Ghosts… of the Civil Dead

Last updated

Ghosts... of the Civil Dead
Ghosts of the Civil Dead.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Hillcoat
Written by Nick Cave
Gene Conkie
Evan English
John Hillcoat
Hugo Race
Produced byEvan English
Starring David Field
Chris DeRose
Nick Cave
Dave Mason
CinematographyPaul Goldman
Graham Wood
Edited byStewart Young
Music byNick Cave
Blixa Bargeld
Mick Harvey
Production
companies
Correctional Services
Outlaw Values
Release date
  • December 1988 (1988-12)(Europe)
Running time
93 minutes
CountryAustralia
LanguageEnglish
BudgetA$1,680,000 [1]

Ghosts... of the Civil Dead is a 1988 Australian drama-suspense film directed by John Hillcoat. It was written by Hillcoat, Evan English, Gene Conkie, Nick Cave and Hugo Race. It is partly based on the true story of Jack Henry Abbott.

Contents

Synopsis

The story is set in Central Industrial Prison, a privately run maximum security 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.

It is revealed that both the prisoners and the guards are slowly and deliberately brutalised, manipulated and provoked into the forthcoming eruption of violence by the government and the private company that runs the prison, in order to justify the construction of a new and more "secure" facility.

Production

The script was based on the book In the Belly of the Beast by Jack Henry Abbott and research done with David Hale, a former prison guard at Marion, Illinois. The film was shot at a disused aircraft factory in Melbourne [2] in October and November. [3]

Origin of title

In Roman law, 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.

Reception

Accolades

AwardCategorySubjectResult
AACTA Awards
(1989 Australian Film Institute Awards)
Best Film Evan EnglishNominated
Best Original Screenplay Nick Cave Nominated
John Hillcoat Nominated
Hugo Race Nominated
Gene ConkieNominated
Evan EnglishNominated
Best Actor in a Leading Role Mike Bishop Nominated
Best Actor in a Supporting Role Bogdan Koca Nominated
Best Editing Stewart YoungNominated
Best Original Music Score Nick CaveNominated
Mick HarveyNominated
Blixa BargeldNominated
Best Sound Bronwyn MurphyNominated
Rex WattsNominated
Peter ClancyNominated
Best Production Design Chris KennedyWon
Best Costume Design Karen EverettNominated
Beverly JasperNominated

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; [4] also sampled by Woob in their song "Void, Part One" on the album em:t 0094, [5] and by Jam and Spoon in their remix of Moby's "Go". [6]

Sonic Subjunkies samples various parts of the film in their songs "Central Industrial" and "Central Industrial II: The Lockdown".

Therapy? opened the song "Nausea" (the first one on their 1992 album Nurse) with a sample of Nick Cave shouting "Here I am, motherfuckers!" in the film.

Bibliography

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave</span> Australian musician (born 1957)

Nicholas Edward Cave is an Australian musician and writer. Known for his baritone voice and for fronting the rock band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Cave's music is characterised by emotional intensity, a wide variety of influences and lyrical obsessions with death, religion, love and violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suicide (band)</span> American musical duo

Suicide was an American musical duo composed of vocalist Alan Vega and instrumentalist Martin Rev, intermittently active between 1970 and 2016. The group's pioneering music used minimalist electronic instrumentation, including synthesizers and primitive drum machines, and their early performances were confrontational and often ended in violence. They were among the first acts to use the phrase "punk music" in an advertisement for a concert in 1970—during their very brief stint as a three-piece including Paul Liebegott.

<i>Nurse</i> (album) 1992 studio album by Therapy?

Nurse is the first major label album released by the rock band Therapy? It was released in 1992 on A&M Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds</span> Australian post punk/alternative rock band

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are an Australian rock band formed in 1983 by vocalist Nick Cave, multi-instrumentalist Mick Harvey and guitarist-vocalist Blixa Bargeld. The band has featured international personnel throughout its career and presently consists of Cave, violinist and multi-instrumentalist Warren Ellis, bassist Martyn P. Casey, guitarist George Vjestica, keyboardist/percussionist Larry Mullins, also known as Toby Dammit, and drummers Thomas Wydler (Switzerland) and Jim Sclavunos. Described as "one of the most original and celebrated bands of the post-punk and alternative rock eras in the '80s and onward", they have released seventeen studio albums and completed numerous international tours.

<i>Murder Ballads</i> 1996 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Murder Ballads is the ninth studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, released in 1996 on Mute Records. As its title suggests, the album consists of new and traditional murder ballads, a genre of songs that relays the details of crimes of passion.

<i>The Firstborn Is Dead</i> 1985 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

The Firstborn Is Dead is the second studio album released by the post-punk band Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. It was first released in 1985. On this record, singer Nick Cave continued his fascination with the American South, with its references to Elvis Presley and bluesmen like Blind Lemon Jefferson. The photography is by Jutta Henglein-Bildau.

<i>Henrys Dream</i> 1992 studio album by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

Henry's Dream is the seventh album released by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, in April 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anita Lane</span> Australian singer-songwriter (1960–2021)

Anita Louise Lane was an Australian singer-songwriter who was briefly a member of the Bad Seeds with Nick Cave and Mick Harvey and collaborated with both bandmates. Lane released two solo albums, Dirty Pearl (1993) and Sex O'Clock (2001).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mick Harvey</span> Musical artist

Michael John Harvey is an Australian musician, singer-songwriter, composer, arranger and record producer. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known for his long-term collaborations with Nick Cave, with whom he formed The Boys Next Door, The Birthday Party and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

Jack Henry Abbott was an American criminal and author. With a long history of criminal convictions, Abbott's writing concerning his life and experiences was lauded by a number of well-known literary critics, including author Norman Mailer. Due partly to lobbying by Mailer and others on Abbott's behalf, Abbott was released from prison in 1981 where he was serving sentences for forgery, manslaughter, and bank robbery. Abbott's memoir In the Belly of the Beast was published with positive reviews soon after his release. Six weeks after being paroled from prison, Abbott stabbed and killed a waiter outside a New York City cafe. Abbott was convicted and sent back to prison, where he killed himself in 2002.

<i>In the Belly of the Beast</i> 1981 book by Jack Henry Abbott

In the Belly of the Beast is a book written by Jack Henry Abbott and published in 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hugo Race</span> Australian musician and record producer

Hugo Justin Race is an Australian rock musician and record producer who had been based in Europe from 1989 to 2011. He was a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds (1983–85), and The Wreckery (1984–89) with Nick Barker and Robin Casinader. As from October 2013 he was simultaneously a member of Hugo Race and the True Spirit, Hugo Race Fatalists, and Dirtmusic. True Spirit have released 12 albums. Race returned to live in Australia in 2011.

<i>The Proposition</i> (2005 film) 2005 Australian Western

The Proposition is a 2005 Australian Western film directed by John Hillcoat and written by screenwriter and musician Nick Cave. It stars Guy Pearce, Ray Winstone, Emily Watson, John Hurt, Danny Huston and David Wenham. The film's production completed in 2004 and was followed by a wide 2005 release in Australia and a 2006 cinematic run in the U.S. through First Look Pictures. The film was shot on location in Winton, Queensland.

<i>The Proposition</i> (soundtrack) 2005 soundtrack album by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis

The Proposition is a soundtrack recorded by Nick Cave in collaboration with Warren Ellis, and was produced for the film The Proposition, released in October 2005. At the 2005 AFI Awards it won Best Original Music Score for Cave and Ellis.

<i>Death Favours the Enemy: Live 2002</i> 2002 video by Alec Empire

Death Favours the Enemy: Live 2002 is a video recording of four songs from live shows in London and Berlin, featuring the recently formed Alec Empire band performing material from the album Intelligence and Sacrifice. It was directed by Philipp "Virus" Reichenheim, and released on DVD in 2002. The DVD also features the promo video for "Addicted to You", directed by John Hillcoat.

The 10th Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards was held on 30 September 1996 at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. Presenters distributed 28 awards with the big winner for the year was You Am I gaining six awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cromagnon (band)</span>

Cromagnon was an American experimental music band that was active during the late 1960s. Led by multi-instrumentalist singer-songwriters Austin Grasmere and Brian Elliot, the band's only release was the album Orgasm in 1969, which was later reissued as Cave Rock. They are said to have foreshadowed the rise of noise rock, no wave, industrial and industrial rock. While the band was not commercially notable or successful, Pitchfork Media ranked their song "Caledonia", later covered by the Japanese experimental band Ghost, at number 163 on their list of "The 200 Greatest Songs of the 1960s". Treble includes "Caledonia" in "A History of Industrial Music in 45 Songs"

<i>Lawless</i> (film) 2012 American crime drama film

Lawless is a 2012 American crime drama film directed by John Hillcoat. The screenplay, by Australian singer-screenwriter Nick Cave, is based on Matt Bondurant's historical novel The Wettest County in the World (2008). The film stars Shia LaBeouf, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Mia Wasikowska, Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, and Guy Pearce.

<i>To Have & to Hold</i> (1996 film) 1996 Australian film

To Have & to Hold is a 1996 Australian thriller film directed by John Hillcoat and starring Tchéky Karyo, Rachel Griffiths and Steve Jacobs. It won an award at the 1997 ARIA Music Awards

Paul Goldman is an Australian film director, screenwriter and cinematographer.

References

  1. "Production Survey", Cinema Papers, September 1987 p. 67.
  2. David Stratton, The Avocado Plantation: Boom and Bust in the Australian Film Industry, Pan MacMillan, 1990 pp. 229–230
  3. Jillian Burt, Ghosts... of the Civil Dead, Cinema Papers, March 1988 pp. 8–11.
  4. "The Future Sound of London". s107.net. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  5. "Woob". s107.net. Retrieved 12 April 2014.
  6. "Moby". s107.net. Retrieved 12 April 2014.