Ghost Story [DVD]

Pull down the shades and turn off the lights as it's time for a ghost story, of sorts...Ghost Story (1981), based on the bestselling Peter Straub novel, was directed by John Irvin (Raw Deal, Next of Kin), and lists an impressive cast including Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., and John Houseman. Also appearing are Craig Wasson and relative newcomer Alice Krige, whose only other film appearance prior to this was Chariots of Fire (1981), although she has since had a long career, and I most remember her as the creepy mother from the film Sleepwalkers (1992), which was adapted from a Stephen King novel. She's also the best element in the film.The film takes place mostly in a small New England town and is about four elderly men, members of The Chowder Society (they get together regularly to tell each other ghost stories), and a secret they've shared for the last 50 years, one that coming back to haunt them, both figuratively and literally speaking. It seems these men, now town elders, participated in an event, one which they vowed never to speak of again, but has begun to manifest itself, possible through guilt, in terrible nightmares suffered by all four men. Also, there's a little matter of a couple of nasty deaths...Having read about this film so long ago in a Fangoria magazine, I had wanted to see it at the time it came out, but, alas, being all of about 11, I was restricted from partaking in all the nekkid and/or gory goodness of R-rated films. So, what's the deal with this film? Based on excellent source material and incorporating an experienced and highly talented cast, you'd think you'd have a real winner on your hands, right? Well, yes and no...what one may really notice the most after watching this film is the missed opportunity. I think the main problem is the same one suffered by author Stephen King in that the source material, the novel by Straub, is very lengthy, highly detailed, and extremely difficult to transfer onto the silver screen without seriously altering the material. Sure, the main elements will come through, but it's the intimate, complex details that tend to get lost, the ones that give the story depth and heart. The actors do a wonderful job, although Wasson, even though I like him a lot, seemed an odd choice to play the son of one of the elderly men. He ends up being sort of the catalyst that forces the older gentlemen to dredge up secrets buried, but never forgotten. The cast is wonderful, the direction well, done, the sets and scenery highly effective, but the element that brings the film down is that even at almost two hours, the story is missing the ookie goodness from the novel. Obviously the adapter had to pick and choose what parts to keep and what parts to omit, as is the case with any novel adapted to the screen, but the poor decisions as to what to keep and keep out become apparent as the story progresses, and the viewer begins questioning why the story becomes spotty and even crumbles at some points. The pacing is extremely slow, giving up little until it's ready. This may cause some viewers to become bored, but I rather enjoyed the gradual build up as it allowed for the viewer to really become immersed and soak up the positive, along with the negative, aspects of the plot. There are numerous flashbacks throughout, as the mystery unfolds, and I thought they were handled particularly well. The motivations of some key plot elements seemed unclear, specifically the Krige's character and the reasoning as to why she had contact with one of the elder men's sons, but I was able to get past that. I thought the special effects were done very well, and helped immensely in adding a somewhat gothic feel to the film. The film was definitely a horror movie, but took the road less traveled focusing on more of the horror inherent within the story, rather than providing the visceral imagery we've come to expect in modern horror films. The nudity in the film seemed a bit gratuitous, and while I enjoyed seeing an attractive woman bare her assets, it wouldn't have hurt to have a little less. There are some really good scares here, and given a bit of patience, the viewer will be rewarded. There are weaknesses in the story, and viewers who've read the book will most likely be disappointed, as the film just cannot compete, even though it does give a good effort. All in all, a solid, spooky, atmospheric slow-moving horror film with definite flaws that more or less equal its' strengths.The wide screen print here isn't as good as it could be, as the picture appears murky and has a dull, lifeless quality. This isn't constant, but very apparent in a number of scenes. The audio could use a bit of remastering, as it's uneven, soft and hard to discern sometimes, but there are English subtitles available, which I made use of through most of the film. There are no special features other than a theatrical trailer, which I found a bit disappointing. While this isn't one of the better truly scary films I've seen, it does have something to offer, as it's certainly not the worst, either. It wouldn't be among my top recommendations, but if you find yourself one lonely and dark night looking for a bit of a fright, you could do a lot worse. If you've read the book, you might do well to skip the film.Cookieman108

Read this book as a kid ... was fun to watch the movie

This is one of my favorite horror movies, and till this day it gives me the creeps.

This haunted classic better serves audiences seeking an engaging dark romantic thriller-mystery over horror, as the horror seems to come second—though truly horrific when presented. It’s more of an intriguing slow burn boasting occasional gooey gory imagery.A group of elderly men (incl. Fred Astaire) sit around a fireplace donning tuxedos and brandy in hand, telling campfire-style ghost stories and toasting to their secret society. They and their sons are haunted by nightmares of a woman’s ghost and, after some of them die strange deaths, Don (Craig Wasson; A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, Schizoid, Carny)—son and brother to the deceased—returns to his home town to investigate.Early scenes depict two men (one young, one old) frightened by a woman with a zombified face. One of them falls out a window to his death completely naked and the green-screening (or perhaps rotoscoping, at the time) will make you giggle. But make no mistake, this film’s tone is quite grave.This film plays out more like a romantic thriller or a heavy drama than horror. The first flashback segment is fueled by an enthusiastic sex scene and an abundance of nudity. We learn of Don’s past love Alma (Alice Krige; Sleepwalkers, Stay Alive, Children of Dune), her secrecy of her own past and her strong interest in his, and her trance-like sleepwalking during which she says some creepy things that alienate Don in their relationship. We also flashback to the youth of the Chowder Society and their close relationship to a young lady named Eva, which also ends poorly.I remember seeing this film with my mother on our movie night when I was maybe 13 (in the early 90s). At the time, it quite startled me and the image of a decaying skeletal corpse bride always stuck with me. The disturbing imagery of the spectral woman’s various states of decay remains effective, although their delivery (i.e., scare tactics) wasn’t so shocking in execution. You may be caught off guard, but nothing particularly terrifying graces the screen. The special effects are not frequent, but they are grotesque and gooey with putrefied flesh, and well-dispersed throughout the film. These visually were striking and memorable.The pace is rather slow in terms of horror, but not in terms of drama or intrigue; the story is actually quite rich. Director John Irvin (Hamburger Hill, Raw Deal) has only this one significant contribution to horror, which I liken to such memorable thriller/horror genre-benders as The Changeling (1980) and Crimson Peak (2015). I find this to be a great horror choice for a Sunday afternoon. Just not a great horror movie for anyone looking for atmospheric dread or popcorn scares.

As a huge fan of horror films this one is in my top ten. An all a-list cast here. How can you go wrong. Alice Krige gives a great creepy performance that makes my skin crawl. There is something about her voice and intense stare that is so subtle and convincing. She is perfect for the role.Story of a betrayed women out for revenge in the afterlife. I would love to see the AHS creator get his hands on this one and turn it into a limited series. The book is very thick and goes into detail that obviously couldn't be put in film format. It is worth reading before watching the movie is my strong advice.

This film was adapted from a long book and too much was omitted for the sake of fitting the story into the brevity of a film. The story is disjointed and it fails to instill any sense of fear or horror into the viewer, which is really essential to the effect that it is trying to achieve. The poor effects of the early 80s do not help the situation.It was saved from failure and is now something of a classic, thanks entirely to the stellar performance of Alice Kriege. This actress has exactly the right combination of qualities to perform flawlessly the role of the vengeful spirit of a murdered young woman - stunning beauty, a strong and commanding voice and impeccable self-control, qualities that allow her to appear slightly sinister. She would go on to win the roles of numerous characters, many of them complex villains. This film, in spite of its flaws, is one of my favourites thanks to her execution of the principal character.

These venerable stars with Alice Krige in a genuine frightener. The four old men are living histories of the movies, from Melvyn Douglas, who co-starred with Garbo, Fred Astaire, a ,multi-talented singer, dancer, actor, mean piano player who only regret was that none of the songs he wrote were hits, Douglas Fairbanks Jnr., knight and progeny of United Artists, and John Houseman, whose off-screen cv was also impressive, none of them give less than full value.

Ghost story on Blu-ray is very good,PQ is a bit grainy and sound is very good,the extras are interesting the conversation with producer and screen writer are good. The film its self is a classic and for all of its faults it still keeps you entertaind on a wet sunday afternoon so enjoy and you may see things you wont belive.The running time is 110mins not 88mins as shown as above.

Classic that I have been waiting for its re release for what seems to be an eternity. Some of the great actors last roles and they do not disappoint. Really enjoyed watching it again and reminding myself what a great film it is. Obviously some of the effects are a bit dated but the storyline and the actors are not. Luv fred astaire in it so much like my grandad when he was still with us. I love the film and the ending is great.

An excellent blu-ray version of this classical supernatural story . Till now I only had a VHS-tape in moderate quality and no subtitles . This blu-ray is a must-have , the picture-quality could not be better . Watch it in the late evening in stormy weather , only by candle-light ! Sleep well after watchting !!!