Ghost from the Machine

Ghost from the Machine is a 2010 independent supernatural thriller written and directed by Matt Osterman. It was filmed in and around Minneapolis, Minnesota,[2] and made its festival debut at the Fantasia Festival in Montreal, Canada. Ghost from the Machine was also an official Independent Feature Project Labs participant.[3]

Ghost from the Machine
Directed byMatt Osterman
Produced byJennifer Kramer
Written byMatt Osterman
StarringSasha Andreev
Matthew Feeney
Max Hauser
Music byWojciech Golczewski
CinematographyAdam Honzl
Edited byMark Anderson
Production
company
Hodag Films
Distributed byXYZ Films
Screen Media Films
Release date
  • July 16, 2010 (2010-07-16) (Fantastic Fest)[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$25,000[2]

Ghost from the Machine was originally titled, and is known internationally as, Phasma Ex Machina.[4]

Plot

After his parents die, Cody, an inventor, becomes obsessed with finding a way to contact them once again. Tom, a local scientist who lost his wife, becomes interested in the project and helps Cody. Together, they discover that Cody's invention can cause ghosts to momentarily reappear as flesh and blood. Tom and Cody become further obsessed with maximizing the amount of time that they can spend with their loved ones, only to discover that a pair of dangerous murderers have also been rematerialized by the machine. Tom and Cody soon realize that the only way to see their loved ones is to put themselves and others at risk. As they debate the ethical and philosophical ramifications of the machine, the killers grow stronger and attempt to kill Cody's younger brother. Ultimately, Cody is able to rescue his brother, and Cody and Tom destroy the machine.

Cast
  • Sasha Andreev as Cody
  • Matthew Feeney as Tom
  • Max Hauser as James

Release

Ghost from the Machine premiered as Phasma Ex Machina at the Fantasia Festival on July 7, 2010.[1] In 2011, Screen Media Films then acquired and retitled it.[5] It was released on DVD and video on demand on August 2, 2011.[6]

Reception

Dennis Harvey of Variety called it "an impressive feature debut" that favors "a slow build and minimal violence over blunt scare tactics".[7] Andrew Mack of Twitch Film compared it to Primer (film) and called it "a quiet and slowly chilling ghost story that lingers around the fringes of your nerves."[8] Matt Coker of OC Weekly cited the strong performances and well-written relationships made it a stand-out film at the Anaheim International Film Festival.[9] Brad Miska of Bloody Disgusting rated it 3.5/5 stars and called it thematically confused but "a wonderfully tragic supernatural flick that's both captivating and 'smart'."[10]

Awards

Ghost from the Machine was the winner of the Flyway Film Festival and was voted "Best of the Fest" at the Arizona Underground Film Festival.[4]

Remake

Deadline reported in August 2011 that Universal Pictures acquired remake rights; director Gary Shore and writer Nathan Parker were attached.[11] By January 2016, Shore had left the project and was replaced by Anthony Scott Burns. The remake was released in 2018 with the title Our House.

References
  1. "Breaking News: PHASMA EX MACHINA – which has World Premiere today at Fantasia – to be remade by Fox!". Fantasia Festival. 2010-07-16. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  2. Hill, Eva (2011-11-09). "Director Matt Osterman on Ghost From the Machine". Filmmaker. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  3. Kay, Jeremy (2009-06-02). "IFP names ten narrative projects for summer Lab". Screen Daily. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  4. "Ghost from the Machine - The official movie site". Ghostfromthemachine.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-24. Retrieved 2012-07-12.
  5. Fernandez, Jay A. (2011-01-05). "Screen Media Films Acquires 'Ghost From the Machine'". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. "'Ghost From the Machine' Now on iTunes/DVD/VOD". Bloody Disgusting. 2011-08-02. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  7. Harvey, Dennis (2010-07-20). "Review: Phasma Ex Machina". Variety. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  8. Mack, Andrew (2010-07-30). "FanTasia2010: Phasma Ex Machina". Twitch Film. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  9. Coker, Matt (2010-10-16). "Best of the Fest: Phasma Ex Machina at AIFF". OC Weekly. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  10. Miska, Brad (2010-09-02). "Ghost From the Machine (Phasma Ex Machina)". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
  11. Fleming, Mike (2011-08-11). "Universal To Remake Phasma Ex Machina With Cup Of Tears Helmer Gary Shore". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 2014-03-20.
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