Review of Ghost Story (1981) by Ian B — 07 Sep 2017

Based on Peter Straub's novel, Ghost Story is a decent supernatural thriller that unfortunately suffers from lack or originality, and that fact that it's just not very scary. I've never read Straub's novel (although I intend to fix that), and that's probably why I enjoyed the movie more than most.

The story is fairly routine...four friends cover up a crime from their past that literally comes back to haunt them. That's about it. I'm sure the novel is far more complex, but Lawrence Cohen's screenplay strips it down to the bare essentials.

The movie's main strength is the casting of Hollywood legends Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, John Houseman and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. They bring some much needed believability to an otherwise average script.

Although it's Alice Krige, as the ghostly apparition, who nearly steals the show with her eerily hypnotic performance (she never blinks!). Sadly, you get the feeling the movie could've been so much more under someone familiar with the genre.

Director John Irvin never really manages to conjure up any scares or suspense, and the slow pace of the film is a major issue. It's also disappointing that makeup effects masters Dick Smith and Rick Baker's work is barely given any screen time.

Ghost Story has its moments, but this is actually one horror film that could use a remake.