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Creature Features: 8 Vampire Movies to Watch This Halloween

All sorts of things go bump in the night. Ghosts, ghouls, werewolves, witches — creatures that haunt our nightmares and ignite our imaginations. Then, there are vampires. These denizens of the dark hold a special place in human history; our ancestors were genuinely afraid to travel when the sun was down, lest vampires bleed them dry. Entire communities feared bats and wolves, believing them to be bloodsuckers in disguise. Vampire hunting  became a legitimate profession in 18th century Europe. We really can’t overstate how much these monsters have messed with our minds over the years.

Maybe that’s why vampires have experienced so much success on the big screen. Vampires have frightened and excited audiences for decades — changing with the times and reflecting some of our darkest desires. As much as we dread these creatures of the night, there’s a small part of us that’s utterly fascinated with them.

Spooky season is in full swing this year, and many of us will participate in the festivities at home. Looking for a way to liven up the night? Here are eight iconic vampire movies to watch this Halloween.

Nosferatu (1922)

Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror  (or Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens  in German) is a staple of the horror genre. This German Expressionist masterpiece was helmed by director F. W. Murnau and stars Max Schreck as the infamous Count Orlok.

Special effects and robust film sets weren’t exactly a thing in the early 20th century. Murnau instead relied on mind-bending camera angles, striking shadows and innovative set design to scare audiences. This film’s impact on the history of cinema can’t be exaggerated — many horror film franchises likely wouldn’t exist if Nosferatu  hadn’t crept onto the scene and paved the way.

Dracula (1931)

Nosferatu’s  popularity spread across Europe like wildfire. It didn’t take long for American filmmakers to catch wind of F.W. Murnau’s success either. But here’s the thing: Nosferatu was essentially an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula   — one that Murnau filmed without permission. Stoker’s wife successfully sued Murnau and Nosferatu  was pulled from theaters. Enter Universal Pictures, which paid approximately $40,000 for the rights to adapt Dracula . Garrett Fort penned the script while Tod Browning took the director’s chair. Bela Lugosi was cast as the titular prince of darkness, and the rest is cinematic history.

Dracula  is a genuinely terrifying landmark film. When many people think of Count Dracula, they think about Lugosi’s chilling performance. Universal’s adaptation takes plenty of inspiration from Nosferatu . However, Dracula is not a silent film; characters deliver their lines either with palpable dread or devilish delight. “Talkies” had only recently hit theaters in the early 1900s. Dracula helped legitimize sound films and reshape the movie industry.

Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958)

Similar to sound films, Technicolor movies were also relative rarities in the early 20th century. Films were primarily shot on black and white stock, and filmgoers were accustomed to greyscale pictures. The opposite was true by the 1950s, which is when The Horror of Dracula  hit the scene. Hammer Films spared no expense when it adapted Bram Stoker’s timeless tale; special effects and ornate gothic sets were specifically created for this film. The Horror of Dracula  is also a much more visceral visual experience due to being shot in color.

We’d be remiss not to praise Christopher Lee’s performance as Count Dracula; he aimed to play the character as a “heroic, erotic and romantic”  figure — one that was just as mystifying as he was terrifying. Lee’s good friend Peter Cushing starred as Doctor Van Helsing, further elevating the film. And The Horror of Dracula  revealed something truly harrowing about vampires: they were dark reflections  of human nature.

Blacula (1972)

The United States’ counterculture movement gathered momentum in the 1960s and persisted well into the 1970s. People vocalized dissatisfaction with the government, civil rights initiatives swept the nation and artists used their platforms to critique the powers that be. The Blaxploitation films of the 1970s echoed these sentiments, challenging decades-old stereotypes  that were (and still are) imposed on the Black community. Blacula  is precisely what its name implies; an adaptation of Stoker’s tale made primarily for Black people by Black people.

The late William Marshall portrays Prince Mamuwalde, a Nigerian man who asked the original Count Dracula (Charles Macaulay) to intervene during the transatlantic slave trade. For his trouble, Prince Mamuwalde was transformed into Blacula, sealed in a coffin and transported to America. Indeed, Count Blacula is a tragic anti-villain; he was stripped of his identity, taken from his homeland and left to fend for himself in a hostile environment. Allegorical, innovative and genuinely frightening, Blacula is worth a watch — and post-screening analysis.

The Lost Boys (1987)

Drugs, sex, rock n’ roll and excess are hallmarks of the 1980s  — hallmarks that naturally found their way into ’80s cinema. The Lost Boys  epitomizes this trend; “It’s fun to be a vampire” is the film’s tagline, and that sentiment is more than reinforced throughout its runtime. Vampires are ageless, powerful, beautiful beings who live by their own rules and party like rockstars in The Lost Boys. That’s the scariest part about this film — how enticing vampirism can seem on the surface.

The Lost Boys can also be viewed as a metacommentary of the 1980s. Vampirism is an analogy for the excess and hedonism of the decade. Just like it seemed “fun to be a vampire,” it also seemed fun to be a hard-partying rockstar. Spellbinding performances by a committed cast, strong directing by Joel Schumacher and a compelling script helped The Lost Boys break new ground. Vampires weren’t just creepy anymore. They were also undeniably cool.

Blade (1998)

You can’t talk about cool vampire movies without giving Blade  its due. The 1990s were an incredibly experimental time for the film industry; spec scripts were being produced by the dozens and comic book adaptations were becoming much more prevalent. Marv Wolfman and Gene Colan created Blade in 1973 for Marvel Comics. At last, in 1998, Wesley Snipes would bring the Daywalker to life on the big screen. Directed by Stephen Norrington and written by David S. Goyer, Blade  redefined what superhero movies  and vampire films could be. Action, horror, pathos and even a bit of comedy are seamlessly woven into this film.

Though Blade  was initially overlooked when it premiered, the film has since been recognized for setting several precedents. It’s one of the first Black superhero movies to achieve widespread critical and commercial success, grossing $131.2 million off of a $45 million budget. Blade  also paved the way for many of the superhero films that have become commonplace today; it’s not a stretch to suggest that Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man  trilogy, the Underworld franchise and even the Marvel Cinematic Universe wouldn’t exist if Blade  hadn’t resonated with audiences. Lastly, this film proved that vampires could transcend genres; Blade  is more of an action film than a horror flick, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Twilight (2008)

Hate it or love it, Twilight’s  impact on cinema is undeniable. This adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s 2005 novel was an international phenomenon in its heyday. It focused solely on the romantic aspects of vampirism  — living forever, being young forever and loving forever. If reading that sentence was painful for you, imagine how excruciating it was to write. 

Personal feelings aside, Twilight is an iconic film in its own right. It spawned four sequels, launched numerous careers and kept vampires at the forefront of our collective imagination from 2008 to 2012. Even Burger King  got in on the Team Edward vs. Team Jacob debacle. Twilight  ultimately proved that there was still a thriving, thirsting market for vampire films in the 21st century.

Blood Red Sky (2021)

We end with Blood Red Sky, a British-German Netflix film  that’s equal parts graphic, terrifying and heart-wrenching. The film follows Nadja and her son Elias as they try to survive aboard a hijacked airplane. Discussing this film in detail without spoiling it is virtually impossible, but we can say this: Blood Red Sky  focuses on the toll that vampirism would exact on a person’s family, community and mental state. Scenes unfold at an intentionally deliberate pace. Minor characters and extras are treated with a degree of respect that we don’t often see.

In many ways, Blood Red Sky is the culmination of the vampire films that precede it; there are genuine scares here, alongside meta-commentary, dazzling action scenes and genuine pathos. Blood Red Sky  proves that vampire films can make viewers cry — not out of fear, but out of true remorse.

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Ghost Rider

When motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze sells his soul to the Devil to save his father's life, he is transformed into the Ghost Rider, the Devil's own bounty hunter, and is sent to hunt down sinn... Read all When motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze sells his soul to the Devil to save his father's life, he is transformed into the Ghost Rider, the Devil's own bounty hunter, and is sent to hunt down sinners. When motorcycle rider Johnny Blaze sells his soul to the Devil to save his father's life, he is transformed into the Ghost Rider, the Devil's own bounty hunter, and is sent to hunt down sinners.

• Mark Steven Johnson
• Nicolas Cage
• Sam Elliott
• 792 User reviews
• 296 Critic reviews
• 35 Metascore
• See more at IMDbPro
• 1 win & 11 nominations

• Johnny Blaze …

• Roxanne Simpson

• Young Johnny Blaze

• Young Roxanne Simpson

• Barton Blaze

• Mephistopheles

• X Games Announcer
• (as Cameron Steele)

• Motorcycle Gang Member

• Broken Spoke Waitress

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Nicolas Cage had to have his Ghost Rider tattoo covered with make-up to play Johnny Blaze.
• Goofs When the birds-eye camera moves through the city, and at several other points in the movie, the cars are on the opposite sides of the road. While the movie is set in America, the film was shot in Melbourne, Australia.

[last lines]

Caretaker : [voiceover] It's said that the West was built on legends. And that legends are a way of understanding things greater than ourselves. Forces that shape our lives, events that defy explanation. Individuals whose lives soar to the heavens or fall to the earth. This is how legends are born.

[Johnny transforms into Ghost Rider]

• Crazy credits The Marvel Comics logo features comic-book images of the Ghost Rider in its pages; after it fully forms it undergoes the Rider's transformation, blazing hellfire and growing spikes.
• Alternate versions The original UK cinema version was pre-edited by the distributors to reduce shots of Johnny's face disintegrating into the Ghost Rider during his initial transformation in order for the film to receive a 12A cinema certificate. The DVD was upgraded to a 15 certificate and is fully uncut.
• Connections Featured in Troldspejlet: Episode #37.1 (2007)
• Soundtracks Roses from the South, Op. 388 Written by Johann Strauss (as Johann Strauss, Jr.)

User reviews 792

• elprofessional
• Jun 11, 2007

Proof That Nic Cage is THE National Treasure

• How long is Ghost Rider? Powered by Alexa
• Did Stan Lee originally create the comic book of Ghost Rider?
• What is the distance in feet to jump a football field goalpost to goalpost?
• Can Ghost Rider get hurt or is he invincible?
• February 16, 2007 (United States)
• United States
• Official Facebook
• Southbank Footbridge, Southbank, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
• Columbia Pictures
• Crystal Sky Pictures
• Relativity Media
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $110,000,000 (estimated)
• $115,802,596
• $45,388,836
• Feb 18, 2007
• $228,738,393

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 50 minutes

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Ghost Rider

2007, Action/Fantasy, 1h 50m

What to know

Critics Consensus

Ghost Rider is a sour mix of morose, glum histrionics amidst jokey puns and hammy dialogue. Read critic reviews

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Watch Ghost Rider with a subscription on Peacock, rent on Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy on Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV.

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Ghost rider videos, ghost rider   photos.

Years ago, motorcycle stuntman Johnny Blaze (Nicolas Cage) sold his soul to save the life of a loved one. Now, he transforms into a fiery, avenging agent of justice at night wherever evil roams. As the only one who can walk in both worlds, Johnny is charged by Mephistopheles (Donal Logue) himself to destroy Blackheart (Wes Bentley), a demon that wants to overthrow Mephistopheles and create a worse hell than the one that currently exists.

Rating: PG-13 (Horror Violence|Disturbing Images)

Genre: Action, Fantasy

Original Language: English

Director: Mark Steven Johnson

Producer: Avi Arad , Michael De Luca , Gary Foster , Steven Paul

Writer: Mark Steven Johnson

Release Date (Theaters): Feb 16, 2007  wide

Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012

Box Office (Gross USA): $115.8M

Runtime: 1h 50m

Distributor: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Production Co: Columbia Pictures, Crystal Sky, Marvel Enterprises

Sound Mix: Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS

Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Nicolas Cage

Johnny Blaze, Ghost Rider

Roxanne Simpson

Wes Bentley

Sam Elliott

Donal Logue

Peter Fonda

Mephistopheles

Eddie Baroo

Motorcycle Gang Member

Jessica Napier

Broken Spoke Waitress

Mark Steven Johnson

Michael De Luca

Gary Foster

Steven Paul

Executive Producer

Kevin Feige

Norman Golightly

David S. Goyer

E. Bennett Walsh

Christopher Young

Original Music

Russell Boyd

Cinematographer

John Wheeler

Richard Francis-Bruce

Film Editing

Christine King

Kirk M. Petruccelli

Production Design

Suza Maybury

Set Decoration

Lizzy Gardiner

Costume Design

News & Interviews for Ghost Rider

Marvel Movie Madness! Part 15: Ghost Rider

Box Office Guru Preview: Ancient Action Arrives Again

Box Office Guru Preview: Semi-Pro Set To Slam Dunk The Competition

Critic Reviews for Ghost Rider

Audience reviews for ghost rider.

Yes this is dumb and yes everyone involved knows it but I can't shake the feeling that the movie is just a little too smug about being self aware.

Please God make it stop. This has to be in the Top 5 of the worst comic book movies ever. Nicholas Cage is horrible, the script is terrible, and the action is just boring. Only good thing are the CGI effects for the Ghost Rider. Don't. Just don't watch this. Even if there is the threat of titty twisters... Still not worth it.

Choc full of wannabe Western-isms and expected cheese, Ghost Rider is a foray into not-a-whole-lot. Ghost Rider strikes me as the sort of comic that didn't need a whole lot of chopping to translate well to the big screen, unfortunately, director Mark Steven Johnson neglected all that, and went for a full on self-made, effects-drive flop. Don't get me wrong, I know I bitch about "effects-driven" a lot, but sometimes it works fine, it's just that Ghost Rider has absolutely no staying power, there's really nothing to it that would make me recommend it to a friend. I think another major problem is that it aims for 'quirk" and ends up with "cheese". Too dark and long to be considered a silly, fun, little guilty pleasure, but too self-concious and non-sensical to be realistic. What's supposed to be The Devil's Bounty Hunter, riding the world to bring the guilty to justice, ends up being more of a Mad Max wannabe riding a badass motorbike notching up his cliche-meter and pouring the CG-budget down the drain, while bringing as many motifs up as he can. Though much of the film was quite weak, watching the demons (trenchcoat wearin' mo-fo's above) getting taken out one by one, somewhat akin to, oh, as for example a comic book, was entertaining enough to hold my attention. And Wes Bentley (P2, Jonah Hex) as Blackheart was, at the very least a "cool" character to bring to the film. Not exactly a masterpiece, but its very few up points did keep me interested enough to hold out for the sequel, Spirit of Vengeance, which supposedly comes out on the 17th of February 2012, starring another favourite of mine, Cirian Hines. 38% -Gimly

This demonic Marvel adaptation is visually groundbreaking, no doubt, but is not an easy ride. Ghost Rider's exaggerated tone and dialogue and hell-driven sequences provides many speed bumps on this less-than-anticipated ride. 3/5

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One of the drawcards of having Disney+ at your fingertips...

Even the special effects are pitiable.

This strange amalgamation of Texas Ranger lore, NASCAR bravado, and the-Devil-and-Daniel-Webster trickery keeps the campy fun revving just enough that you can't completely hate it.

This movie is stupid in the best possible way. I cheered all the way through - my shrieks of glee echoing off the walls.

Don't worry your little head with the niceties of plot; they don't matter much.

Best lines? "Is this thing ever gonna end?" "Not even close." "I shore wish this thang coulda turned out different."

Ignore the cheesy dialogue, the cardboard cut-out villains and the atrociously OTT acting and just enjoy a good old-fashioned tale of heroes and villains the way the comic-books used to tell 'em.

It all seems so wearyingly old fashioned: teenage delinquents on motorbikes, creaky incarnations of Satan, a rock'n'roll take on dangerous cool.

Cage needs to produce something special next to make up for crimes against cinema.

Additional Info

• Genre : Thriller, Action
• Release Date : February 14, 2007
• Languages : English
• Captions : English
• Audio Format : 5.1

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Ghost Rider

• View history

Johnny Blaze was a stunt motorcyclist who sold his soul to the devil to make his father better from cancer. After his father dies, the devil known as Mephisto (or Roarke) turned him into a demon who's head was a skull on fire. By calling the fire spirit within him, the spirit of vengeance, he will turn into Ghost Rider .

• 1.1 Early Life
• 2.1 Ghost Rider
• 2.2 Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance
• 3 Personality
• 4.2 Demonic Powers
• 4.3 Angelic Powers
• 4.4 Abilities
• 5 Equipment
• 6.3 Enemies
• 7 Behind the Scenes
• 8 References
• 9 External links

Biography [ ]

Early life [ ].

Johnny was born to Barton Blaze and an unnamed woman.

When Johnny was teenager, he works with his father as a stunt motorcycle rider and he has a crush on Roxanne Simpson, who he wants to flee away with. When he discovers his father's lung cancer, Johnny feels ashamed for his plans of leaving, but the very night a stranger proposes him to sell his very soul, in exchange of Barton's health. Skeptical, Johnny accepts, and the next morning Barton is healed from cancer and gives him his favorite motorcycle and blessing and lets him go away with his beloved Roxanne. Just a moment before he actually flees, Johnny assists to Barton's death in an incident during the show. Being tricked by Mephistopheles, he realizes he'll never be free of his curse and leaves everything behind, Roxanne included.

Ghost Rider [ ]

Johnny Blaze, a motorcycle stunt performer, makes a deal with the devil to cure his dying father of cancer. When he dies anyway, the devil is known as Mephisto claims his soul. Because of this, Johnny is unable to run off with his girlfriend, Roxanne Simpson . Years later, Johnny Blaze is a big-time performer who pulls off outrageous bike stunts, and, due to his inability to die, he perfects each one without injury. Just before his biggest stunt, he meets Roxanne again, who is now a reporter. After the stunt, he asks Roxanne out on a date. She agrees but is stood up by Johnny. Later on, Mephisto calls upon Johnny and instructs him to retrieve the Contract of a Thousand Souls to him from his son, Blackheart , on a deal that he would return his soul. Thus, he gives him the power of a demon and he transforms into the Ghost Rider. He quickly finds Blackheart but is abruptly crushed by a truck, who the driver Ghost Rider quickly kills. As he rides off on his flaming motorcycle in search of Blackheart, he comes across a woman being threatened at knifepoint by a hooded mugger.

Ghost Rider stops him with his Penance Stare, which confronts the mugger with the murderous crimes he had committed and reverts the pain he has brought onto himself, stealing his soul and effectively killing him. Ghost Rider then blacks out and wakes up at a graveyard, where he meets a man known as the Caretaker. He tells of Blackheart's history as Johnny learns that he and his minions were once angels cast out of Heaven. He finds Roxanne again in the midst of the destruction the Ghost Rider had caused the night before, and they meet again at his apartment to talk over their date incident. Johnny then reveals to Roxanne that he is the Ghost Rider, and that is why they can never be together.

Roxanne, unsurprisingly, doesn't believe him, and they leave on bad terms. Police later arrest Johnny as they have discovered that he was the one terrorizing the town. They throw him in jail where he is confronted by several evil criminals who then begin to attack him. He becomes the Ghost Rider, steals one of their spiked leather jackets, and escapes. He then comes across another evil spirit by the name of Abigor , who was sent by Blackheart. After a quick battle, the police find him again and he drives up a building to escape them. Roxanne sees the Ghost Rider in the action, now realizing Johnny was telling the truth, and he rides off. She goes to his apartment, where Blackheart is waiting, and he holds Roxanne hostage to set a trap for Johnny. He then tells him the Caretaker was holding the Contract the whole time and instructs him to collect it and bring it to him.

When Johnny finds the Caretaker, they both agree to take down Blackheart, revealing that he is, in fact, Carter Slade and was another demon called the Phantom Rider. Together, they both ride off to find Blackheart, but Carter is unable to help him since he could only transform one more time. Blackheart, who is still holding Roxanne hostage, obtains the Contract and absorbs a Thousand Souls. However, Ghost Rider uses his Penance Stare to steal the souls away from Blackheart, and he consequently dies. When Roxanne is saved, Mephisto arrives to collect the Contract and offers Johnny is soul back. He denies, declaring he would own the curse and be the Spirit of Vengence. He leaves Roxanne and they depart ways as Johnny rides off into his destiny.

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance [ ]

Johnny Blaze has been hiding for 5 years in eastern Europe and is confronted by Moreau . Moreau makes Johnny a deal, if Johnny uses the Rider to rescue the boy, Moreau and his group of monks lead by Methoties will remove the demon from Johnny's body. Johnny changes into the Ghost Rider and rescues the boy from Carrigan.

Danny and Johnny bond over there demonic natures. Johnny, Nadya and Moreau take Danny to Methoties and the monks to fill there promise. They remove the Ghost Rider from demon after telling Johnny the background of the demon. The demon's name is Zarathos and he was an angel, a spirit of justice sent to protect man. But he was taken to hell, corrupted and his mission of protecting the innocent turned into punishing the guilty and he turned into the devil's spirit of vengeance. But the monks rid Johnny of the Rider and then decided that Danny is dangerous and born with his power and they can not remove it, so they decide to kill the boy. But Blackout shows up, kills the monks, and captures Danny.

Johnny, Moreau, and Nadya go to stop Roarke, Blackout kills Moreau, Johnny is about to be killed as well, but Danny realizing that he has all of Roarke's powers puts the power of Zarathos back into Johnny. Once again as the Rider, Johnny kills Blackout and a road chase occurs with the Rider chasing Roarke and the boy. Ghost Rider crashes Roarke's car and sends him back to hell and Danny is killed in the crash. But Johnny can feel the angelic part of Zarathos and his hands glow with blue fire as the angel resurrects the boy. With Roarke beaten, Johnny rides into the night, not as the Spirit of Vengeance, but as the Spirit of justice.

Personality [ ]

Johnny Blaze is a good person cursed with a sense of guilt for the death of his father and is angry for having been tricked by Mephistopheles. He tries the most dangerous stunts, wanting to prove to himself that he's actually doing all the stunts himself, and not Mephisto or the Rider preventing him from dying before he fulfills his contract. Johnny is a skillful stunt driver, the best on field, and he acts as a daredevil in everything in his life. He has a sort of addiction to candies, which he consumes in enormous quantities.

Powers and Abilities [ ]

Ghost Rider is the supernatural combination between the human host, Johnny Blaze, and the demonic Zarathos. As the Ghost Rider, Johnny Blaze possesses a variety of supernatural powers.

Demonic Powers [ ]

• Superhuman Strength: The Ghost Rider possesses superhuman strength that is sufficient enough to go against immensely strong combatants. In this form, the Rider was able to beat all of Blackheart's minions and Blackheart as Legion.
• Superhuman Endurance: The mystical energy that empowers Ghost Rider prevents his muscles from producing fatigue toxins during physical activities, granting him limitless superhuman stamina. In human form, Johnny is the same as any human being and is subject to the same normal vulnerabilities, as shown when Slade had to stitch him up. However, Johnny Blaze, while as the Rider, is highly resistant to the point of being basically immune to all types of earthly physical damage as he has taken blows from beings such as Blackheart with no sign of pain or discomfort. The Ghost Rider is capable of withstanding great impact forces, temperature and pressure extremes, powerful energy blasts, and falls from great heights without sustaining an injury. As his bodily tissues have been transformed, leaving only a skeleton, most projectiles such as bullets simply pass through him, bounce off his bones, or burn away due to the level of hellfire emitted from him. Ghost Rider's body is for all intents immune to physical injury, as he is evidently not able to feel pain and is able to survive with no apparent discomfort no matter how severe the injury.
• Regenerative Healing Factor: Despite his invulnerability to conventional forms of injury, if he's being is ever damaged, the magical energies imbuing him allows the Ghost Rider to instantly regenerate any and all damage done without any discomfort or any evident pain. However, this is not extended to Johnny in his human form but with time, it could.
• Hellfire Manipulation: Ghost Rider possesses the ability to generate, control, and project mystical fire, or "hellfire" at will. Hellfire is a supernatural flame that burns the soul of a person and can be used to burn their physical body. He can utilize this fire in various ways, including projecting it from his eyes, hands, mouth, or even channel it from his body into his weapons like his shotgun, form walls of hellfire, and even transform a regular motorcycle into a tricked out one completely out of hellfire. He can also unleash the hellfire in Omni-directional attacks that are incredibly powerful. From what was seen in the trailer for the sequel, after being unloaded on by an attacker with an assault weapon, he spits back out every round like a machine gun completely in hellfire. Also near the end of the trailer, the boy asks what happens if he has to pee in that form and Johnny stated that "it's awesome" and then it cuts to the scene where he is pissing hellfire, not urine, out but it comes out like a flamethrower.
• Mystical Chain Projection: Ghost Rider wields a chain that is capable of growing in length, cutting through almost anything, and encasing it in hellfire or use it as a fan.
• Flash Step: Ghost Rider can teleport by foot in short distances. He is able to make quick dashing movements confusing human eyesight and even thermal sight on a weapon.
• Levitation: Ghost Rider is able to defy gravity allowing him to levitate in mid-air. Though, no real purpose, this capability after being knocked out by a flash grenade resulted in him swirling around. It also seems that he can control the speed of the swirling motion slowly or fast.
• Penance Stare: Ghost Rider's most powerful weapon stated by Slade, Ghost Rider possesses the supernatural ability to cause any individual who stares into his eyes to see and feel every bit of pain they have ever inflicted on anyone in their entire lifetime. In the first film, after exposure to the Penance Stare, the individual eyes are replaced with volcanic rock eyeballs with the individual's afflicted souls torturing within. Once the soul is purged, the entire physical body deteriorates into ashes leaving nothing.

Angelic Powers [ ]

After defeating Mephistopheles and sending him back to Hell, Johnny was freed from his influence. This allowed him to feel the presence of the archangel Zarathos within him. His angelic powers are characterized by holy blue fire; instead of amber fire. His angelic flames are much brighter than his demonic flames. Johnny possesses the same strength and power while in his angelic form as he did in his demonic form. It is possible that his powers have grown stronger now that Zarathos' grace and union with Heaven and God have been restored.

• Resurrection: After the true Zarathos awakened inside of Johnny; he was able to use the angel's powers to resurrect Danny Ketch .

Abilities [ ]

• Expert Stunt Rider: Blaze is an expert stunt rider.
• Skilled Combatant: Although he's had no proper training, he is also a formidable hand to hand combatant and has become quite adept at using his powers in combat situations.

Equipment [ ]

• Hellcycle : Motorcycle which can be transformed by hellfire whenever he becomes the Rider.
• Ghost Rider's Chain : Utilizing a long piece of the chain he found upon his first time as the Ghost Rider. Ghost Rider's chain has become a mystic weapon capable of transforming into a wide variety of different weapons.
• Heavenfire Shotgun : Johnny is very proficient in using a sawed-off Winchester 1887 lever-action shotgun. It was given to Johnny by Carter Slade; prior to his second/final confrontation against Blackheart. As Ghost Rider, Johnny is able to enchant the shotgun with his demonic flames; granting it supernatural attributes.

Relationships [ ]

Behind the scenes [ ].

• Johnny Depp and Eric Bana were both considered for the role of Ghost Rider before Nicolas Cage was cast.
• To create the Ghost Rider's voice, sound designer Dane A. Davis recorded all of Nicolas Cage's lines as the Ghost Rider, and then filtered them through three different kinds of animal growls (played backwards, covering three separate frequencies) then played them through a mechanical volumizer, before finally giving them a fiery crackle. Writer and director Mark Steven Johnson compared it to "a deep, demonic, mechanical lion's roar" and said "one thing is for sure, his voice will shake the theater!".
• Rumors persist that Nicolas Cage's abs in the movie were CGI, but writer and director Mark Steven Johnson refutes this on the DVD audio commentary.
• Nicolas Cage has a tattoo of Ghost Rider's head on his shoulder and the make up artists had to cover it for playing Johnny Blaze.
• In the first film, Cage wore a green mask to make the CGI fire.
• Nicolas Cage wore a hairpiece in the first film.

References [ ]

External links [ ]

• 1 Phantom Rider
• 2 Ghost Rider

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Ghost Rider

Common sense media reviewers.

Devilish Nic Cage action flick isn't on fire.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Johnny sells his soul to the devil and regrets it;

Johnny did sell his soul to the devil for a noble

Constant cartoonish violence, mayhem, and stunts.

Roxy's tops always show cleavage; Roxy and Johnny

"S--t" (used once), "son of a bitch," "damn," "hel

Part of a popular comic book franchise. Brief visu

One scene of chaos is set in a saloon (patrons and

Parents need to know that this comic book-based movie is aimed right at kids. (They won't care that the CGI effects aren't the best and the story is uneven.) Expect frequent references to the devil and some grisly Renaissance-style images of torture. There are motorcycle crashes (one ends in a father's death), flaming…

Positive Messages

Johnny sells his soul to the devil and regrets it; demons wreak havoc; bad guys die; cops are inept.

Positive Role Models

Johnny did sell his soul to the devil for a noble reason: to save his dad from dying of terminal cancer. But his current murdering vigilante persona is not something to emulate. His TV reporter love interest Roxanne, his childhood sweetheart, is innocent, and they look out for each other. The Carertaker acts as a protective mentor to Johnny.

Violence & Scariness

Constant cartoonish violence, mayhem, and stunts. Johnny's father dies in a motorcycle stunt; Johnny falls off his motorcycle; the devil torments him with a "burning finger" one motorcycle jump results in a brutal crash; Blackheart kills several humans by turning their faces gray and crumbly; fights between Blackheart's gang and Johnny feature violent falls, throws against walls, and slams; as the Ghost Rider, Johnny is frequently on fire (his skull face is creepy); Ghost Rider attacks and kills a mugger, who stabs him with a knife (Caretaker stitches the wound in close-up); policemen shoot repeatedly at Ghost Rider, who absorbs bullets and rides away; Ghost Rider uses a chain to whip, capture, and throw victims (demons); Johnny fights a watery demon underwater; Johnny and Blackheart fight (lots of throwing, grunting, crawling); Blackheart throws Roxy against a wall; characters shoot Blackheart with shotgun (one shot takes off his head, whereupon he's surrounded by swooping bad souls, whom he absorbs); Ghost Rider's Stare of Penance makes bad guys scream and die.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Roxy's tops always show cleavage; Roxy and Johnny kiss several times; Mack makes a joke about "needing a woman's touch."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

"S--t" (used once), "son of a bitch," "damn," "hell," "ass."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Part of a popular comic book franchise. Brief visual displays of Marlboro cigarettes.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

One scene of chaos is set in a saloon (patrons and bartender are killed by demon); in other scenes, characters smoke cigarettes (Johnny's dad smokes and has cancer; Johnny later turns down a cigarette offered by a cop); characters drink beer (though, Johnny won't drink, saying, "Alcohol gives me nightmares"), and a scene dedicated to Roxy's imbibing a full bottle of wine while waiting for Johnny to show up for a date (she appears drunk at the end).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this comic book-based movie is aimed right at kids. (They won't care that the CGI effects aren't the best and the story is uneven.) Expect frequent references to the devil and some grisly Renaissance-style images of torture. There are motorcycle crashes (one ends in a father's death), flaming leaps, falls, and skids, which produce broken-looking bodies. The villain turns victims gray and veiny, and Ghost Rider himself becomes a burning skull. Weapons include knives, shotguns, and chains. Roxy shows cleavage, and she and Johnny kiss several times (once quite passionately). Characters drink and smoke cigarettes; language includes "s--t," "damn," "son of a bitch," and "hell." To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (16)
• Kids say (39)

Based on 16 parent reviews

Don’t watch this

This site is guilty. its soul is stained with the blood of the innocent., what's the story.

When young motorcycle stunt rider Johnny Blaze sells his soul to the devil (Peter Fonda), he thinks he's doing the right thing -- that is, saving his father, Bart (Brett Cullen), from a horrific death by cancer. But Johnny soon learns that Mephistopheles is not to be trusted, and he eventually has to fulfill his contract and become the devil's bounty hunter. This occurs after Johnny grows up to be a fiercely lean Nicolas Cage . Johnny's still doing motorcycle stunts, drawing big crowds with horrific, Evel Knievel-style crashes, but he never dies. The turning point comes when kohl-eyed son-of-the-devil Blackheart ( Wes Bentley ), ascends to earth in order to track down a contract that will grant him access to a bunch of bad souls. The whys and wherefores are a little confusing (they're narrated mostly by the Caretaker, who's played by Sam Elliott ), but basically this leads to Johnny's transformation into the Ghost Rider, complete with leather jacket, chains, and skull face a-blazing. Around the same time, Johnny's childhood love interest, Roxy ( Eva Mendes ), returns. Now a TV reporter, she arrives at one of Johnny's most outrageous stunts dressed in a white, not-quite-angelic dress. He's re-smitten, as is she, and they spend the rest of the movie trying to get back together but also not get back together, since if they do, the devil or Blackheart (or both) will surely target her.

Is It Any Good?

Like many comic book-derived movies, GHOST RIDER is corny, fiery, and outsized, but unfortunately it's not very entertaining. While the Caretaker makes lots of noise about the Ghost Rider's "legend," the movie's action and plotting are uninspired. Cage does some more Elvis impersonating, Mendes shows cleavage, and Elliott looks leathery, but none of these details helps create a sense of grand mythology. The Rider's gift/curse is his ability to assault his bad-souled victims with a Stare of Penance (he commands them to "Look into my eyes," like Dracula used to) and then make them suffer the pain of the innocents they wronged. But the visual delivery of this trick is feeble, a mostly blurry, vaguely fiery, utterly un-menacing montage of screaming, collapsing faces. This is Ghost Rider's big trick? It's hardly the stuff of legend.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about the relationship between Johnny and his dad. How does Johnny's good intention lead to tragedy? Did Johnny have any other alternatives than working for the devil?

How does the movie differentiate between the monstrous Johnny and the monstrous Blackheart? Why is one "good" and one "bad"? Is it that easy to tell the difference between good guys and bad guys in real life?

Why are so many action/superhero movies based on comic books? What's the appeal?

Movie Details

• In theaters : February 16, 2007
• On DVD or streaming : June 12, 2007
• Cast : Eva Mendes , Nicolas Cage , Wes Bentley
• Director : Mark Steven Johnson
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Latino actors
• Studio : Sony Pictures
• Genre : Action/Adventure
• Topics : Superheroes
• Run time : 114 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : horror violence and disturbing images.
• Last updated : December 9, 2022

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