Ghost from the Machine (2010)

I find it frustrating that so often truly great independent genre films are poorly reviewed on IMDb or Amazon because they fail to follow the genre conventions established in Hollywood films.For example, if "horror" to you means violence, blood, and gore--especially torture, rape, and exploding genitalia--then this film is not a horror movie. Similarly, if "sci-fi" to you means aliens, patriotic/ military subtext, and tentacle sex, then this film utterly fails as a science fiction film. Finally, if by character development or depth you mean something like protagonist A starts out as a good guy but eventually eats kittens or love interest B starts out as the girl-next-door but is revealed to be an S&M dominatrix by the third reel, then these characters are neither very well developed or sufficiently deep. However, while there is nothing wrong with people making or enjoying popcorn-munching, lowest-common-denominator genre films, there is another way to make great, entertaining films.Phasma Ex Machina takes that other approach delivering believable responses from believable characters to unbelievable events. Suspend your disbelief and ask yourself if you'd really want the love of your life returned from the dead or your grand-daughter resurrected after twenty years? Ghost from the Machine succeeds in exploring how real people might learn real answers to these and other questions without descending into moralizing or allegory. Similarly, it succeeds in being genuinely creepy--and even frightening--without resorting to fake blood and orchestration-based jump scares. The film succeeds at these goals largely because its actors and locations aren't the usual Hollywood caricatures. The relationships depicted might strike us as underdeveloped or thin specifically in that they resist any attempts to hit us over the head with their supposed "depth." The events seem real even while the premise is spectacularly unlikely precisely because these characters inhabit a believable universe not dissimilar to our own.Yes, the sex scene is awkward to the point of making us look away, but much like The Sessions (2012), it is so because it lacks the normal Hollywood glitter and slickness. Yes, the machine is merely a macguffin that occasions an exploration of real loss and tragedy. Yes, the inclusion of the former-pedophile-who-ran-a-daycare--and just happens to have lived in your house--subplot seems to push the limits of coincidence. However, even this can be overlooked if you are willing to admit that every house has probably had somebody distasteful living in it at some time or another in the past. If you want to be genuinely frightened, abandon your tinsel-town preconceptions and check out this great film.

Given that this film has highly fair ratings on here, I decided to give it a shot. Right from the get-go the bad acting and slow, boring development really had me itching to turn it off - but, I rationalized, "Oh, it's an independent film. And there's a real trifield meter made by Alpha Labs in it. Give it a chance." Now here I am, writing this as the credits roll, and wish that I could take back the past hour or so of my life. The "acting" was non-existent. The plot was lame. The big "climax" was forced. It is also incredibly misleading to label it as "horror" and "sci-fi", seeing as nothing horrific or sci-fi ever happened. Maybe "drab indie drama" would suffice. Hopefully you read this review in time to spare yourself.

The first quarter of the film shows great promise. But quickly the film turns into a complete slop fest of awkward (can't look at the screen) acting, amateur screen writing (the film has no solid path/direction), and strange musical transitions.The good:The Idea - Some of the acting - CinematographyThe Bad: - Everything else.The above reviews are completely misleading. There are so many obscure scenes in this film that take away from the solid premise. This could have been an AMAZING low budget horror film. A rewrite of the script, some better onset acting coaches, and you might just have yourself a killer of a film. Watch this: With a bottle of wine and some friends. Know what you are getting into, and you'll have a good time.C+

Have you ever stood completely still in your house and felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, or felt a sudden burst of chilled air in an otherwise warm room? Maybe what you are feeling isn't just a random altering of sensations, but rather a supernatural occurrence correlating to electronic emissions in power lines in and around your house.Now, what would happen if say, you were an expert electrician whose knowledge of all things electrical is equaled only by your passion to resurrect your recently deceased parents by means of something resembling a large home stereo? You don't need a degree in electrical engineering to know that going against nature or bringing back something – especially through the use of science – you're not supposed to will and can only end badly. Lest we forget the lessons learned in Jurassic Park? Speaking of Spielberg's dinosaurs, it's no spoiler to say that director Matt Osterman's Phasma Ex-Machina doesn't have a T-Rex, a high speed chase, or even Jeff Goldblum for that matter. But what this film does have is an original ghost story script with just enough menacing moments to leave you with an eerie creeped out feeling when all is said and done. It also has a refreshing and more true-to-life (even in the supernatural realm in which it lives) ending seldom seen in bigger budgeted more conventionalized Hollywood type films. It would be interesting to see what this young filmmaker could do if given a bigger budget. I for one am looking forward to seeing what else he has to offer.