A new restoration of the ’80s horror film Ghostriders has been released on DVD and Blu-Ray!
I was sent a review copy of this newly restored version of this horror film from the late ’80s, Ghostriders. I had never seen this movie or heard about it to be quite honest. I read up on it and it is really hard to overlook the staggering amount of negative reviews. Of course, I am a lover of physical media, so I had to give this a shot and see how much they improved the picture and audio quality of this film. Therefore, I took a shot in the dark and decided to experience this film for what it is.
Ghostriders is directed by the late Alan Stewart from a script by Clay McBride and James J. Desmarais. The film is shot by Thomas L. Callaway who helped on and supervised the restoration process. The film stars Bill Shaw, Jim Peters, Ricky Long, Cari Powell, and Arland Bishop. Alan Stewart is known for directing Ghetto Blaster and his work in the editorial department for the Disney film, Planes. How does this film stand after a staggering 35 years later?
Ghostriders is an entertaining watch even though it does not work most of the time. Its premise is a bit silly along with its execution but that is where the entertainment comes from. I found myself laughing and intrigued to see how much more this film will do. Its performances are not the best and it definitely is not meant to be a grand masterpiece of horror. It carves its own space and leans really into the ridiculousness of itself. For a film that does not even touch 90 minutes, it drags while also moving too fast towards the end. Either way, I cannot say that it is the worst experience I have had watching a film, but it definitely is not the best. It is just okay and I am satisfied with that assessment.
The restorative work done on this film is interesting. There is a definite increase in picture quality. It is easy to tell especially if you watch the original and new trailer included in the bonus features. The colors pop a lot more and the night scenes don’t look as grainy even though there are parts where you can tell that more work could’ve been done. I am not sure if it was because you sacrifice some of the elements of the negative while doing the restorative work. Either way, there is a clear distinct difference in this new restoration and it is a major improvement for sure. I wish that more of this detail and care was given to the audio because the mix seems to be what was the most complicated to work with. You hear dead noise in the background and some dialogue can barely be understood. I feel as if it will be given a good enough visual restoration then just as much care and attention should be given to the audio tracks too. Overall, it is an impressive restoration, and fans of this film will definitely be satisfied with the increase in quality.
You can purchase the Blu Ray/DVD of Ghostriders by visiting Verdugo Entertainment’s shop and thank you to Verdugo Entertainment for sending out this review copy.
The Nerd Corps 