Thirteen Ghosts Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		3.5

Thirteen Ghosts Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Brian Orndorf July 17, 2020

After scoring a slight box office success with 1999’s “House on Haunted Hill,” Dark Castle Entertainment returned to the William Castle well for 2001’s “Thirteen Ghosts.” The original 1960 picture is best known for its gimmick, with “Illusion-O” offering moviegoers a chance to “choose” whether or not they wanted to see poltergeists through a special 3D “ghost viewer.” “Thirteen Ghosts” isn’t nearly that innocent, trying to pummel its audience with sustained graphic violence and aggressive sound and visual design achievements. It’s an R-rated update of enjoyable nonsense, with Dark Castle trying to keep matters deadly serious as they present their take on Castle’s creation, making something gruesome and noisy to reach demanding audiences of the era.

After losing his wife to a house fire, widower Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) has fallen on hard times, trying to support his children, Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth) and Bobby (Alec Roberts), along with their nanny, Maggie (Rah Digga). When Arthur’s Uncle Cyrus (F. Murray Abraham) is killed while out hunting ghosts, Arthur inherits his remote mansion, relocating his family to the strange maze-like dwelling. Joined by panicked psychic Dennis (Matthew Lillard), Arthur learns that the building isn’t a home, but a special machine created to harness satanic power, and it requires the capture and offering of tortured souls to power it, inspiring Arthur and his family to find a way out.

Director Steve Beck is hired to provide some visual muscle for “Thirteen Ghosts,” and he doesn’t go soft with the material, embracing its love of ghoulish visuals, including an opening ghost hunt where Cyrus hoses down a junkyard with fresh blood to help lure a serial killer specter into a special trap. It’s a wild opening, but the action soon settles into the house setting, watching as innocents enter a glass-walled mansion that’s filled with unknown dangers as they begin to explore their surroundings. Castle’s “ghost viewer” gimmick is updated here, with the participants playing with “spectral glasses,” allowing them to see invisible threats. It’s a neat idea, and the picture also does well with production design displays and cinematography, giving the endeavor a lively sense of menace with the mysterious location, while makeup achievements on the titular ghosts are fantastic, providing an intimidating roster of enemies.

“Thirteen Ghosts” tries to get something dramatic going with Arthur’s mourning and his parental panic, hunting for his children after they’re separated from him. There’s the mad world of Cyrus as well, with the rich uncle in deep with dark forces, giving the plot a push of danger as the specters are eventually unleashed on the visitors. Instead of cranking up suspense, Beck tends to get lost in exposition, with much of the movie spent going through relationships, backstory, and curse codebreaking. Attacks are periodic, but the film demands a more relentless atmosphere of menace. Instead of tension, Beck generates loudness and employs elliptical editing to manufacture scary stuff, and his casting is irksome, with Lillard permitted to go hog wild as the psychic who knows all, screaming and spitting his way through a painfully showy performance. It’s the Lillard way, I know, but he’s a distraction here, working to keep focus on himself when “Thirteen Ghosts” should be more of a team effort.

Thirteen Ghosts Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Originally released on Blu-ray in 2010, "Thirteen Ghosts" returns to the format in 2020 with an AVC encoded image (1.85:1 aspect ratio) presentation. The new release doesn't come with a fresh scan of the feature, presenting an older look at the horror happenings of the effort. Detail is on the soft side, with more of a processed look at facial particulars, leaving the basics in wear and tear available, while vivid makeup achievements aren't quite as sharply grotesque as they could be. House decoration and layout are passably dimensional. Colors are somewhat muted, but the heavier golden presence of the house registers satisfactorily, along with purplish skintones on some of the ghosts. Human skintones are reasonably natural, with a slight reddish push. Delineation is acceptable. Source is in decent condition.

Thirteen Ghosts Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The 5.1 DTS-HD MA sound mix deals with an incredibly noisy movie, supporting that chaos with a lively listening event. Panning and separation effects are common, while ghostly encounters and household movement deliver on surround activity. Sound effects are also distinct, keeping up with shattered glass and bodily harm, while explosions and heavier hits deliver low-end weight. Dialogue exchanges are crisp, while surges in panic are comfortably balanced. Scoring efforts are supportive with appreciable instrumentation, though some cues must fight to be heard with all the commotion going on.

Thirteen Ghosts Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary #1 features director Steve Beck.

• Commentary #2 features Beck, production designer Sean Hargreaves, and makeup effects designer Howard Berger.

• "Haunted in Canada" (9:57, HD) is an interview with Shannon Elizabeth, who details her initial meeting with producer Joel Silver, soon realizing that sharing her love of his work on 1980's "Xanadu" wasn't such a great idea. Memories of director Steve Beck are offered, but more love is presented to co-star Tony Shalhoub, a fellow Lebanese actor, who included Elizabeth in the creative process. The glass set is recalled, along with Elizabeth's personal time with the actors playing ghosts and her dealings with stunt work. The interviewee talks of bringing fear home to her hotel at the end of the work day, fan interactions on the convention circuit, and, amazingly, her unawareness of the original "13 Ghosts," which she learned about halfway through filming.

• "The Voice of Reason" (14:43, HD) is an interview with Matthew Harrison, who shares his audition story and his sudden realization that his character says the title of the film, putting extra pressure on his performance. Harrison recounts his love for co-star F. Murray Abraham, his respect for director Steve Beck, and his fear of Matthew Lillard, who had a special way of psyching himself up before cameras rolled. The interviewee explores his character and shares his unexpected reaction to ice cold blood pumped across his body. Harrison is a lot of fun to listen to.

• "The Juggernaut Speaks" (13:14, HD) is an interview with John DeSantis, who portrayed the Juggernaut in "Thirteen Ghosts." The 6'9" actor recalls his inspiration to join the film industry after seeing "Star Wars," but choosing to follow his family into the military instead. DeSantis eventually found his way into acting, going from mask work to makeup and prosthetic pieces for "Thirteen Ghosts," even showing off a finished life cast gifted to him by the production. The interviewee discusses characters and his approach to stunts, also recalling a reshoot day on 9/11/01, with director Steve Beck understandably distracted. DeSantis also shares his assessment of the movie and its lasting impact on younger viewers.

• "The Hammer Speaks" (5:56, HD) is a short conversation with actor Herbert Duncanson, who was originally hired on "Thirteen Ghosts" for stand-in work, quickly offered a job as a ghost when the original actor never showed up. Duncanson discusses his character, recounting a vague backstory, and reveals the five-hour-long wait for makeup application (three hours to take it off). Director Steve Beck is remembered, along with co-stars. The interviewee also discusses stunt work and the reshot ending of "Thirteen Ghosts."

• "Sophomore Spookshow" (8:32, HD) is an interview with producer Gil Adler, who shares the origin story for Dark Castle Entertainment, which moved from "Tales from the Crypt" to more "character based" horror movies. Adler emphasizes quality, working with William Castle's family to ensure top screenwriting, while set design and directorial efforts are highlighted, with Adler detailing a combustible but happy collaboration with Steve Beck. Time with the glass set is explored, and the successful(?) release of "Thirteen Ghosts" is celebrated.

• "Thirteen Ghosts Revealed" (18:40, SD) is a 2001 overview of the "Thirteen Ghosts" production, using interviews with cast and crew to walk viewers through the creative highlights of the film. Producer Joel Silver is most prominent here, and if you miss the media salesmanship vibe of 2001, funky graphics and bad techno litter the featurette.

• "Ghost Files" (14:10, SD) presents the backstory for all the specters in the movie, with narration from F. Murray Abraham (in-character as Cyrus Kriticos).

• Original EPK (43:24, SD) collects thoughts from director Steve Beck, production designer Steve Hargreaves, visual effects artist Dan Glass, makeup effects artist Howard Berger, producer Joel Silver, and actors Tony Shalhoub, Embeth Davidtz, Matthew Lillard, Shannon Elizabeth, Rah Digga, and F. Murray Abraham. Also included is B-roll footage from the "Thirteen Ghosts" shoot.

• T.V. Spots (2:57, SD) offer seven commercials for "Thirteen Ghosts."

• And a Theatrical Trailer (2:23, SD) is included.

Thirteen Ghosts Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"Thirteen Ghosts" ends up a missed opportunity, struggling to find beats of horror that aren't decimated by furious filmmaking, also throttled by an expository script and iffy performances. It's certainly something to watch at times, with Dark Castle trying to deliver an enjoyably cursed home for ultraviolence, but the finished product doesn't have the storytelling economy it needs, and the rage is more deafening than disturbing.