Call it a phobia, but I am completely creeped out by things which seem too big to be allowed. I have no explanation for it, but as an example, I nearly drove off the road on a rainy night when I looked up to see a huge satellite dish looming over the intersection from behind the walls of a military installation in California. My heart also leapt out of my chest when I got an up-close look at a Kimoto Dragon (stuffed of course). And because this is something that unnerves me in real life, it stands to reason it is one of my favorite frights on the big screen. It’s probably why I liked Cloverfield, and Kong: Skull Island, and its most certainly part of the reason I liked Ghost Ship (2002) when it pretty much sunk at the box office.

If you haven’t seen it, a salvage crew discovers a cruise ship, lost for over forty years, floating lifeless in a remote region of the Bering Sea. When they attempt to bring it back to shore, they begin to discover there may still be “passengers” on board. Without spoiling anything, I will tell you that as horror movies go, it’s fairly predictable, though the twist at the end is pretty clever.

What Ghost Ship does have in its favor is its opening scene, which in some circles is considered one of the most memorable in horror movie history. It also has some very impressive special effects and that “too big to be allowed” moment when the small salvage ship, panning a very dark and foggy seascape with a lone searchlight, comes upon the behemoth that is the cruise ship Antonia Graza, looming ridiculously huge from out of the blackness. So, in spite of the fact I’m in the minority, I personally liked Ghost Ship enough to own it in a couple of formats, and to watch it more than once. Which is why the news that a collector’s edition is being released seemed pretty cool.

Scream Factory is responsible for the Blu-Ray release scheduled for September 29, 2020, which will be packed with bonus features:

• This Isn’t Real – an interview with actor Isaiah Washington
• Dark Castle at Sea – an interview with producer Gil Adler
• Every Body on Board – an interview with makeup effects supervisor Jason Baird
• Audio Commentary with director Steve Beck
• Max on Set: Ghost Ship featurette
• Visual Effects featurette
• A Closer Look at the Gore featurette
• Designing the Ghost Ship featurette
• Secrets of the Antonia Graza clips
• Mudvayne “Not Falling” Music Video
• Theatrical Trailer

Ghost Ship stars Julianna Margulies, Gabriel Byrne, Ron Eldard and Isaiah Washington. The best thing about watching it now, it that it may make you feel better about the fact we’re missing out on cruise vacations this year.