November 13, 2015

GHOST STORY must’ve been one of those early 80’s horror films that for whatever reason slipped under my radar during the height of my genre fandom and during a period where I’d devour whatever horror I could find at my local video store. I don’t even remember the box art, but thankfully, Scream Factory is here to fill in those little pockets in my horror backlog that I have yet to experience. Earlier this year, I was treated to such wonderful oddities such as THE SENTINAL and THE LEGACY for the first time, and now GHOST STORY also turn outs to be a notable gem in their catalog.

Directed by John Irvin, who has about as diverse a filmography as you can have including things like DOGS OF WAR with Christopher Walken or RAW DEAL with Arnold Schwarzenegger, GHOST STORY is as the title implies a traditional ghost folklore with a stellar cast of seasoned actors in their twilight years. Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks Jr and John Houseman are members of the Chowder Society; an elite small group of lifelong friends that share ghost stories. When one of their twin sons dies in a freak accident involving what could be the apparition of a woman, a 50 year old secret may be back to haunt them.

Craig Wasson from NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3 and Brian DePalma’s BODY DOUBLE plays Don Wanderley, one of two twin brothers that immediately falls smitten with a vibrant woman named Alma (Alice Krige in quite possibly the most sexy and attractive role of her career), who may not be all that she appears to be. I really don’t want to reveal anymore, because there’s plenty of fun twists and turns and genuine scares in store. It’s a fairly long and deliberately paced movie, but I dimmed down all the lights, cranked the sound up and really got swept away in the “ghost story.” But again, it’s all about Alice Krige! I’ve always had a thing for her in SLEEPWALKERS, but this could top that, both in appearance and performance.

Definitely worth a watch, and that’s why it’s my Killer POV Pick Of The Week. Scream Factory releases this on a Blu-Ray / DVD combo set on November 24th. Be sure to listen to the full review on our latest episode of Killer POV, which features very special guests Larry Zerner, Shelly of FRIDAY THE 13TH PART 3 and author Alyse Wax, writer of the new book CURIOUS GOODS: BEHIND THE SCENES OF FRIDAY THE 13TH THE SERIES. Listen below!