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 GHOST TOWN |
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| Actors: Ricky Gervais, Greg Kinnear, Téa Leoni, Aasif Mandvi, Dana Ivey |
| Director: David Koepp |
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Distributor: Dreamworks Video |
| DVD release: 27 December 2008 |
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Runtime: 102 min.
(1 disc) |
| Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Widescreen, Blu-ray |
| DVD features: 1080p High Definition, Aspect ratio 2.35:1, Audio tracks (5.1 Dolby True HD - English; 5.1 Dolby Digital - French, Spanish), Subtitles (English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese), Commentary (David Koepp and Ricky Gervais), Making Ghost Town, Ghostly Effects, Some People Can Do It |
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I don't believe in ghosts, but I'd like to. It's nice to think that after your physical work is done on this plane that you can just hang out and people watch or possibly screw with those you love (or hate). Frank Herlihy (Greg Kinnear) gets to find out when he is killed by a bus in the first few minutes of the film. Before he bites it, he is talking on his Blackberry - he's cheating on his wife and is busily covering up for it. He's no saint.
Bertram Pincus (Ricky Gervais) is a miserable sot of a dentist. He's not a people-person by any stretch of the imagination: he enjoys his work because he can make people clam up by stuffing the various tools of his trade into their mouths. He's the kind of bastard who won't hold an elevator for someone who desperately needs it held. He skips out on fellow dentist Dr. Prashar's (Aasif Mandvi) party rather than socialize and look at the pictures of his new baby. Pincus lives a life of quiet, lonely desperation.
When Pincus is scheduled for a colonoscopy, he chooses a general anesthetic so he won't experience a moment of the uncomfortable procedure in any way. Something goes wrong, and he dies for seven minutes. After that, he sees dead people. After New York City's ghosts find out he can see and hear them, they come running to get him to finish up their unfinished business so that they con move on. Frank Herlihy is first among them, and because he's such a charismatic and influential person, he's able to hold off the other apparitions for a time and get Pincus to himself. Herlihy wants him to muddy the waters between his widow, Gwen (Téa Leoni) and her fiance, Richard (Bill Campbell). In exchange, Herlihy will get rid of the other spirits for good.
David Koepp (screenwriter on Jurassic Park and Spider-Man ) writes and directs, creating an odd but excellent romantic comedy that hits the perfect note; there's a moment toward the end when Pincus realizes that he could maybe stop being such a jerk and start helping the spirits around him that seriously choked me up. It's a great combination of a touching moment, gentle direction, excellent performances, and Geoff Zanelli's moving score.
The Blu-ray edition shows New York City in high-def beauty; Koepp utilizes many iconic NYC locations throughout. I really can't recommend Ghost Town enough. It's funny, cringeworthy, and touching - the perfect romantic comedy. Well done!
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