DTV Trash?: Ghost Rig

A Film that I've been putting off for months.  The basic story: a Co-Worker of my Brother gave him some random stuff.  The stuff he didn't want- like this- he gave to me.  It's how I got The Wicker Tree as well, FYI.  The Film is Ghost Rig, a 2002/3 Horror Film.  It is about ghosts on an oil rig...sort of.  Okay, not really.  It's not much more creative than this, sadly, but I'll get to it.  The Cast includes... oh boy...'Logan' from Baywatch.  It also includes the future Star of Super Vet.  You see, one of this Film's Leads segued into Veterinary Science and got a Reality Show out of it.  Someone worked after this- that's always a good sign!  The Director hasn't gone on to do much, other than some Crime Dramas in his home Country.  Is this Film a good example of why he hasn't done more Films?  To find out, read on...

A group of Environmental Conservationists fly in to occupy an abandoned Oil Rig.  The reason: it will be demolished to make a 'natural coral reef.'

Why is that bad again?

They have to wander around it- that will pad the runtime!- but at least they have a map.

Also one of them has a gun and it's a huge deal.
Wow, this really ISN'T an American Film!!!

More wandering around.  More of them being assholes.  Excitement?

To further amplify things, we get them doing Video Logs.  I highlight this one for dramatic effect later.

As some of them start to die and one acts crazy, they also learn that one of them is undercover.

He's clearly not good enough at his job to be underhanded in a Room that he knows has cameras in.

As the numbers whittle down, one of them discovers a body and a video camera.
Yep, they're watching Found Footage here, although the Film is not fully that.  It's...odd.

The gist of it: some evil force is on board and everyone left and/or died.  Now it can possess you!

When the final Cast is whittled down to 4 people, it turns more into The Thing than ever.

While they don't do a blood test per se, they do test to see if you bleed, so I'm counting it.

In the End, it turns out that Wheelchair Guy (aka Future Vet) knew who was possessed and wanted the power for himself.  Why?  Because being possessed heals you.

I guess you're supposed to want to go back throughout the whole Film to see the hints, but...meh.

In a weird moment, he sits down to watch the rest of the Found Footage...that conveniently didn't show him the first time.  How did he work around that?

He kills everyone and leaves, whereupon they reveal that he made a 'magic circle' on his body to control the power.  Oh, that explains the alternate Title (see below).  The End.

A slow, plodding nothing of a Film.  To be fair, the Movie has some sort of atmosphere.  Granted- it is based on being in a bunch of ugly, badly-lit hallways made out of metal.  It's somewhere I wouldn't want to be.  That also has nothing to do with the Horror- it just looks like I'll get tetanus from just breathing in there!  The whole Oil Rig part doesn't factor much into the Plot.  It's just a pretense for 'Oh, we can't leave' and that's it.  They keep talking about the Rig, but it doesn't amount to much plot-wise.  The first half is soooooooo slow.  It just keeps going.  They just wander around.  They just bicker.  They just wander around.  When they are finally done with that, it doesn't improve all that much.  Now there's a vague evil in the area and one of them goes full Jack Torrance with an axe.  It gets silly when biting is the means of transference of evil.  The evil also never has a real form for us to see- just a silly voice filter.  I guess I shouldn't have expected a monster...even if the UK Box Art promises one.  They couldn't just spring for a good mask to show in a dark light?  Nothing?  The part where it becomes The Thing is just kind of sad.  The whole ending works for the Villain due to people being stupid.  The Film's big reveal(s) is/are alright, but don't feel 100% earned or fair.  Again- why does the footage they watched in full not show him the first time?  It's also fun to break down the full-circle logic of his plan.  Step 1: Escape Rig.  Step 2: Join Environmental Group that I know will occupy rig.  Step 3: Trap myself in dangerous situation and ensure I'm the last one left.  Step 4: Escape Rig (without paralyzing myself this time).  It's goofy.  The Film is pretty dry, so it's not a strong recommendation overall.  That original Title is better though...

Next up, I check out a Made For TV Movie that shows how bad the future could be.  It will put things in perspective, no?  Stay tuned...