[7]

Four old men and their families are haunted by the ghost of a woman the men accidentally killed decades ago in this John Irvin film of the Peter Straub story. It could have benefited from a more visionary director, because it really only taps the surface of its atmospheric potential but Ghost Story is otherwise a solid spook tale of ghostly revenge that kept me interested to the end. Alice Krige is a treasure as the ghost character — nobody plays spooky like her (most know her as Star Trek‘s Borg Queen). The surrounding ensemble of veteran actors, however, are not as great as I thought they might be. John Houseman seems to be phoning it in, and Melvyn Douglas is a bit over the top. Fred Astaire and Douglas Fairbanks Jr are the only ones giving an effort. The few moments of gore are well-executed and Philip Sarde’s score is very good. I’m not sure I understand the mechanics behind the finale, but it’s an enjoyable ride nonetheless. With Patricia Neal and Craig Wasson.