Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		1.5
Overall		3.5

The Vampire's Ghost Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 5, 2021

Note: This version of this film is available on Blu-ray as part of the Silver Screams Cinema Collection.

With Halloween sneaking up on us all in just a few more weeks, some may be looking for some scary movies to fill the interim and properly set the mood. Imprint's Silver Screams Cinema Collection may not in fact offer any undiscovered masterpieces, but it's kind of a goofily fun time capsule which can transport willing viewers back to a simpler era when low budget (some may aver no budget) studios like Monogram and Republic churned out B movies with some kind of horror underpinning which were frequently utilized to fill out double feature bills. The six films aggregated in this set span the production years of 1944 to 1957, and if the films themselves are often unabashedly silly, they can at least intermittently offer some saving graces, and there are a ton of interesting trivia tidbits about some of the films included, some of which I'll mention in the individual reviews linked to below, which, when combined with some really enjoyable commentaries included for each of the films (including some multiple commentaries), may make this set a "must buy" for certain fans.

The Vampire's Ghost received a Blu-ray release in Region A several years ago courtesy of Olive Films, and for those interested in a plot recap, I refer you to Svet Atanasov's The Vampire's Ghost Blu-ray review of that version. In the latest iteration of my mantra "different reviewers means different opinions" gatekeepers of scores may note that I'm evidently not quite the fan of the film that Svet is.

The Vampire's Ghost Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Vampire's Ghost is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Imprint and Via Vision Entertainment with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.37:1. Based solely on screenshot comparisons, this seems pretty identical to the Olive Films release, and I echo Svet's positive assessment of the transfer. This is one of the nicer looking presentations in the Silver Screams Cinema Collection, with really appealing detail levels throughout, and some especially noticeable fine detail on elements like costumes. Contrast is solid, and the grain field resolves without any issues whatsoever. There are still some very minor signs of age related wear and tear that have made it through whatever restoration gauntlet was attempted, but they're never overly problematic. There are a few establishing shots which look to me like they were culled from stock footage, and those can look a good deal rougher than the bulk of this presentation (see screenshot 10 for an example).

The Vampire's Ghost Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Vampire's Ghost features an LPCM 2.0 Mono track that once again shows a certain flatness and boxiness, but which is actually rather spry overall, offering above average dynamic range and capable support for dialogue and sound effects. I noticed no issues whatsoever in terms of dropouts or serious damage. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Vampire's Ghost Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Audio Commentary by Film Historians Tom Weaver and Gary Rhodes

The Vampire's Ghost Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Vampire's Ghost may strike modern sensibilities as verging on the un-PC, but taken within its proper historical context, it is, like many of the other films in this set, goofy fun that offers both the comfort of genre trappings with a bit of a distinctive, almost Val Lewton-esque, feeling. Technical merits are generally solid and the commentary extremely enjoyable. Recommended.