Ghost Story [Blu-ray]

Director: John Irvin

Overview

This 1981 John Irvin picture constitutes an adaptation of Peter Straub's colossal, bestselling novel. The central plot -- shared by both book and film -- revolves around the four elderly members of the Chowder Society (Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. and John Houseman), who gather in each other's drawing rooms each winter to sip cognac and spin elaborate ghost stories. The four men also share a dark secret far more unsettling than fiction -- a secret which has literally come back to haunt them, as well as their own adult offspring. Each man is visited by a hideous specter bearing the likeness of a young woman (Alice Krige) they accidentally killed 50 years ago when spurning her mischievous sexual advances.

Product Details

Release Date:	11/24/2015
UPC:	0826663163483
Original Release:	1981
Rating:	R
Region Code:	A
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Language:	English
Time:	1:50:00
Sales rank:	4,687

Special Features

Audio commentary by director John Irvin; New Interviews with author Peter Straub, acress Alice Krige, screenwriter Lawrence D. Cohen, producer Burt Weissbourd and matte photographer Bill Taylor; Vintage theatrical trailer; TV and Radio spots; Photo gallery

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Fred Astaire	Ricky Hawthorne
Melvyn Douglas	Dr. John Jaffrey
Douglas Fairbanks Jr.	Edward Charles Wanderley
John Houseman	Sears James
Craig Wasson	Don/David Wanderley
Alice Krige	Alma/Eva
Jacqueline Brookes	Milly
Patricia Neal	Stella
Miguel Fernandes	Gregory Bate
Lance Holcomb	Fenny Bate
Mark Chamberlin	Young Jaffrey
Tim Choate	Young Hawthorne
Kurt Johnson	Young Wanderley
Ken Olin	Young James
Brad Sullivan	Sheriff
Guy Boyd	Omar Norris
Robert Burr	Peterson
Helena Carroll	Mrs. Meredith
Robin Curtis	Rea Dedham
Breon Gorman	Nettie Dedham
Cagle D. Green	Eva's Ghost
Kyra Carleton	Eva's Ghost
James Greene	The Postman
Ruth Hunt	Florence
Virginia P. Bingham	Sears' Mother
Deborah Offner	Helen Kayon
Russell Bletzer	Reverend Wilkinson
Alfred Curven	Man in the Coffin
Michael O'Neill	Churchill
William F. Conway	Sears' Father
Terrance Mario Carnes	The Waiter
Hugh Hires	Student Solt
Raymond J. Quinn	Ricky's Father
Barbara von Zastrow	Ricky's Mother
Edward F. Dillon	The Judge
Alvin W. Fretz	The Coroner
Lance Helcomb	Fenny Bate
Douglas Fairbanks	Actor
Philippe Sarde	Composer

Technical Credits

Lawrence D. Cohen

Lawrence D. Cohen	Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Dick Smith	Special Effects
Burt Weissbourd	Producer
Albert J. Whitlock	Special Effects
Jim Alexander	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

Arriving at the end of arguably the most fertile decade of horror filmmaking, John Irvin's Ghost Story (1981) proves that even the lesser-known genre entries could be quite chilling. In fact, elements that might have detracted from this film's scare factor -- a score that's too bombastic, and a starring role for the 82-year-old Fred Astaire -- do nothing of the sort. Irvin's smart, tension-sustaining visual setups and James Alexander's haunting sound design, each prepare the viewer, but not completely, for the surprisingly sophisticated gore effects from makeup artist Dick Smith. Even if it weren't for all this, the presence of the singular Alice Krige would be unsettling enough. Playing the beautiful specter, Krige makes marvelous use of that lifeless stare, wicked half smile, and disembodied voice -- characteristics that later made her the ideal choice to play the Borg Queen in Star Trek: First Contact. Even though convincing enough special effects did not yet exist, Krige leaves a viewer feeling that her face might split open into ghoulish horror at any moment. The film's effectiveness is especially surprising given that it contains two lengthy flashbacks -- which fly in the face of the genre's usual need for immediacy -- and features a cast of primarily senior citizens (John Houseman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. accompany Astaire). The dedication of these professionals makes Ghost Story more than just a good ghost story, but something classy and memorable as well.