Ghost Blu-ray

Ghost

 (1990)

Comedy | Drama | Fantasy | Mystery | Romance | Thriller



Think of the most touching love story you ever saw. Think, too, of the brightest comedy, the most astonishing supernatural tale and a sleek mystery-thriller. Did you come up with four separate films? Or are you among the millions of fans and critics who've discovered Ghost, the #1 film of 1990? Ghost will surprise you, delight you, make you believe. Patrick Swayze plays a ghost who teams with a psychic (Academy Award winner Whoopi Goldberg) to uncover the truth behind his murder - and to rescue his sweetheart (Demi Moore) from a similar fate.

For more details about Ghost on Blu-ray, see the Ghost Blu-ray Review

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Goldwyn, Rick Aviles
Director: Jerry Zucker

Ghost Blu-ray, Video Quality

 


Presented in 1080p utilizing the AVC codec (at an average bitrate of 33Mbps), Ghost looks the best it ever has and probably ever will. Fine object detail rarely approaches the levels we’ve seen on the best Blu-ray has to offer, but considering the film is rapidly approaching it’s twentieth anniversary, I was pleasantly surprised with the level of clarity on display. Facial textures aren’t readily apparent in most close-ups and distance shots of the city streets look somewhat less distinct, but I was happy to see a fine level of film grain throughout the production, which confirms a lack of DNR application in the preparation of the transfer. Colors appear entirely natural, as we witness the drab, dingy characteristics of the New York streets, or the warm glow of Molly’s studio loft. Continuing the trend of positives, black levels are appropriately deep during daytime and nighttime sequences, allowing contrast to display excellent differentiation between the dark and light areas of the screen, and I never detected the presence of edge halos or digital artifacting.

Despite the strengths of the transfer, there are two items that don’t hold up entirely well. First, the few scenes that contain superimposed “ghosts” walking around in the real world possess outlines that don’t look all that impressive in 1080p. This is merely a limitation in the effects available back in 1990, and not related to the transfer, but it still reflects a byproduct of making the jump to high-definition. Second, I noticed two scenes where the picture exhibited some jittering as the camera panned. If you watch the office sequence around the six minute mark, or the beginning of the funeral scene, you’ll notice the effect I’m talking about (though it’s worth noting it was only a minor distraction in my opinion).

Ghost Blu-ray, Audio Quality

 


The primary audio offering on the disc is a Dolby TrueHD 5.1 track in the native language of English. This isn’t exactly a hyperactive film, but the audio track still contains some interesting elements. The subway scene early in the film is a perfect opportunity to hear how proficient the audio experience can occasionally be, but you shouldn’t expect the track to offer much more than crisp dialogue, well-balanced music, and several fleeting examples of rear surround effects. We all know apples don’t develop into oranges over the course of 19 years, so fans shouldn’t expect the audio experience to be a complete revelation with the transition to lossless audio. If you can accept the dated sound of the musical score and effects, you’ll love the overall audio experience ("Unchained Melody" by the Righteous Brothers never sounded this good).

Ghost Blu-ray, News and Updates

• Today on Blu-ray - December 30th - December 30, 2008


• Paramount Catalog Titles Get Specs - October 16, 2008

Ghost Blu-ray, Forum Discussions

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