The Ghost: Limited Edition – Severin Films (4k UHD/Blu-ray/CD Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Italy, 1963
Director: Riccardo Freda
Writers: Oreste Biancoli, Riccardo Freda
Cast: Barbara Steele, Peter Baldwin, Elio Jotta, Harriet Medin, Carol Bennet, Carlo Kechler, Umberto Raho, Reginald Price Anderson

Release Date: January 13th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 95 Minutes 26 seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / Dolby Vision HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Italian, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $59.95

"In turn-of-the-century Scotland, a young wife (Steele) conspires with her lover to murder her wealthy paralyzed husband. But when the dead spouse’s spirit returns, it will unlock a nightmare of spectral terror, sudden violence, and depraved vengeance." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "newly scanned in 4K from the original camera negative."

The Ghost comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 61.8 GB

Feature: 60.2 GB

The source looks exceptional; it is a substitutional upgrade over this film’s previous home media releases. Flesh tones look healthy, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, contrast, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look.

The Ghost comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44.9 GB

Feature: 28.3 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Executioner's, Masks, Secrets: Italian Horror of the 1960s comes on a 25 GB single layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 23 GB

Feature: 22.8 GB

Audio: 4.5/5 (DTS-HD Mono Italian), 4.25/5 (DTS-HD Mono English)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Italian and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. While both tracks sound clean, clear, and balanced, the Italian-language track sounds more robust. Included are removable English subtitles for the Italian-language track and removable English SDH for the English-language track.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), an audio interview with actress Barbara Steele (43 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger, author of Daughters of Darkness.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a U.S. theatrical trailer (2 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital mono English, no subtitles), an Italian theatrical trailer (3 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Italian with removable English subtitles), a video essay by Tim Lucas, author of Mario Bava: All The Colors of The Dark, titled Give Up The Ghost (28 minutes 41 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a video essay on Barbara Steele by Dr. Alexandra Heller-Nicholas titled Wounds of Deceit (11 minutes 22 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview titled Till Death Returns with Roberto Curti, author of Italian Gothic Horror Films, 1957–1969 (22 minutes 27 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian with removable English subtitles), Barbara Steele presents the 4K restoration at the Venice International Film Festival and L'Étrange Festival in Paris (16 minutes 58 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Italian and English with removable English subtitles), an audio interview With actress Harriet Medin and Tim Lucas (10 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio interview with actress Barbara Steele (43 minutes 5 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Kat Ellinger.

Other extras include a CD and an insert with a track listing for the 28-track CD that contains tracks from Francesco De Masi's scores for The Ghost, Rapina al quartiere Ovest, Crime Boss, and The Big Game, and a slipcover.

Summary:

Riccardo Freda directed The Ghost. He was a versatile filmmaker who worked in Italian cinema’s most popular genres of the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. He’s most remembered for his work in the peplum and the horror genre, specifically gothic horror. Notable films he directed include I Vampiri, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, Double Face, The Iguana with the Tongue of Fire, and Tragic Ceremony.

A woman murders her husband with the help of her lover, the doctor who was taking care of her sickly husband. When mysterious things start to happen after her husband’s death, her health starts to decline. Did her husband really die or is someone trying to push her over the edge?

Although Riccardo Freda only directed three gothic horror films, The Horrible Dr. Hichcock, The Ghost, and Tragic Ceremony, his impact on this genre is undeniable. When it comes to The Horrible Dr. Hichcock and The Ghost, the two gothic horrors he made with Barbara Steele, he would deliver two of the best examples of Italian gothic horror cinema. Another thing that sets Riccardo Freda’s two collaborations with Barbara Steele apart from his contemporaries is that they were both shot in color instead of black and white.

The opening setup does an exemplary job setting the foundation and establishing a foreboding mood that builds to a fever-pitch finale. The well-crafted narrative is rich with moments of misdirection that significantly contribute to the building tension. Another notable strength of the story is its ability to keep you guessing about the outcome, and its shocking finale echoes the style of Les Diaboliques.

Barbara Steele is cast in the role of the protagonist's adulterous wife. Her character is devoid of any sympathy, and it is clear that her motivations are rooted in greed and love for her sickly husband. Besides working with Riccardo Freda, she also appeared in these notable 1960s horror films: Black Sunday, The Pit and the Pendulum and Castle of Blood. That said, the rest of the cast all deliver solid performances, and Harriet Medin (The Whip and the Body) in the role of housekeeper delivers a standout performance.

While the narrative is well-crafted, one must not overlook the role that atmosphere plays in The Ghost. When it comes to his direction and creating a foreboding mood, Riccardo Freda does not get the credit he deserves. Two examples of his direction are a scene where the wife is shaving her crippled husband. The look in her eyes and the way the camera frames the action showcase his ability to build suspense. The other scene, once again, involves the wife and a razor. This time she uses it to carve up her lover. The camera movement follows each slash; blood covers the screen with each incision she makes. Ultimately, The Ghost is another outstanding gothic horror film from Riccardo Freda that’s on par with The Horrible Dr. Hichcock.

Severin Films gives The Ghost its definitive home media release. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer