The film equivalent of a Kleenex tissue - comforting sure but ultimately too thin to give any lasting support - 'Ghost' was a word-of-mouth hit in the summer of 1990 and has gone on to achieve a sort of modern classic status due to a number of memorable scenes and Goldberg's Oscar-winning supporting performance.
While the film itself isn't nearly as profound as it might want to be, it's still effective mass-appeal entertainment with suspense, comedy, drama and romance all neatly wrapped up in one tidy package. The film also seems to have a timeless appeal (with my wife, only eight upon the film's theatrical release, still throwing the film on at least once a year) to all age groups and genders because of this well-done combination of genres which presents a little something for everyone.
As a kid, I purposely overlooked the romance elements and focused on the supernatural plight of Patrick Swayze's character Sam and the perfectly cast Whoopi Goldberg who provided much-needed laughs to the sometimes holier-than-thou story whereas now as an adult, I can appreciate all the aspects of the film which get surprisingly dark and peculiar for mainstream fare.
Sam and Molly (Demi Moore) seem to be living the ideal yuppie life. Impossibly in love and enjoying their great New York loft apartment, all is well until they walk down a quiet, dark street after a play. A mugging attempt results in Sam getting shot and as we see Sam chase after the mugger, we first think that Sam has escaped unscathed.
But here, we move into the ethereal, as we discover Sam has been killed. A heavenly light shines down on the dank street but Sam sees Molly holding his body in her hands and decides to stay with whatever implications that might carry. Now stuck in a sort of otherworldly limbo, he's just witness to Molly's grieving until he suspects that his murder may not have been just a mugging attempt after all.
Stumbling upon a psychic con artist Oda Mae Brown (Whoopi Goldberg) who can hear but not see him, he convinces her to help him warn Molly that she might also be in danger, a difficult task as that means Oda Mae has to convince Molly that she's actually in communication with Sam. As the mystery behind the murder unravels, Sam and Molly also get a chance to find closure with their transcended love.
The entirety of the success of the pic relies on the chemistry of the leads where Demi Moore, Patrick Swayze and Whoopi Goldberg all have palpable chemistry in both romantic and comedic ways. Swayze, already a subject of female adoration with 'Dirty Dancing' solidified his chick-flick status here, with a trademark earnest performance perfect for the material.
Demi Moore was believable in a role that only called for constant grief with Goldberg stealing the show as Oda Mae Brown, one of Goldberg's best roles.
Directed by Jerry Zucker, who seemed like an odd choice considering his previous films like 'Airplane!' and 'Top Secret!', mostly keeps his eye on the prize and never rushes or plays up a false moment.
The film keeps the supernatural/spiritual elements mostly safe with light shining down equaling good/heaven and dark blobs rising from the ground (badly dated special f/x there...these 'demons' now look like black construction paper with holes cut out for eyes...) equaling bad/hell. There's very little to offend on that matter either way.
The film gets a 1080p AVC 1.85:1 encode and it's ultimately passable if nothing jaw-dropping. The film always had a soft palette with intentionally drab colors used for the obvious reasons.
The print looks pretty good but there's still some slight dirt and artifacts. Detail is ok but I imagine most people won't notice a dramatic difference between this Blu and the recently remastered DVD. A Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track is provided and does a fine job considering the 18-year old source material.
Special Features have been carried over from the recent DVD special edition which starts off with an audio commentary from director Jerry Zucker and screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin. A few intriguing anecdotes but there's large chunks of silence so I recommend having this on in the background while doing something else.
'The Making of a Classic' is a short thirteen-minute featurette with recent interviews with Zucker, Rubin and Swayze although it appears the interviews with Moore and Goldberg were taken from old footage (couldn't get away from 'The View' Goldberg?!).
'Alchemy of a Love Scene' is a short look at the now famous pottery scene. 'Inside the Paranormal' is a goofy featurette which interviews 'real' psychics and mediums who try and give credence to those elements in the film...mmm, kay.
A twenty minute '100 Years...100 passions' featurette was taken from AFI's TV Special and is a fun look at some other popular romance films along with some quick comments on 'Ghost'. A still gallery and the films theatrical trailer round things out.
'Ghost' was an undeniable blockbuster back in 1990 and people responded, and still do, to its timeless themes of love lost as well as the suspense and comedy that was deftly weaved in. I can't really call it a great film but it has its charms.
The high-def specs are okay if nothing spectacular which also sums up the special features. Worth a look for fans but it may qualify as more of a rental.
Ghost [Blu-ray] is now available at Amazon . Visit the DVD database for more information.
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