Ghost Story

Based on the 1979 bestselling novel by Peter Straub, 1981's Ghost Story shines a spotlight on famed movie stars Fred Astaire, Melvyn Douglas, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., and John Houseman, playing old friends who gather to tell each other ghost stories—until a specter from their past comes into their lives. They are haunted by a young woman (Alice Krige) who first targets the sons of Douglas, and then the elderly gents themselves, taking vengeance for a horrible crime that they committed and covered up decades before. Fittingly, much of the film takes place in flashbacks, as stories told to one another after a surviving son (Craig Wasson) appears with his own story of a fiancée with a cold heart. Director John Irvin creates a handsome film set in a snowy New England winter that could be a Christmas card cover (thanks to Oscar-winning cinematographer Jack Cardiff), and the four Hollywood veterans bring a touch of class to their performances. But the long flashbacks drag on, dissipating the narrative's mystery and suspense. And while it does play mostly like an old-fashioned horror film, there are brief moments of gruesome special effects (such as a beautiful woman suddenly becoming a rotting corpse). Extras include audio commentary by Irvin, and cast and crew interviews. Optional. (S. Axmaker)