Because we know Sam is dead and no one can see him, moments that would usually feel scary in pure horror films-such as a keyboard typing by itself or a chair moving across a room-are simply evidence of his presence and reactions to the other characters. Instead, the film uses its supernatural horror elements more like action sequences. The truth is Ghost isn’t horror in the traditional sense. After all, what could be scarier than losing someone you love? So much so that Sam’s expected death still feels like a literal shot to the chest, shifting the film from romance to horror. It’s pure romance and deeply sexy - thanks to the chemistry between Swayze and Moore (has pottery-making ever seemed more enticing?) - and the film effortlessly pulls it off. This is the SoHo loft of artist Molly and banker Sam, and the film devotes its first 25 minutes to their relationship and the new life they are planning together. Suddenly, the music shifts into something more tender and romantic, and a sledgehammer breaks through a wall. The film begins by floating through an eerie, abandoned building as spooky atmospheric music - courtesy of legendary French composer Maurice Jarre - builds and builds. The title certainly suggests a horror movie, and the opening credits capitalize on that notion. It’s as high-concept as any other easily recognizable blockbuster, but it doesn’t settle as neatly into a single, definable genre. Instead, director Jerry Zucker and screenwriter Bruce Joel Rubin combined all three into one film with a kind of confidence that is both impressive and normally ill-advised.
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In terms of blockbusters, Ghost is something of an anomaly-not quite a horror movie or a weepy romance nor is it totally a Wall Street-style thriller, either. How do we prove to others we love them or they’re in danger? How do we convince them someone or something is not what it seems? What evidence do we need to know we’re loved or that the people who love us never leave us? If that sounds like unusual territory for a summer blockbuster to you, you’re not wrong.
The plot of Ghost and the fate of its main characters hinges upon this stuff-mementos of a life and love left behind. For Sam, these items are proof it’s him trying to contact Molly from beyond the grave through shady psychic Oda Mae Brown ( Whoopi Goldberg). To a person mourning the death of someone they loved deeply, even a half-eaten pack of Rolaids suddenly carries a weight you’d never give it if the person you loved was still alive. To anyone else, this would just be a random list of things, but to Molly Jensen ( Demi Moore), these are reminders of the love she shared with her recently murdered boyfriend Sam Wheat ( Patrick Swayze). Green underwear with a name written on them.
Today, Emmy Potter dials back the clock to 1990, when Jerry Zucker conquered the box office with the genre-defying blockbuster, Ghost. In the weeks ahead, you’ll read through a variety of features digging deep into the greatest hits of Hollywood, from popcorn classics to underrated gems. Blockbuster Month is celebrating the true titans of the genre.