Paramount Presents gives an excellent treatment to a well deserving film. For fans, a brand new transfer is well worth picking this one up.
“Celebrating 30 years, GHOST is still one of the most memorable romantic films ever made. Winner of two Academy Awards, Patrick Swayze is Sam, recently departed from the living world, but left behind in spirit form. While desperate to reconnect with the love of his life, Molly (Demi Moore), he discovers his death wasn’t just a random robbery gone bad. To solve his own murder, he enlists the talents of a skeptical psychic (Whoopi Goldberg), who doesn’t even believe her own abilities. Featuring a memorable Maurice Jarre score and a heartbreaking, yet often funny script by Brice Joel Rubin, GHOST is a truly unique genre-defying film that will cross over into your heart and never leave. This limited edition Blu-ray has been remastered from a 4k film transfer, supervised by director Jerry Zucker.”
The Paramount Presents line continues to grow, with its newest inductee, Ghost. Patrick Swayze is usually known for his roles in Dirty Dancing, and Roadhouse, but whenever I think of his best performances, I always think back to this film, which I think truly shows off the best of his acting ability.
After 30 years, the film still holds up amazingly well, in terms of story, acting, and especially special effects, which were some of the first computer generated effects at the time. The film relies heavily at times on these effects, and the most interesting thing is that I didn’t even seem to pay much attention to them, which is a bit surprising given the fantastical nature of a guy walking through doors, manipulating objects with the force of his mind, and jumping into bodies possessing people. It’s a combination of the effects being so well done, but especially the story being so engaging that you are never taken out of the pacing to think twice about what’s happening around you.
That story, still heartbreakingly tragic, of a man who had it all but was held back by the feeling he didn’t deserve it, and not being able to express he feelings until after he died. Sam really does seem to have it all; a loving relationship, a good job, and seemingly close friend. Despite Sam and Molly’s passionate relationship, on an emotional level Sam can’t even commit to saying ‘I love you’ back to Molly, feeling like his dream is about to come crashing down at any moment. Whether or not it was prophetic, his sudden departure from this mortal coil begins in a wave of grief, as I’m sure it would any of us, but more so for Sam knowing that he held back when he should have embraced his life with every ounce in his body. It’s a deep and moving message that almost any audience member can reflect on, even today.
All of this emotion is wonderfully portrayed by the actors in the film, the Academy Award winning screenplay, and the direction by Jerry Zucker. To think, the man who brought us Airplane! and the Naked Gun films could deliver such an emotionally driven film shows the depth of the director and how committed he was to this project. Even though this love story is what the film is known for, there are still bits of great comedy sprinkled through the film thanks in large part to Whoopi Goldberg, who also won an Academy Award for her performance as Oda Mae Brown, usually the source of all the hilarity between her unseen interactions with Sam. If film has taught us anything, it’s that strong emotion goes perfectly with comedy, and Ghost is able to provide that wonderfully.
Video
Ghost is presented in 1080p High Definition Widescreen 1.85:1 with a brand-new remaster from a 4k film transfer. The absolute best thing about this new line from Paramount is the new transfers for each of these films, some being released on Blu-ray for the first time. This new transfer for Ghost looks incredible. Very clear and detailed, with grain kept at a manageable level. Colors look very vibrant, and the darker scenes, many which take place on the streets of New York at night, look especially good.
Audio
The audio is presented in Dolby TrueHD 5.1. The original score, which was also nominated for an Academy Award, sounds fantastic on this track, with a full range to demonstrate just how great it sounds. Levels are good, with a nice balance on the surrounds and center channel, with that Righteous Brothers song filling the room during those especially romantic sequences.
Special Features
This is the 8th film in the Paramount Presents series, which has a special slip case that opens to reveal the theatrical movie poster. While each disc does always feature a new Filmmaker Focus feature, there hasn’t been a release that hasn’t been missing some extras from previous releases. Ghost is no exception, with it missing two features from the previous Blu-ray release: Inside the Paranormal and Cinema’s Great Romances. Whether this is a rights issue or space issue, I’m still not certain, but for some the new transfer is well worth the missing extras.
Extras on the disc include:
- Filmmaker Focus: Director Jerry Zucker on Ghost
- Commentary by Jerry Zucker and Writer Bruce Joel Rubin
- Alchemy of a Love Scene
- Theatrical Trailer
- Ghost Stories: Making of a Classic
Ghost takes a very deserving spot in the Paramount Presents line, offering fans a brand new and gorgeous transfer. With a low price-point on these sets, this is one to check out if you’re a fan of the film.
