Casper

***Fun, silly ghost flick with Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci and Cathy Moriarty*** A ghost-whispering paranormal expert and his daughter (Bill Pullman and Christina Ricci) move into a dilapidated mansion on the coast of Maine that’s haunted by a friendly ghost and three mischievous ones. Cathy Moriarty plays the venal heir of the mansion and Eric Idle her assistant. “Casper” (1995) delivers the goods if you're in the mood for a "spooktacular" Goosebumps-like horror film that's fun & silly and not scary at all. It's like Scooby-Doo but without the dog and the teens are tweens. “Monster Night”…

I remembered so much of this, and yet absolutely nothing of the plot. <em>’Casper’</em> is a film I must’ve watched so much as a young kid on video, the opening few scenes are very nostalgic. As noted though, I didn’t recall anything serious from this 1995 flick though. It’s a little deeper than I remember, with some adult themes touched on - the concluding scenes stand out in that regard. I did remember the cast, however. Malachi Pearson is perfect as the voice of the titular character, while Christina Ricci is good in the lead live-action role. Bill Pullman spearheads the rest of the…

Kids in Scotland of a certain age might just remember Glen Michael’s “Cavalcade”. This was a television programme on a Sunday afternoon that featured cartoons and one of the most popular of those was “Casper”, the friendly ghost. It was probably more popular because there were hardly ever any available and so when they were announced, it was always exciting. It’s against that sentimental backdrop that I really quite enjoyed this Spielberg action adventure film. It all starts when “Carrigan” (Cathy Moriarty) inherits a decrepit manor house in which she believes there to be a secret fortune.…

Few family movies manage to make a haunted house feel this inviting, but Casper turns its spooky setting into the heart of a surprisingly charming adventure. It is not a particularly sophisticated film, nor does it always know what to do with its darker themes, but its warmth, visual creativity, and sheer entertainment value make it an easy movie to enjoy. The film’s most impressive achievement is its visual effects. The CGI remains remarkably smooth for its era, allowing Casper and the Ghostly Trio to blend naturally into the live-action world. Whipstaff Manor is equally terrific, filled…