Adapted from original post dated June 10th, 2025 on Piercing Cinema Substack.

Sometimes a movie comes along that blindsides you. Sometimes it’s a work you click on with no knowledge (like I did with Terror at London Bridge). In other instances, it’s a movie you assume is going to be terrible… or worse still, thoroughly mediocre.

This, gentle readers, is where I came to Ghost Writer (1989). As someone who habitually preaches about not letting preconceived notions stall your movie watching, I had plenty of my own. I’ll admit it.

Be warned, this might not be the Ghost Writer you’re thinking about. There’s no Pierce Brosnan here, kids.

Ghost Writer follows Angela (Audrey Landers). She’s a journalist of the fiercest, 1980s variety. She’s a kick-ass, 1980s, brand feminist. You know the type, shoulder pads. Lots of shoulder pads. However, she also has a noisy apartment. Where will she write? Even Pauline Kael needed the right space for creativity. Luckily, Angela soon remembers she has an aunt with an empty beach house! Problem solved. Right? 

Wrong. Perhaps unsurprisingly in Los Angeles, Angela soon learns the luxuriously perfect space isn’t so perfect. It turns out the beach house is haunted by Billie Blaine (Judy Landers), a blonde-bombshell actress who mysteriously committed suicide in 1962.

It turns out though… like a certain other blonde-bombshell we all know… Billie also had a politician boyfriend (Anthony Franciosa). And it probably isn’t a surprise that he also just so happens to be married.

Can Angela, with the help of lovable goofball Tom (Jeff Conaway) help Billie find out what really happened to her? Did she really commit suicide? Or was something more nefarious at play here. David Doyle, Joey Travolta and (Sloth himself!) John Matuszak co-star in the movie. Keep an eye out for a “blink and you miss it” appearance by the always delightful Dick Miller. Kenneth J. Hall directs Ghost Writer from his own script. 

As a child of the 1980s and a religious 1970s game show aficionado, I should have probably guessed the Landers sisters made a movie together. In an equally new to me fact, their mother served as producer.

There was ALOT of Dallas and Murder She Wrote in my house growing up, so I’ve always been, at most, superficially aware of the Landers sisters. However, it wasn’t until the last handful of years that their identities and personas really came into focus, Judy perhaps a bit more so than Audrey. This, I suppose is probably thanks to my fondness for Match Game and Vega$.

Looking at Ghost Writer, one thing should leap out almost immediately to any Classic Hollywood nerd out there. This is Marilyn Monroe fan-fiction. Ghost Writer is cathartic Marilyn Monroe fan-fiction and I was actually surprised how blatant the similarities were.

There’s very little narrative departure here from Monroe’s story. Billie is a starlet from the same era. They both died the same year and there’s the ever present specter of mystery that there’s something more to the end of her life than what is reported.

Heck, Judy Landers’ star persona is, in the grand scheme of things not far removed from Monroe’s (at its fluffiest). Ghost Writer, without giving spoilers, gives Monroe fans with an eye for the scandalous perhaps a little joyful closure.

As I mentioned in the opening, I knew nothing as I clicked into this movie. In truth, I think it was the cast list that finally led me to check this one out.

Were my expectations high? Not at all. I’ve been down a rabbit hole of weirdness ranging from the most obscure of “sexploitation” films to the wackiest that Fred Olen Ray and Russ Meyer could offer. Half the time, I never know what to expect.

You could color me surprised as I realized Ghost Writer is none of those genres. Teach me to judge a movie by its poster.

This 1980s set comedy is frothy, easy and frankly, only a few steps removed from a 1990s Disney made-for-tv movie. However, there’s a little too much hinted adult content to actually see it on the network. 

Much of the film’s humor revolves around a silly “ghost” comedy. This ranges from Billie drinking something in her spirit form and liquid disappearing in front of tipsy nightclub goers to Billie changing form to scare the bad guys in the interestingly conceived finale. 

It should come as no surprise though that Judy Landers throws herself into the ghostly starlet and the portrayal very much works. The character is a comfortable range for the actress, but she never shies away from silly humor. It’s very much in her wheelhouse. 

At the same time though, Audrey is very much saddled with the “straight man” part. Luckily though, the two sisters play off each other well and are having a lot of fun here.

I certainly liked Audrey as Angela, but really wanted a little more of the hardcore feminism bubbling beneath the surface. This part could have gone full 1980s power feminism, but it drifts away from that into the second act.

There was one quirky choice here that didn’t work for me though. Jeff Conway. He had me distracted! I’ve seen him work!! I was reared on Nick at Nite Taxi reruns!

In this part though, I just kept thinking of Kenickie from Grease. Conaway had more to do in Grease and Taxi both. He’s silly and likable here, but in truth, he seems to only exist because the film needs a “love interest”, not because the character is needed. They could have frankly combined this character with Joey Travolta’s and found a nice blend. 

The film makes a choice though that in hindsight felt really cool. I’m going to make an attempt to not spoil this 36 year old movie. However, the narrative in the last act drops into a reverse “damsel-in-distress” arc that not only felt different for this time, but I vibed with it. It was plucky and delightful, a bit like this movie.

Ultimately, works like Ghost Writer are hard to write about from a film critic perspective. This was a silly bit of fluff. It’s completely easy and harmless and do you know what? That suited me just fine. Those who are into some easy, straight to VHS comedies might enjoy this one. Then there’s the Landers’ of it all! If you remember the 1970s and 1980s, this will likely feel comfy and familiar. 

Ghost Writer is (at the time of posting) currently streaming on Tubi.