Review of Ghost Story (1981) by Del T — 08 May 2010

Awful adaption of Peter Straub's terrific book. The only thing they got right was the casting : old pros Fred Astaire, John Houseman, Melvyn Douglas, and Douglas Fairbanks Jr as the Chowder Society, who tell ghost stories to help relieve the guilt they feel about a dark secret., and the beautiful Alice Krige as the title phantom who's out for vengeance.

Everything else was painful to watch, given I loved the book so much. I expected lots to be cut out ,but what they chose to show, was so clumsily presented, and sometimes laughable, it just depressed me. Gore hounds will also be disappointed. The legendary Dick Smith's fx are uninspired and poorly shot. This one of those films that should be remade. In the proper hands, it has the elements to be a first class movie.