and guards clash in a high-tech security jail where there are no rules.
- Awards
- 2 wins & 8 nominations
Freddo Dirk
- Robbins
- (as Freddo Dierck)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaNick Cave used his experience in local lock up to help write the film, he overheard another inmate say to the police guard "Come here so I can spit in your eye!!"
- ConnectionsFeatured in Straight to you: Nick Cave - a portrait (1994)
Featured review
When a nobody kills a nobody.
I've seen a lot of prison films, ranging from the hopeful and optimistic, all the way to over-the-top shock and awe. "Ghosts of the Civil Dead" is certainly the most brutal prison film I've ever seen, but not in a way that suggests a lack of realism or a desire to shock or exploit. Although this film exists in a world that's not quite representative of actual life, the performances and depictions of a very specific type of human being are completely believable. John Hillcoat opts for a documentary approach here, and is very much successful in achieving a high level of convincing desperation.
The actors constantly feel like they're doing anything but acting. I never felt like I was watching someone who was anything but a prisoner or prison guard. Even with Nick Cave, who I was quite familiar with through his music, seems like he wandered in from another world. It takes a strong commitment to straight reality to ignore this many filmmaking conventions in a single film, and it means all the more when you've got this many brilliant actors behind you. This is a great film.
The actors constantly feel like they're doing anything but acting. I never felt like I was watching someone who was anything but a prisoner or prison guard. Even with Nick Cave, who I was quite familiar with through his music, seems like he wandered in from another world. It takes a strong commitment to straight reality to ignore this many filmmaking conventions in a single film, and it means all the more when you've got this many brilliant actors behind you. This is a great film.
helpful•51
- SteveSkafte
- Mar 15, 2011
- How long is Ghosts... of the Civil Dead?Powered by Alexa
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- Language
- Also known as
- Willkommen in der Hölle
- Filming locations
- Melbourne, Victoria, Australia(in a factory)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
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By what name was Ghosts... of the Civil Dead (1988) officially released in Canada in English?
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