The BBC gives over a whole evening to an ‘investigation into the supernatural’. Four respected presenters and a camera crew attempt to discover the truth behind ‘The most haunted house in Britain’, expecting a light-hearted scare or two and probably the uncovering of a hoax. They think they are in control of the situation. They think they are safe. The viewers settle down and decide to watch ‘for a laugh’. Ninety minutes later the BBC, and the country, was changed, and the consequences are still felt today.
For thoughts on Ghostwatch, please check out our discussions on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Ghostwatch is presented on Blu-Ray with its original 1.33:1 pillarbox presentation which looks about as strong as you could possibly hope. As the filmmakers discuss in the supplemental features, this film was shot to replicate a proper television broadcast as accurately as possible. Anyone who has seen any BBC programming from this time will be familiar with the deficits that occur when trying to present in high definition. Content shot on video has a ceiling for how much detail you are going to be able to squeeze out, and there are other minor digital errors that you cannot avoid.
While there may be a certain expectation for how a film should look in HD, having this movie presented on Blu-Ray does allow it to exist in its most satisfying state. This is a very nice looking transfer that eliminates most of the unintended deficits while persevering the original look. The track does show off some faint detail in the clothing of the subjects and in the production design. The in-studio elements prove to be the most stable. Colors present as vivid as the original format will allow. There does not appear to be any issues with compression artifacts, but some of the shadowy segments and fast panning moments reveal some macroblocking and pixelation. This presentation is the most accurate to what audiences would have seen when it aired on television, only at a higher quality. This material is incapable of looking super crisp and pristine, but the upgrade is welcome nonetheless.
Audio Quality
The new Blu-Ray is presented with an LPCM 2.0 track which stands out as stronger than the video side of the equation. There are a couple of sound issues due to the source material, but for the most part the track sounds surprisingly robust. The words of the subjects come through quite well in relation to the competing sounds, although things can become a bit cloudy in more active “on the scene” moments. The in-studio material holds up with less distortion than the material out in the world with less stability. The most impressive aspect of this track is the gently unsettling atmospheric effects which come through with a nice fidelity. English SDH subtitles are provided for those who desire them. This one sounds as good as it possibly can in this Blu-Ray collection.
Special Features
The 101 Films Blu-Ray of Ghostwatch includes a bound booklet featuring the essays “Extra Sensory Perception Management” by director Sarah Appleton, “Ghostwatch – As It Happened” by journalist Tim Murray, and “31/10” by writer Stephen Volk. In these pieces, the contributors discuss the film in the context of its creation, reception and legacy. These all provide a great amount of context and insight into the film and genre as a whole. The only criticism is that the presentation can be a bit hard to read due to its aesthetic layout. There is also a bound script for the film and a selection of art cards provided. The on-disc special features are as follows:
- Audio Commentary #1: Film Historians Dr. Shellie McMurdo (University of Hertfordshire/University of Roehampton) and Dr. Stella Gaynor (University of Salford) provide a pretty decent new commentary track in which they begin by relating their own personal experiences with the film before delving more into the historical aspects of the production, the reception, the film’s legacy and more.
- Audio Commentary #2: Writer Stephen Volk, producer Ruth Baumgarten and director Lesley Manning provide an archival commentary track in which they discuss the motivation behind making this film, how they tried to adhere to authenticity, the difficulties in crafting shots that would register as scary, the trouble with marketing a movie that is supposed to be a “live event,” getting crew members to participate on camera, securing the main talent, the audience response and more.
- Do You Believe In Ghosts?: A pretty great 48-minute documentary in which various cast members and creative figures behind the scenes discuss the creation of this film alongside some notable fans of the piece who speak to the impact it has had on culture and their work as filmmakers. You get many great insights into how everything came together and was executed on a practical level. This has some really great production value which fans should appreciate.
- Shooting Reality: An eight-minute archival featurette in which director Lesley Manning discusses the process of bringing the script to life.
Final Thoughts
Ghostwatch is a product of its time due to the proliferation of faux documentaries and the rise of internet culture where everything can be picked apart almost instantly. Yet, that does not mean this does not hold entertainment value. The sheer commitment to creating the illusion of a proper investigation program is mighty impressive, and the way in which it builds and pays off is still effective even until this day. This will not shock the daylights out of you and have you questioning the existence of the paranormal, but it might lure you into its reality long enough to send a brief shiver up your spine. 101 Films has released a Blu-Ray that sports a solid A/V presentation and an assortment of special features that greatly enhance the experience. Fans of inventive horror programming should be delighted. Recommended
Ghostwatch is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: 101 Films has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.