Ghost of Peter Sellers, The (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Aug 28, 2025
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Peter MedakRelease Date(s)
2018 (August 26, 2025)Studio(s)
Vegas Media/1091 Pictures (Severin Films)- Film/Program Grade: A-
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
The history of film productions gone awry is a labyrinthine subject to tackle, from the largest of productions to the smallest, and produced by both independent and major studios. In truth, human beings are not always capable of putting aside their differences and getting along when it matters the most. Things don’t always go according to plan either, and in those moments, outside influences can also affect and shape the outcome of a project, film or otherwise. For director Peter Medak, the frustrations and difficulties surrounding 1973’s Ghost in the Noonday Sun have stayed with him throughout the course of his life, deeply scarring him to the point that in 2018, he released a documentary about the experience: The Ghost of Peter Sellers.
The legendary and titular comedian who had a reputation of being notoriously difficult to work with invited Peter Medak to direct his next project, which was co-written by Spike Milligan and meant to be a madcap comedy about 17th century pirates at sea. Medak accepted the invitation as he and Sellers were already acquaintances. Because of the chaos that ensued due to Sellers’ erratic behavior, a script that was always in flux, and the film being partially shot on water (a taboo in Hollywood), the cast and crew were constantly at odds with Sellers, who was so uncooperative and wanted off the picture so badly that he went so far as to fake a heart attack to try and get out of it. The final film was considered a complete disaster and Columbia Pictures chose not to release it, with most of the blame laid squarely at Peter Medak’s direction. A few years would pass before Medak would work again, but he continued to carry the albatross that was Ghost in the Noonday Sun around his neck for the rest of his life, haunted by the memories of it.
Prior to Ghost in the Noonday Sun, Peter Medak had been thought of highly as an up and coming filmmaker with Negatives, A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, and especially The Ruling Class, under his belt. Post-Ghost, he would eventually make The Odd Job with Graham Chapman (also a troubled production), and do some of his finest work in The Changeling, Zorro, The Gay Blade, The Krays, Let Him Have It, Romeo Is Bleeding, and Species II, as well as several made-for-television films. Today, he’s slowly being more and more recognized for his work, but because Ghost in the Noonday Sun was such a personal ordeal for him, he chose to make a documentary about it, which is essentially (as of this writing) his final film.
Above all else, The Ghost of Peter Sellers is a film about trauma, pure and simple; the kind that comes from a deep love and respect for someone who treats you so horribly that you find yourself trying to make sense out of it many years later. Medak speaks to a number of friends and colleagues, many of whom had their own experiences with Sellers, and all of whom are there to support him in his endeavor and make him understand that it wasn’t his fault. Among his interview subjects are Piers Haggard, who directed sellers in The Fiendish Plot of Dr. Fu Manchu; Monty Python producer John Goldstone; Robert Wagner, co-star of The Pink Panther; Victoria Sellers, daughter of Peter Sellers; Joe Dunne, stuntman on Ghost in the Noonday Sun; and Ruth Myers, costume designer on The Ruling Class, among other subjects. Archival footage of Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, and actor Anthony Franciosa is also used throughout.
At first glance, The Ghost of Peter Sellers can appear sporadic to the uninitiated... that is, anybody who’s unfamiliar with the events that took place during the making of Ghost in the Noonday Sun. However, this is far from an arbitrary choice as it’s completely reflective of the subject matter. It gives us a taste of what Peter Medak went through on the production and allows us to experience it with him while also being contemplative of it. This could easily have been self-aggrandizing, but it isn’t. It’s almost a self-portrait and a cross examination by the person who went through it, and trying to deal with it in a very open and honest way. By the end when Peter Medak is in tears speaking about his love for his late friend Peter Sellers, whom he’s just spent over ninety minutes telling us about how terrible he was to him, we should more than understand the abuse that Medak is trying to reconcile with. Anybody who’s been in a poor relationship with someone that they care about can relate to what Medak is trying to convey. In a way, The Ghost of Peter Sellers is counseling for its director.
The Ghost of Peter Sellers was captured by cinematographer Christopher Sharman digitally using RED Epic Dragon cameras, and finished digitally (likely at 2K) in the aspect ratio of 2.35:1. Severin Films debuts the film on Blu-ray with an excellent presentation that’s comprised of digitally-captured interviews and moments mixed with vintage video and stills. The bitrate sits in a comfortable 30 to 40Mbps range with abundant levels of color and detail. Some of the archival video footage was not soured in HD, but the overall presentation is solid with no real issues.
Audio is included in English 5.1 and 2.0 DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. Both tracks offer a surprising amount of depth, particularly for the score and music selection. Conversations are clear and distinct, and the multiple channels are used to good effect for various emphases. Depending upon one’s setup, either track is satisfactory.
The Severin Films Blu-ray release of The Ghost of Peter Sellers sits in a black Amaray case alongside an insert with artwork by Matt Needle. The following extras are included on the disc:
- Audio Interview with Peter Medak
- The Ghosts Inside the Scrapbook (SD – 20:28)
- Love Left the Masquerade: Peter Medak’s Cinema of Pretenders (HD – 13:58)
- Trailer (HD – 2:19)
The audio interview with director Peter Medak, which was conducted by David Gregory, acts a pseudo-audio commentary for the film. It winds up being more of an introduction since it ends at the 17:18 mark, but Gregory questions Medak about his experiences in tackling a documentary about himself. In The Ghosts Inside the Scrapbook, Peter Medak takes us through his production scrapbooks for The Ruling Class, Ghost in the Noonday Sun, The Changeling, and Zorro, The Gay Blade—providing some of his memories of each production (I personally appreciated hearing him talk about Zorro and continue to bemoan the fact that we don’t have a proper home video release of the film). In Love Left the Masquerade, filmmaker Daniel Kremer provides a video essay about Peter Medak, his approaches to filmmaking, and his place within the conversation of more heralded and appreciated filmmakers. Last is the film’s trailer.
The Ghost of Peter Sellers feels like piece of bonus material to go with other Severin Films releases of Peter Medak-directed films, but it’s more than that, which is why it’s being treated as such. It’s a very nice release and a fascinating documentary. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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