Ghost Town Blu-ray Review

"Ghost Town" arrives on Blu-ray from Scream Factory with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in a 1.78:1 aspect ratio. Despite some initial wobbliness during the credits, the image quickly stabilizes into a commendable presentation. The grain field is naturally resolving, and the color palette reproduction is quite good across the entire spectrum. The detail particularly shines in the brightly lit outdoor scenes, though some special effects, such as stop motion, appear somewhat soft and variable. While dimly lit interior scenes may lack significant shadow detail, the overall image avoids any major issues with crush.

From an encoding perspective, "Ghost Town" features solid video quality throughout. The Blu-ray employs MPEG-4 AVC compression effectively, achieving a resolution of 1080p. Surface textures and fabric patterns are displayed sufficiently, though the image may not be groundbreaking. Depth perception is average but impactful enough to offer a cinematic experience. Black levels are satisfactory but can obscure minor details in darker scenes and on various surfaces. The color palette aligns well with the film's old western aesthetic, focusing on natural browns but also rendering occasional vibrant colors accurately. Flesh tones maintain a natural appearance with slight warmth, and close-ups reveal good detail, particularly in the monster effects, which look suitably ghoulish.

Overall, "Ghost Town" is a clean print with minimal noise and minor specks, offering a reliable viewing experience.

The Blu-ray release of "Ghost Town" is presented with a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track that, while not expansive in scope, effectively supports the film's core audio components. Dialogue reproduction is consistently clear and clean, ensuring that character interactions are always intelligible. The soundtrack also features a variety of well-rendered foley effects, which add a layer of vividness and authenticity to the viewing experience without overshadowing the primary audio elements.

The dynamics of the mix are precise, delivering distinct separation among sound effects. This nuanced handling allows for a loose and free soundscape that enhances the film’s atmosphere. While the audio track may not possess a significant low-frequency extension or surround sound elements, it adequately fulfills the needs of the content, ensuring an enjoyable auditory experience for viewers.

The Blu-ray release of "Ghost Town" is notably devoid of any bonus material. Despite this, the packaging does feature a reversible cover insert, which showcases an alternate poster design. This choice adds a minor layer of collectibility for fans, but overall, the lack of supplementary content is disappointing. The absence of interviews, behind-the-scenes footage, or any form of directors' commentary limits the disc’s appeal to aficionados looking for deeper insights into the film's production or narrative intricacies.

Extras included in this disc:

• Reversible Cover Insert: Features an alternate poster design.

"Ghost Town," a 1988 paranormal Western directed by Richard Governor, offers a unique but uneven blend of traditional Western tropes and supernatural horror elements. The film's narrative follows Deputy Sheriff Langley (Franc Luz) as he embarks on a search for a runaway bride, Kate Barrett (Catherine Hickland), who encounters strange phenomena that transport her to a spectral town. Langley, too, experiences bizarre events in this limbo town tormented by the spirit of a malevolent outlaw named Devlin (Jimmie F. Skaggs). The movie, while presenting an intriguing premise, often falls short in maintaining tension, with the time travel and ghost story aspects not fully coalescing into a compelling plot.

The film occupies a middle ground between genres, drawing parallels to classic Westerns like "High Noon" while incorporating elements of horror. However, the pacing is lethargic, especially in the initial acts, which might dampen the interest of both horror enthusiasts and Western fans. Performances are mixed: Skaggs’s over-the-top villainy contrasts starkly with Luz’s understated portrayal of Langley, and Hickland’s performance does not quite match up to the intensity required for the film’s stakes. Despite this, certain technical aspects stand out; the make-up and special effects are exceptionally well-executed for their time, showcasing gruesome details that enhance the period's supernatural aura.

A significant strength of "Ghost Town" lies in its visual and practical effects. The skeletal apparitions and ghostly entities are convincingly rendered, providing an authentic eerie atmosphere. The gunfights are equally noteworthy, characterized by impactful, bloody shootouts that evoke a visceral response. However, the film's modern-day tie-in feels somewhat extraneous, detracting from what could have been a more engaging, self-contained ghostly Western narrative. Ultimately, "Ghost Town" is an enjoyable but flawed genre mix that compensates for its narrative shortcomings with impressive effects and action sequences.

Ghost Town is an intriguing horror-western from the Charles Band group, offering a distinct blend of genre elements that should appeal to niche fans. Though the film's plot is predictable and somewhat undermines its suspense, it still delivers gruesome kills that satisfy horror enthusiasts with their low expectations. The performances are engaging, with Luz as an appealing hero, albeit a rather dim-witted one, and Skaggs as a chilling and memorable villain.

The new Blu-ray release provides the best presentation of the film to date, featuring video and audio that truly enhance the experience. Visual effects stand up well in this transfer, an uncommon achievement for older films of this genre. However, it is worth noting that this release lacks any extra features, including trailers, which is atypical for Scream Factory. Despite this, collectors and fans of the film will appreciate the quality and care put into this Blu-ray edition.

There's nothing very surprising about Ghost Town, other than how long it takes Langley to figure out what the frell is actually going on, and the film's predictability tends to undercut any dramatic momentum or suspense. There are a couple of gruesome kills in the film which may satisfy horror fans who have set the expectations bar appropriately low. Luz makes for an appealing hero (even if Langley is a bit dunderheaded), and Skaggs is certainly a memorable villain. Technical merits are generally very strong for those considering a purchase, though some may wonder why this film wasn't coupled with something else per Scream's typical double feature approach for these niche horror titles.