2008-07-28
Ghost Story
Reason #8762 Why Life Is Better With On-Demand:
I hadn't seen this movie in - no shit - over 25 years, but it messed me up enough from the one time I DID see it that certain scenes are forever SEARED onto my brain.
It's the summer of 1982. My sister Tina and I are visiting our grandparents in Helena, MT, and rather than go out and experience the breathtaking scenery we don't regularly get to experience, we are glued to the big brown Barcaloungers in front of the television set in the basement rec room. Because our grandparents, you see, have cable television -- specifically, HBO -- something ELSE we don't regularly get to experience. I remember the summer of 1982 as the Summer of Full Frontal Male Nudity, Pretty Girls In Watery Graves, and Gross Icky Melty-Offy Faces.
"Ghost Story." Holy shit. Fucked me up for MONTHS afterward.
So I saw it being offered in the "Free Movie" section of On-Demand, and I thought, "Well, why not?" I accepted that it probably wasn't nearly as insane and awesome as I'd remembered, but it would be good for a laugh.
It's every bit as insane and awesome as I remembered.
Now, I know there's a fair amount of controversy about this movie. Most of the controversy stems from the fans of the novel upon which it's very, very loosely based. Me, I regard a novel as one story, and the movie-version-of-a-novel as another, out of the understanding that a screen adaptation brings with it a great deal of compromise. I can't think of too many films that are even 75% faithful to the original works what spawned them. If you're really, REALLY attached to a novel, don't go see the movie, unless you're prepared to deal with this. Unless you can detach, and understand that you're dealing with two different animals, you're just going to sit in your seat and fume and mutter and annoy the hell out of everyone around you. I know because I've BEEN that person. I went to see "The Beans of Egypt, Maine" when it came out back in '94, having been madly in love with the novel, and that night, I was that person you hate to go to the movies with: a pretentious, know-it-all twerp. (But then, in '94, I was pretty much a pretentious, know-it-all twerp regardless of the environment.)
I've mellowed some since then. Some.
But, man -- yah -- "Ghost Story." Good times. Only thing that would've made it better would be two big brown Barcaloungers, and my sister.
lisamcc at 7:40 p.m.
4 comments so far
lj lindhurst
2008-07-29 15:19:44
This is why I'm worried about going to see the adaptation of Jose Saramago's Blindness. There's no way they will do that amazing book justice. (and if you have not read this book, Lisa--you should. You will love it. Trust me.)
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andrea
2008-07-29 22:40:45
I LOVE the book "Ghost Story" but I've never seen the movie. I think I'm way too attached to my vision to see someone else's, especially if theirs is only loosely based on the story. I've never seen the Beans movie either, but again I love the book.
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Tina
2008-07-30 02:50:01
Gramma and Grampa HATED that we watched HBO. But, really, what other alternative were we given (besides playing in Grampa's bar... which we thoroughly enjoyed)? I loved that damn movie, though, at the age of 10, I have to say I had no idea of what was going on. The peek of that naked guy falling out of the window and the melty/rotten faces were enough to keep me captivated.
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Jess
2008-07-30 03:28:01
I remember watching Rosemary's Baby at my grandmother's house. Talk about fucking up a kid! I liked the book (Ghost Story), but I don't remember the movie being that great. It's been a while, though. From wat I remember... nothing really happens until the end! 'Course the same could be said for Rosemary's Baby as well. I re-watched "Desperately Seeking Susan" last night. Oh. My. God. Maybe the greatest 80s movie ever. Except for "PeeWee's Big Adventure" which I ALSO just re-watched.
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Stumble It!
