‘Thirteen Ghosts’ DVD Review: Strong Production Value & Special Effects

William Castle was a filmmaker in the 1950s that was known for his over the top theatrical events. He was always trying new things like seat buzzers, 3D goggles, and anything else that could immerse you in the movie. Aside from that, he actually had some pretty good movies and we all know what eventually leads to a remake in Hollywood. The first that came along was 1999’s House on Haunted Hill which put Geoffrey Rush in the original Vincent Price role (in a very similar manner to Mr. Price I might add). The same team (namely, Robert Zemeckis & Joel Silver) brought another Castle film to us in 2001 with Thirteen Ghosts.

Cyrus Kriticos (F. Murray Abraham) is building a new house and with the help of psychic Dennis Rafkin (Matthew Lillard) is hunting ghosts to put into the new home. While out on a hunt Cyrus himself is killed. Cyrus’ newly widowed nephew Arthur (Tony Shalhoub) gets to inherit the house. He and his daughter Kathy (Shannon Elizabeth and son Bobby (Alec Roberts) and their nanny Maggie all move into the home. They discover there are 12 ghosts in the house locked in separate compartments and that the various rooms lock and shift at various times. Dennis shows up to help them figure out what Cyrus was up to but will they figure it out in time before sunrise?

Thirteen Ghosts DVD Review: Overall

What Thirteen Ghosts really has going for it is incredible production value. The special effects are amazing and they really went all out making the ghosts be individually different while equally frightening. The use of special goggles with the film that allows them to see the ghosts adds a level of suspense because they don’t always know what we know. The acting is top-notch with stars like Tony Shalhoub and F. Murray Abraham while actors like Shannon Elizabeth and Matthew Lillard take many us right back to the era in time. The real star of the film, though, is the house. It is spectacular. Most haunted house movies opt for a decrepit old mansion. Not this one. It’s a brand new house made of glass and steel. It would actually be quite impressive if it weren’t for the fact that it is full of ghosts!

The video is 1.85:1 anamorphic. The 1080p resolution brings out the details of the house of glass walls. The audio is DTS-HD MA 5.1. There’s also the DTS-HD MA 2.0 mix if you don’t have surround sound. English subtitles are available.

Bonus Features

• NEW Audio Commentary With Director Steve Beck
• NEW Haunted In Canada – An Interview With Actress Shannon Elizabeth
• NEW The Voice Of Reason – An Interview With Actor Matthew Harrison
• NEW Sophomore Spookshow – An Interview With Producer Gilbert Adler
• NEW The Juggernaut Speaks – An Interview With Actor John DeSantis
• NEW The Hammer Speaks – An Interview With Actor Herbert Duncanson
• Thir13en Ghosts Revealed
• Ghost Files: A Haunted Houseful Of Poltergeist Profiles
• Original Electronic Press Kit Featuring Interviews With The Cast And Crew And Behind-The-Scenes Footage
• Audio Commentary With Director Steve Beck, Production Designer Sean Hargreaves And Special Makeup Effects Artist Howard Berger
• Theatrical Trailer
• TV Spots

Thirteen Ghosts is available from Scream Factory now!