Producers Gilbert Adler and Joel Silver have always professed their love for the great horror comic books of the past, and some of the episodes from their "TALE FROM THE CRYPT" t.v series really worked, providing great thrills, and even brought refreshing twists to some familiar ghost stories of the past. With that said, the premise to "GHOST SHIP," offered lots of potential for new twists in the horror genre.

A salvage crew, led by Gabriele Byrne, has spotted an ocean liner, apparently deserted, making for a perfect opportunity to haul in and make a small fortune from.  Of course, the audience knows from an opening scene taking place two decades earlier, something horrible happened to everyone on board, and this crew is about to encounter the supernatural.  Right from the start, things begin to go wrong in their attempts to adequately board and secure her.  As with all great horror films, it doesn't matter that the audience "knows" something horrible is around the corner, and the first half hour of this film works well, providing some edge-of-the-seat suspense, and suggesting it's only going to get scarier and more fun. 

Unfortunately, the rest of the "surprises" are made too obvious in advance, and instead of remaining scared, one gets annoyed that no one on screen seems to have a clue as to what's happening.   Director Steve Beck is a slick director, and while his previous effort, "THIRTEEN GHOSTS" couldn't overcome a horrible script, he was able to create some terrific thrills.  He does so here as well, but since this material is better, it's more disappointing that he wasn't able to do more with it. 

WARNER BROS. has presented a terrific looking transfer.  The correct 1.85:1 aspect ratio is preserved, with 16:9 enhancement. This is a real "demonstration quality" disc!  The colors, contrast, and overall look are flawless!  There's incredible detail in every single scene. Again, this only makes the fact that the content is only mediocre, that much more disappointing.

WARNER BROS. has presented a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix, offering an aggressive environment throughout the film.  There are plenty of great  separation/directional effects, creating an environment which engulfs the audience, and greatly enhances the scare factor of the film. There are also plenty of LFE(.1) moments which will push the limits of even the best subwoofer. Dialogue is always intelligible and free from distortion.  This is no small feat when considering the various layers upon layers of effects making up the film's environment.

Surprisingly, there's no audio commentary here, and we actually would've liked to hear Beck discuss the film's development, and what his original intent was, perhaps enlightening the listener as to what and why things went wrong.

Some featurettes have been included.  "MAX ON SET: GHOST SHIP" offers interviews with cast and crew, as they explain the film's plot, along with behind-the-scenes footage.

"DESIGNING GHOST SHIP" offers brief info about the ship's creation.  "VISUAL FX" is an intriguing, though  short, look at the film's elaborate special effects.  "A CLOSER LOOK AT THE GORE" is perhaps the best of the lot, offering some truly impressive, horrifying creations, and explanations as to how they were achieved. 

A weird puzzle is included, but the payoff for solving it is anti-climatic. Also included is a music video to the MUDVAYNE song "FALLING YOU," with film scenes as the background.  The film's theatrical trailer has been enhanced for 16:9 viewing.