The Ghost and the Darkness

Starring Val Kilmer and Michael Douglas
Written by William Goldman
Directed by Stephen Hopkin

[slavo] Africa is aptly named -- "the place of slaughter." It is 1898, and the British are in a fierce competition with the French and Germans to conquer the African continent. John Patterson (Val Kilmer) is sent to build a bridge over a river, so that the railroad can pass through. There are thousands of workers at his disposal, both native, Indian Hindus and cow eating Christians. Though this is a source of conflict, it is not examined.

The run of the story is that there is a lion feasting on the workers. Patterson, a hunter as well as an engineer, dispatches the animal quickly. Seven weeks later, all hell breaks loose.

While they sleep, workers are dragged from their tents by unseen beasts. Their skins are licked off, their limbs are munched and the corpses are left for the buzzards, hyenas and various carrion of the plain. Though Patterson has killed one, he now realizes he is facing a pair of maneaters. And they are killing *not* because they are hungry. They are killing for pleasure.

Which of course, puts the construction of the bridge behind schedule, which is all the British Masters care about. Enter an American hunter named Remington (Michael Douglas) and his hunting team of Masai Warriors. They seek out the lions and fail. The Masai flee, acknowledging the beasts, named "The Ghost and the Darkness" by the natives, as representative of evil.

On average, a first run movie ticket will run you Eight Bucks. Were Cranky able to set his own price to The Ghost and the Darkness, he would have paid...

$5.00

For two reasons: the scenery is spectacular enough that it should be seen on a large screen, and the hunting sequences do reach edge of the chair levels

	Click to buy films by Stephen Hopkin
	Click to buy films starring Val Kilmer
	Click to buy films starring Michael Douglas

The Cranky Critic® is a Registered Trademark of, and his website is Copyright © 1995 - 2012 by Chuck Schwartz. Articles by Paul Fischer are Copyright © 1999 - 2006 Paul Fischer. All images, unless otherwise noted, are property of,©, ®, ™ their respective studios and are used by permission. All Rights Reserved. Not to be used or copied for any commercial purpose. Academy Award™(s) and Oscar®(s) are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.