The Ghost (1963) Severin 4K Ultra HD / Blu-ray Review

Verdict

Summary

Severin pulls out all the stops with their four (!) disc set of The Ghost. Disc one is a 4K Ultra HD disc with a stunning 4K transfer from the original camera negative, disc 2 is the Blu-ray with hours of bonus features, disc three is a Blu-ray of a feature-length documentary called Executioners, Masks, Secrets: Italian Horror of the 1960s, and disc four is a soundtrack compilation of selections from Italian horror films of the era. The limited edition comes with a thick and sturdy slipcover. High marks all around for this exemplary release.

Plot:

A woman and her lover murder her husband for his fortune, but find nothing but grief when his ghost comes back to haunt them.

Review:

A Scottish doctor named John Hitchcock (Elio Jotta) confined to a wheelchair despises his life, but uses what he has left of his vitality to experiment on himself with his assistant Charles (Peter Baldwin). John is obsessed with crossing over to the spirit realm just enough to touch and feel it, pushing the boundaries of his own life to the brink as far as he can take it, using poisons and potions, but then always coming back from the brink with antidotes. His beautiful wife Margaret (Barbara Steele) simply can’t wait for him to die, and so with Charles, who has been her lover for some time, she administers a lethal dose of poison and they kill him together. When he’s buried, lawyers read the will, and Margaret is delighted that she has inherited everything, which is potentially a lot, but her first sign that her inheritance will not be an easy thing to enjoy is that the key to John’s safe was accidentally buried with his body. When she and Charles unearth him to claim the key, they are blindsided when they realize that the safe is empty! Was Charles impoverished? Well, no, but what’s more complicated is that Margaret begins seeing the ghastly remains of Charles lurking around the house! His ghost has returned from the grave to haunt and torment her! As she and Charles scramble to figure out how to deal with John’s ghost, they bicker and begin to hate each other, which leads to the inevitable moment when Margaret breaks and murders Charles! But that is only the beginning of her torment and madness when her husband’s ghost only amplifies its attack on her!

An Italian production with strong direction by Riccardo Freda, The Ghost is a little more than advertised with gooey makeup effects, a classy score by Franco Mannino, and a well-worn plot that feels fresh thanks to good performances and solid production design. The movie has a twist ending, which should come as a slight surprise considering its title, and the entire film is worthy to sit on a shelf with the best of its ilk. Barbara Steele was gorgeous here at 25, and she plays a woman you love to hate while still being drop-dead gorgeous.

Special Features for THE GHOST:

UHD:

Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author Of Daughters Of Darkness
Audio Interview With Barbara Steele
Italian Trailer
U.S. Trailer

Blu-ray:

Audio Commentary With Kat Ellinger, Author Of Daughters Of Darkness
Audio Interview With Barbara Steele
Audio Interview With Actress Harriet Medin And Tim Lucas, Author Of Mario Bava: All The Colors Of The Dark
Barbara Steele Presents The 4K Restoration At The Venice International Film Festival And L’Étrange Festival In Paris
Till Death Returns – Interview With Roberto Curti, Author Of Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957–1969
Wounds Of Deceit – Video Essay On Barbara Steele By Dr. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas, Author Of 1000 Women In Horror, 1895–2018
Give Up The Ghost – Video Essay By Tim Lucas
Italian Trailer
U.S. Trailer