WSR Detailed LaserDisc Review

Ghost Story
Genre:Horror

Reviewed In Issue 23 Of Widescreen Review® Stars:
Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. John Houseman, Craig Wasson, Alice Krige.

WSR Review Scores
Picture Rating: 2.5
Sound Rating: 2.5
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Reference Systems
Critics' Composite Score:
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Supplementals

DVD General Information
(Studio/Distributor): Universal Studios Home Video
(Catalog Number): 43127
(MPAA Rating): R
(Retail Price): $34.98
(Running Time In Minutes): 111
(Color Type): Color
(Chaptered/Scene Access): Yes
(Closed Captioned): Yes
(Theatrical Release): 1981
(LD Release Date): 1/9/97
(THX® Digitally Mastered):

Credits Information
(Director): John Irvin
(Screenplay/Written By): Lawrence D. Cohen
(Story): NA
(Music): Philippe Sarde
(Director Of Photography):
(Production Designer): Norman Newberry
(Visual Effects): NA
(Costume Designer): Mary Routh
(Editor): Tom Rolf, ACE
(Supervising Sound Editors): Charles L. Campbell
(Re-Recording Mixers):
(Executive Producers): NA
(Co-Producers): Douglas Green
(Producers): Burt Weissbourd

DVD Picture Information
(Principal Photography): Academy Standard Flat
(Theatrical Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1
(Measured LaserDisc Aspect Ratio): 1.85:1

DVD Sound Information
(DVD Soundtrack): Mono Sound
(Theatrical Sound): Optical Mono
(Theatrical Re-Issue Soundtrack):
(Remastered Dolby Digital):
(Remastered DTS Digital Surround):
(Additional Languages):

WSR Narrative Review
Story Synopsis:
Guaranteed to give the willies and featuring a quartet of screen legends—Astaire, Douglas, Fairbanks and Houseman—four elderly friends meet once a month to drink wine and tell ghost stories by the fire—deep inside hiding a dark secret from their past. But when terrifying nightmares and unexplained occurances threaten their lives, Don (Wasson), the son of Fairbanks’ character, comes to the surviving members with a ghost story about a mysterious woman (Krige in a bone-chilling performance) they know.

LaserDisc Picture:
The picture exhibits inconsistent color fidelity and fleshtones with deep blacks. Images are soft, overall wanting in sharpenss and detail. Shadow detail is good. Noise is apparent, especially in the darker scenes but there are artifacts. The aspect ratio is 1.85:1.

LaserDisc Soundtrack:
The soundtrack is indistinguished monaural, but is well recorded and presented.
(Surround Bass Below 50Hz):
(Aggressive System Surround):
(Intense 25Hz Bass):
(Deep Bass Challenging):
(Aggressive 0.1 LFE):
(Holosonic Soundfield):
(Aggressive Split Surround):
(Center Back Surround Imaging):
(Directionalized Dialogue):
Superb Sound Effects Recording Quality:
Superb Music Score Recording Quality:
Superb Special Visual Effects Quality:
Superb Color Fidelity:
Superb Cinematography:
Reference LaserDisc:
Collector Edition: