Ghost Story Blu-ray Review
Score: 77
from 4 reviewers
Review Date:
Scream Factory’s Blu-ray of 'Ghost Story' excels with superb picture quality, engaging supplements, and a moody, psychological character study worth adding to any collection.
Disc Release Date
DTS-HD MA
Video: 79
Ghost Story's Blu-ray presentation offers a generally excellent 1080p AVC encoded transfer in 1.85:1, maintaining strong detail in close-ups and natural flesh tones. Despite occasional anomalies like minor dirt and a customary uptick in grain during optical effects, it provides a satisfying cinematic experience.
Audio: 79
Ghost Story's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track impresses with its clean dialogue, excellent fidelity, and dynamic range, enhancing Philippe Sarde's atmospheric score and delivering a well-spread out mix that captures distinct ambient noises and maintains engaging clarity throughout.
Extra: 79
The Blu-ray extras of 'Ghost Story' deliver in-depth and engaging content including insightful passages by Peter Straub, behind-the-scenes interviews on adaptation and VFX, captivating commentary by John Irvin, and a delightful segment with Alice Krige, all presented in HD with additional promotional materials.
Movie: 77
Ghost Story's atmospheric Blu-ray presentation combines moody horror with classic Hollywood elegance, bolstered by strong performances from veteran actors. While some fans note its deviation from Peter Straub's novel, the film's haunting ambiance and excellent practical effects make it a cult classic worth revisiting.
Video: 79
The Blu-ray presentation of "Ghost Story" by Scream Factory offers a solid 1080p transfer encoded with AVC MPEG-4 in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Despite the film's age, the source elements are in commendable condition, with occasional minor anomalies such as dirt, scratches, and white flecks minimally detracting from the overall quality. The palette, predominantly autumnal and wintry, displays natural fleshtones and vibrant gruesome hues, particularly in rotting corpses. Close-up details appear very good to excellent, although midrange shots exhibit some softness. The shadow detail in dimly lit scenes is decent though not exceptional, and the presence of optical effects introduces an expected increase in grain and softness. The natural grain structure contributes to a cinematic aesthetic, ensuring no resolution issues throughout.
Color reproduction leans towards earth tones and secondary hues with occasional bursts of brighter primaries. Snow scenes are particularly well-rendered, contributing to the naturalistic look of the film. Skin tones are consistent and look healthy, with medium and close-up shots highlighting facial details like wrinkles and stubble effectively. Despite a few instances of softness inherent in the cinematography, the transfer maintains a clean and sharp presentation without appearing over-processed. Black levels are mostly accurate but can appear faded in some scenes, leading to murkiness in shadows that occasionally obscure finer details. However, there is generally a strong sense of depth with objects and people appearing well-separated from their backgrounds.
In summary, this Blu-ray release marks a significant improvement over its DVD counterpart, offering a pleasing high-definition upgrade while staying true to the film's original cinematic roots. The attractive layer of grain and absence of distracting noise or artifacts enhance the viewing experience, delivering a visually engaging presentation that respects the source material's integrity.
Audio: 79
The DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track presented in "Ghost Story" offers a strikingly clear and well-fidelity experience. Dialogue is rendered crisply, maintaining clarity throughout. Philippe Sarde's evocative score, while occasionally a bit bright, is generally outstanding, contributing significantly to the film’s atmospheric impact. The dynamic range is impressive for a mono mix and accommodates the film’s dramatic shifts effectively.
The audio detail extends to environmental sounds, with chirping crickets and the rumbling of classic cars adding realistic, engaging layers to the mix. The dialogue stands out with excellent reproduction and is blended well with other audio elements without competition for prominence. This presentation includes well-managed layering, providing depth to vocal tracks and effects without straying too far into the high frequencies, thereby preventing any harshness in the extreme ranges.
Moreover, the audio track ensures a solid low-end response that adds appreciable weight to the overall soundstage, despite the constraints of a mono format. Film artifacts such as occasional dirt and flecks are present but do not detract from the experience. Subtitles are available in English for accessibility, and the overall presentation is robust, further cementing this as a high-quality audio performance that respects and enhances the film’s original sound design.
Extra: 79
The Blu Ray of "Ghost Story" offers a comprehensive and engaging suite of extras, appealing to both fans and cinephiles. The highlight is the thorough audio commentary by Director John C. Irvin, filled with fascinating anecdotes and insightful production details. Peter Straub's "Ghost Story Genesis" provides a rich context, blending readings from his novel with reflections on its film adaptation. The "Ghost Story Development" segment delves into the adaptation process through well-crafted interviews with the cast and crew, while "Alice Krige: Being Alma and Eva" offers an intimate look at her dual roles. The technical prowess behind the film is showcased in "Albert Whitlock Visual Effects with Bill Taylor," praising Whitlock's influence in visual effects.
Extras included in this disc:
- Audio Commentary: Director John C. Irvin discusses production anecdotes.
- Ghost Story Genesis: Author Peter Straub reads passages and discusses the book-to-film adaptation.
- Ghost Story Development: Interviews with the cast and crew on adapting the novel.
- Alice Krige: Being Alma and Eva: Interview with Alice Krige on her dual roles.
- Albert Whitlock Visual Effects with Bill Taylor: Focus on Albert Whitlock's visual effects.
- Theatrical Trailer
- TV Spot
- Radio Spots
- Photo Gallery
Movie: 77
"Ghost Story," adapted from Peter Straub's novel, offers an intriguing blend of supernatural horror and old-fashioned storytelling that can captivate fans of classic horror cinema. The plot revolves around four elderly men—members of the Chowder Society—who gather weekly to share ghost stories, only to find that a dark secret from their past has resurfaced, intertwining with their present nightmares. The narrative structure employs dual flashbacks, laying out the eerie history that culminates in present-day horror. Although these lengthy flashbacks might disrupt the pacing, they provide crucial depth and context.
The film's atmosphere is steeped in a melancholic tone, underscored by strong performances from iconic actors Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and Melvyn Douglas. Their portrayal injects earnestness into the dialogue, enriching the spectral mood that the movie meticulously builds. A key highlight is Alice Krige's haunting performance as Alma/Eva; her chilling presence and mysterious past fuel much of the narrative's tension. Despite some dated special effects, particularly in rear projection, the film excels in makeup and gore, enhancing its 1980s horror charm.
While "Ghost Story" may not tap into modern horror sensibilities laden with jump scares and visceral gore, it invokes a more subdued terror, embracing a reflective meditation on mortality and guilt. Directed by John Irvin, known for his work on "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," the film effectively channels an ambiance reminiscent of classic Hollywood horror, making it a valuable watch for those appreciating slow-building suspense and rich atmospheric dread. Despite simplifying Straub's dense novel, screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen maintains the core themes, ensuring the film remains a gothic and gripping tale of supernatural retribution.
Total: 77
Scream Factory’s Blu-ray release of "Ghost Story," directed by John Irvin and based on Peter Straub's novel, debuting in high definition, is an engaging addition to any horror aficionado’s collection. The film, featuring a stellar cast of Golden Age legends, oscillates between a psychological character study and a traditional horror movie. Its plot, centered around four lifelong friends with a dark secret, offers a satisfyingly creepy narrative that leans heavily on eerie atmosphere instead of graphic gore, harkening back to classic Hollywood horror.
The technical merits of this Blu-ray release are noteworthy. The picture quality is significantly improved compared to previous DVD releases, delivering a sharp and clear visual presentation. The audio quality also benefits from this high-definition upgrade, providing a more immersive experience that complements the film's moody ambiance. Scream Factory has meticulously curated a comprehensive suite of supplements which are both informative and engaging. These bonus features include rich, lengthy interviews that provide valuable insights into the film’s production and its enduring legacy.
In conclusion, while "Ghost Story's" narrative may feel overly condensed from its source material and some flashbacks seem to detour from the main plot, the film succeeds in creating a moody, compelling atmosphere. The new high-definition transfer by Scream Factory significantly enhances the viewing experience, making it more accessible and enjoyable. Combined with an excellent collection of supplements, this release is highly recommended for both horror enthusiasts and fans of classic cinema.
Blu-ray.com review by Jeffrey KauffmanRead review here
Video: 80
The palette has weathered the intervening decades rather well, and while a lot of the film is intentionally autumnal (or even downright wintry), things like fleshtones look natural and some of the more...
Audio: 80
Dialogue and effects are rendered cleanly and clearly, and the wonderfully atmospheric score by Philippe Sarde sounds excellent, if just a trifle bright at times....
Extras: 80
Ghost Story Genesis (1080p; 39:42) features author Peter Straub, who reads several passages from the original book and comments briefly on some aspects of the film....
Movie: 70
The film was culled from a bestselling novel by Peter Straub, but as one of the really interesting featurettes included on this new Blu-ray mentions, huge swaths of Straub's book were jettisoned in a fitful...
Total: 70
The film is still rather moody and has a couple of good scares, though this is less of a traditional horror film and more of a psychological character study....
The Digital Bits review by Tim SalmonsRead review here
Video: 90
Audio: 90
It’s the kind of movie that shows its age in high definition, meaning opticals and softer shots stand out more than ever before....
Extras: 90
Movie: 80
It was originally released in 1981 and despite not much appreciation from critics or audiences in general, it still managed to gain a cult following later on due to both home video and repeated cable showings....
Total: 88
And now that it’s been spiffed up for the first time in high definition, that isn’t a task that’s difficult to carry out anymore....
High-Def DigestRead review here
Video: 60
Black levels, on the whole, look good and generally accurate, but in a few areas, they seem faded and lackluster with some shadows looking pretty murky and obscuring some of the finer details....
Audio: 60
From the low rumbling of classic 1920s cars to the sounds of chirping crickets in the distance, various noises and sounds are distinct, keeping the whole affair engaging and lively....
Extras: 60
The Visual Effects of Albert Whitlock (HD, 29 min) — An enlightening interview with matte photographer Bill Taylor essentially applauding the work of the legendary but little-known matte artist....
Movie: 80
Don finds a way of relating with the men and coming another step closer to solving the mystery by sharing a scary story of his own, a spine-chilling yarn that's serves as the film's highlight....
Total: 60
With a nice collection of supplements, the overall package is one for the cult collection....
Why So Blu?Read review here
Video: 80
Depth: People and objects look free of their environments and move naturally through them....
Audio: 80
Audio Format(s): English 2.0 Mono DTS-HD MASubtitles: EnglishDynamics: This original mono track sounds very lovely in this lossless mix....
Extras: 80
Ghost Story Development (HD, 29:09) – The producer and screenwriter give a grand couple of interviews on the production and adaptation of the source text....
Movie: 70
From my research and watching the bonus materials, it appears this adaptation was at a point of controversy with critics as it seemed to simplify this story too much....
Total: 80
Ghost Story proves to be horror tale that goes beyond the confines of the genre to be an engaging drama and character story beyond the whole ghostly boos and make-up effects....
Director: John Irvin
Actors: Craig Wasson, Alice Krige, Fred Astaire
PlotIn a small, snowy New England town, four elderly men, members of a secretive group called the Chowder Society, meet regularly to share ghost stories. These tales, however, take a sinister turn when one of their sons, Don Wanderley, comes to visit after the mysterious death of his twin brother. Don reveals that his brother's demise haunts him and shares his own eerie encounter with a woman named Alma Mobley. As Don recounts his story, it becomes evident that Alma's disturbance in his life and the odd circumstances surrounding his brother's death are intertwined with a dark secret the elderly men have long kept hidden.
The chilling accounts begin to manifest in real life as strange events plague the entire town. The old friends are forced to confront their past and the horrifying truth about Alma. As fear grips them, they realize that their secrets may explain how these haunting occurrences are connected to a long-buried crime. They must summon the courage to face the sinister forces threatening their lives and settle a score that transcends time.
Writers: Peter Straub, Lawrence D. Cohen
Release Date: 18 Dec 1981
Runtime: 110 min
Rating: R
Country: United States
Language: English