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High Spirits (film)

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High Spirits
Theatrical release poster
Directed byNeil Jordan
Written byNeil Jordan
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyAlex Thomson
Edited byMichael Bradsell
Music byGeorge Fenton
Production
company
Vision PDG
Distributed by
Release date
  • 18 November 1988 (1988-11-18)
Running time
99 minutes
Countries
  • Ireland
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$15 million [1]
Box office$8.5 million (US)

High Spirits is a 1988 fantasy comedy film written and directed by Neil Jordan and starring Steve Guttenberg, Daryl Hannah, Beverly D'Angelo, Liam Neeson and Peter O'Toole. It is an Irish, British and American co-production.

Set in a remote Irish castle called Dromore Castle, County Limerick, High Spirits is a topsy-turvy comedy with thematic leanings towards Ireland's rich folklore regarding ghosts and spirits, where the castle starts to come to life with the help of such denizens.

Plot

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Cash-strapped Peter Plunkett has converted his ancestral home, the dilapidated Castle Plunkett, into a bed and breakfast. Owing money to an Irish-American businessman named Brogan, Plunkett attempts to turn the castle into "the most haunted castle in Europe" for the tourist trade. Inspired by his mother's stories about the castle being haunted, he and his wacky Irish staff set about creating ghostly costumes and effects for their first group of American guests.

Initially annoyed by the inept "hauntings", the American guests soon discover that Castle Plunkett's real ghosts have taken umbrage at being cheaply exploited and have staged a full-scale paranormal event.

Two ghosts, Mary Plunkett and Martin Brogan, become romantically entangled with two of the American guests. When Jack Crawford inadvertently interrupts the "loop" of the ghostly couple's murder/suicide by getting in the way, Mary becomes enamored of him; when Martin becomes aware of his surroundings, he falls in love with Jack's wife, Sharon. This romantic twist becomes the main focus of the plot.

Cast

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Reception

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The film received negative reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 31% rating based on 16 reviews.[2]

Home media

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Scream Factory released the film on Blu-ray Disc in 2015.[3] It was packaged as a double feature with Vampire's Kiss on February 13, 2015.[4] The film was released on Blu Ray from Final Cut on August 24, 2020 in the UK.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Jones, Alan (1989). "High Spirits". Cinefantastique. Fourth Castle Micromedia. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  2. ^ "High Spirits (1988)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  3. ^ ""VAMPIRE'S KISS" / "HIGH SPIRITS" Double Feature". Archived from the original on 2015-02-10. Retrieved 2015-02-10.
  4. ^ Vampire’s Kiss / High Spirits (Blu-ray Double Feature)
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