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By
NICK ZEGARAC
Fox will have to start doing
more with the quality of their transfers if they
expect the public to shell out good money for
shoddy workmanship. "The Ghost & Mrs. Muir" is one
of those immortal classics that seems so
improbable by today's standards and yet comes off
beautifully in all its dated simplicity. Gene
Tierney is a young widow who moves into a seaside
resort only to discover that it is haunted by the
ghost of a sea captain. The romance that blossoms
between the two is enchanting.
The same can't be said for the transfer quality.
While the black and white picture has been well
balanced in contrast levels, the picture
throughout is plagued with aliasing, shimmering
and edge enhancement that make for a wholly
unsatisfying visual experience. There are even
several cases where splice cuts are evident in a
sudden flicker or jump as the image changes from
scene to scene.
The sound, though remixed to stereo, is
unremarkable and characteristically mono with the
exception of its music track. We get no
"making-of" that has accompanied previous Fox
Studio Classics in the series - a lost
opportunity. Instead there's a biography on Rex
Harrison that is short and glossy but ultimately
limited in its critique of this great
intercontinental actor. There are also stills and
trailers to be had.
Bottom line: very disappointing! |
