Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
Encyclopedia
Ghosts... of the Civil Dead is a 1988 Australian film directed
by John Hillcoat
. The script was written by Hillcoat, producer Evan English and the unflappable Gene Conkie, as well as musicians Nick Cave
and Hugo Race
. It is partly based on the true story of Jack Henry Abbott. The film casts actor Zlatko Kasumovic, who appeared as the killer in Houseboat Horror
.
prison
in the middle of the Australian desert. An outbreak of violence within the prison has resulted in a total lockdown. A committee is appointed by the prison's governors to investigate the cause of the outbreak, but their findings are in stark contrast to the facts behind the riot. As the viewers see, both the prisoners and the guards are slowly and deliberately brutalised, manipulated and provoked into the forthcoming eruption of violence, to justify the construction of a new and more "secure" facility.
, a person convicted of a crime where the punishment included loss of their legal rights as a person was civiliter mortuus, a person without civil rights, a civil dead.
in their song Void, Part One on the various artists album em:t 0094, and by Jam and Spoon in their remix of Moby
's Go
. Sonic Subjunkies
samples various parts of the film in their songs Central Industrial and Central Industrial II: The Lockdown.
Film director
A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:...
by John Hillcoat
John Hillcoat
John Hillcoat is an Australian screenwriter and film director.Hillcoat was born in Queensland, Australia, and was raised in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. As a child, his paintings were featured in the Art Gallery of Hamilton. He has repeatedly worked with Nick Cave and also the band Depeche Mode...
. The script was written by Hillcoat, producer Evan English and the unflappable Gene Conkie, as well as musicians Nick Cave
Nick Cave
Nicholas Edward "Nick" Cave is an Australian musician, songwriter, author, screenwriter, and occasional film actor.He is best known for his work as a frontman of the critically acclaimed rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, established in 1984, a group known for its eclectic influences and...
and Hugo Race
Hugo Race
Hugo Race is an Australian rock musician and record producer who has been based in Europe since 1989. He was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, before forming The Wreckery with Nick Barker and Robin Casinader in the 1980s. He is currently a member of Hugo Race and the True Spirit.Race is...
. It is partly based on the true story of Jack Henry Abbott. The film casts actor Zlatko Kasumovic, who appeared as the killer in Houseboat Horror
Houseboat Horror
Houseboat Horror is an Australian slasher film released to video in 1989.-Plot:A film crew composed of media types and party animals from the city embark on a road trip to record music videos of a hard-living rock band at rural Lake Infinity....
.
Synopsis
Ghosts... is set in Central Industrial Prison, a privately run maximum securitySupermax
Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" prisons, or units within prisons, which represent the most secure levels of custody in the prison systems of certain countries...
prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in the middle of the Australian desert. An outbreak of violence within the prison has resulted in a total lockdown. A committee is appointed by the prison's governors to investigate the cause of the outbreak, but their findings are in stark contrast to the facts behind the riot. As the viewers see, both the prisoners and the guards are slowly and deliberately brutalised, manipulated and provoked into the forthcoming eruption of violence, to justify the construction of a new and more "secure" facility.
Origin of title
In Roman lawRoman law
Roman law is the legal system of ancient Rome, and the legal developments which occurred before the 7th century AD — when the Roman–Byzantine state adopted Greek as the language of government. The development of Roman law comprises more than a thousand years of jurisprudence — from the Twelve...
, a person convicted of a crime where the punishment included loss of their legal rights as a person was civiliter mortuus, a person without civil rights, a civil dead.
Legacy
The spoken line "Welcome to Central Industrial. We are the future" has been sampled by Future Sound of London in their song Central Industrial on their Accelerator album; also sampled by WoobWoob
Woob is the stage name of Paul Frankland, a British ambient musician of the 1990s. Woob’s albums combine elements of ambient, dub and world music, with samples from field recordings, movies and television. Frankland has also recorded with collaborators under the names of Journeyman and Max & Harvey...
in their song Void, Part One on the various artists album em:t 0094, and by Jam and Spoon in their remix of Moby
Moby
Richard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American musician, DJ, and photographer. He is known mainly for his sample-based electronic music and his outspoken liberal political views, including his support of veganism and animal rights.Moby gained attention in the early...
's Go
Go (Moby song)
"Go" is a song by American electronica musician Moby, released as the first single from his self-titled album. The single was a success in the United Kingdom, where it peaked at number ten on the UK Singles Chart....
. Sonic Subjunkies
Sonic Subjunkies
Sonic Subjunkies was a German Digital Hardcore band based in Berlin, best known for releasing records on Digital Hardcore Recordings.-History:...
samples various parts of the film in their songs Central Industrial and Central Industrial II: The Lockdown.