Customer Reviews

Walt Disney's Blackbeard's Ghost [VHS]

5 star:		(30)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(14)

 

 

Much thanks to Disney for releasing this classic family favorite, but the DVD is so lacking. First, my biggest gripe is that the movie is in full screen. So much is cut off in some scenes that it cannot be missed. For example, in one scene, Dean Jones is sitting in a car talking with one of his co-stars sitting next to him. Only half or even as little as one third of the actors face is visible. Very annoying to watch. Another glitch is the audio. For some reason the audio is terribly low on this DVD. Usually DVD sound is crystal clear and sometimes in surround sound, however, while watching the movie I had to raise the audio on my television to a very high setting just to hear it.
I do appreciate the release of this movie on DVD, but this movie that was such an ejoyable part of many viewers childhoods really deserved much more respect and should have had more attention when being put onto DVD. Hopefully Disney will put forth more effort when releasing their classics in the future.

While not a great moment in movie history, Blackbeard's Ghost is a fun film for families and stars the always-great Peter Ustinov. I had been looking forward to it's release on DVD as the print I had on VHS was so terrible, I felt surely that the DVD would offer a better print (and based on the quality of the prints on the recently-released Vault Disney titles I had purchased, I felt even more assured that it would). I was sooooo disappointed today when I received my copy of Blackbeard's Ghost. Of all of the DVDs I have purchased from a name studio, this has to be the worst I have ever seen. The print used seems to be the same as the one used for the old VHS I have. The picture contrast is terrible. The print itself is full of scratches and blemishes and the picture is very grainy. Worst of all it is presented in full screen (I seem to remember reading it would be widescreen when it was first announced), which leaves parts of the picture lopped off. An example of this is when Dean Jones' character is talking to a student while driving and the right half of Jones' face is missing while the left half of the student's is gone. The biggest example of the low quality of the print used is the opening titles. Since the film was not presented in widescreen (although it wouldn't have been too wide, I'm sure), the opening credits are "squished" up, with the picture being presented slightly off-center, leaving about a 1 1/2 inch black space up the left side of my screen. I know this film is not considered a classic by most, but I was hoping Disney would have thought it was and done better than this. Maybe some day they will.

This of course is an excellent movie - Ustinov is excellent as well as Dean.

However, I honestly expected better quality video from a re-released classic movie from Disney. The opening credits are truncated on the left side - it almost appeared that the opening credis were done with a hand-held video camera (someone with the wiggles of course). Tons of video artifacts exist throughout the movie (white dust, contrast problems, scratches, blooming, and washed out color etc.). It doesn't seem to have been given the "Snow White" treatment that other released products have gone through.

Yet again, another title I would have been happy to surrender my money for, but I refuse to cater to this insulting breed of DVD release. I paid to see these flicks in the theatre, paid again to see them on the Disney Channel, paid for the VHS release, and now they would have gotten money from me yet again. For all of the money I have put in their pockets, am I unreasonable to expect the full width of the screen? Or a trailer? How about a cleaned up print?

Apparently, it's too much bother and Disney doesn't care enough to make their catalog releases the treasured valentines they should be for the films' fans. Other studios manage to treat their older titles with some respect, but Disney seems to only be interested in shovelware, resulting in nothing more than the VHS edition on a disc. No thank you, I'll pass.

Now, should they decide to completely exploit the people who make them rich yet again (by releasing "Special Edition" versions of these titles), I shall only have to buy them once. Otherwise, my VHS copies will have to suffice. In my massive DVD library, the only company that seems to be unrepresented is Disney. It breaks my heart, but it's their one-dimensional buffoonery that is at fault. I recommend all buyers boycott these releases.

A very funny movie. I am not a big fan of old movies, but this one is awesome. Lots of fun. A definate must see if you like Classic Walt Disney

Vote with your wallet & don't buy this great Disney movie until it is released in widescreen (the way the director MADE IT) or insist on an additional 33-40% off of the sale price since they are chopping up to that much off of the picture on a full frame dvd.

This is a movie I remember loving as a kid. So many movies though, when you look at them again when you're older, lose some or all of their charm. This is not the case with Blackbeard's Ghost. I still laughed myself silly watching this Disney gem! The movie has got it all; swashbuckling pirates, ancient curses, goofy antics and schemes, awkward guy trying to get the self assured girl, and lots of old time Disney movie comfort factor-you know, the kind of movie you just feel really good after watching. I recommend this movie for anybody and I'm sure you'll enjoy it too.

First off let me say that this review is on the VHS version of the movie. I was hoping to purchase the DVD that would correct the problems evident in the VHS. It appears that the problems have remained..grateful to all those reviewers who saved me from buying just another format of the same problems. It seems that Disney just copied the the film exactly like the VHS nothing more. By the way, that is one of the great benefits of Amazon reviewing...it hopefully prevents us from wasting money. The problem now is how to rate it..a 5 star movie on a 2 star format. Perhaps it was a money issue with Disney...they felt that the effort wasn't worth the return. Whatever the reason it is really a corporate shame to treat this movie so poorly.

The movie is one of those old Disney family fares that conveys the magic of the Disneyland when Walt was running the show. It stars the great Peter Ustinov who carries the movie and lights up the screen with his humor and presence. He has so many great lines of pirate seafaring dialogue that is a treat to hear(no swearing). He plays off of Dean Jones, who by the way does a great job himself as the College coach who unwittingly releases Blackbeard from limbo..between heaven and hell. Blackbeard now has to do a good deed to be set free to his just reward...'Help an old lady across the street? That's silly!". The movie is typical Disney's formulaic as they try to help Blackbeard's descendants save the old boarding house. Suzanne Pleshette stars as the romantic interest and several of the standard Disney stock players fill in the rest. My favorite scene is when Ustinov and Jones lock arms and head off to take on Silky and the Boys singing a revised version of "Heart of Oak" to be joined by Pleshette.."I'm not letting you go in there alone". No CGI's here but lots of physical comedy and a great performance by Ustinov.

Here's hoping Disney can get their act together and tranfers this movie in widescreen..getting the aspect ratio right..as it deserves. Even if for nothing more than letting the younger generation enjoy the work of the great Peter Ustinov.

I enjoyed the movie. Ustinov was soo funny he made the movie for me. Of course the movie is pretty inane, but I knew that before I bought it. What I didn't know is that the DVD quality is the worst I have ever seen. The sound also had scratches and pops. The picture is faded and streaked. I like these kinds of movies, but I now look to the reviews before I buy Disney movies. For the cost I think they could restore them (and in general make them widescreen).

This movie has its problems, not the least of which is that this version of the DVD is in full screen and the movie was originally filmed in widescreen. This movie could also do with some restoration. However, those are details and have little to do with the movie itself, which has always been one of my favorites. Peter Ustinov is funny as Edward Teach, and the chemistry between Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette works well.

Steve Walker (Jones) is the new track coach. Jones is unfortunately booked into an inn that was produced from parts of ships used by Edward Teach, also known as Blackbeard. Walker finds an old parchment and reads the words on it. The words release Blackbeard's ghost from the limbo he was trapped in, but his ghost is visible only to Jones.

The hilarity of this movie plays on the more humorous parts of movies about invisible people. Blackbeard can move objects but no one can harm him. Blackbeard decides to try and do a good dead in order to move on to the next life, and the victim of his attempts at good deeds is Steve Walker. Blackbeard's mayhem follows Steve wherever he goes, much to the amusement of the audience. Virtually every scene that Peter Ustinov appears in is funny. Indeed, Ustinov probably could have made the movie without his co-stars, but having Dean Jones as a victim of Blackbeard's good deeds likely made the script easier to write.

Blackbeard is a caricature of a carousing pirate, which means that he drinks and speaks of moderately uncouth things. I wondered whether parents should exclude small children from watching this film. I think that the cartoonish nature of Blackbeard and the fun he has are more charming than threatening and parents can always explain that ghostly pirates can do the things Blackbeard does, but not real people. Thus, I think even small children will find some humor in Blackbeard.

This movie is less than perfect, but I keep watching it. Jones has appeared in many Disney movies, but this one is one of his better appearances. Jones and Pleshette have also appeared together in several Disney films, and the chemistry between the two was at its best in this film. I am unable to say enough positive things about Peter Ustinov. Ustinov is a brilliant and natural actor who hams it up in a way that makes Blackbeard's ghost his own. Fans of pirate movies, Peter Ustinov, Suzanne Pleshette, Disney Movies, Dean Jones, and Elsa Lanchester should have this movie in their collection.

Enjoy!