This motion Picture made in the year 1986 belongs to the most popular movie productions for children in socialist East Germany. As it was also broadcast in West Germany I got to see it when I was about 7 or 8. I loved the story and the atmosphere of "Das Schulgespenst".I just saw "Das Schulgespenst" again recently and remembered how I enjoyed seeing it as a child even if the special effects of the movie may seem primitive today and cannot even be compared with the contemporary Hollywood movies. Of course you should always be aware of the fact that this movie was filmed in East Germany and contains and is of course in accordance with the ideals and attitudes of this society. Conclusion: If you don't expect great special effects or a overly sentimental story with sugary happy ending made in an expensive set then this is clearly not the movie you'd watch. However, if you want to enjoy an unsophisticated but entertaining and heartwarming movie for the fun of it you will enjoy this one. I always prefer a movie made in a real environment with a story not killed by special effects and honest artists not cast for looks only. Thumbs up for "Das Schulgespenst"
3 Reviews
A cute idea and a cute cast, but given the lame effects sequences it's not as much fun as it should be.
storyguy28 January 2000
In this German ghost story, a mischievous little girl swaps places with a ghost, and enjoys stirring up trouble in ghostly form. But when she wants to switch back, the snotty and ungrateful ghost won't cooperate. Mayhem ensues, but the cheesy animated effects are so primitive that it's hard to get caught up in the action sequences. There's not really much of a story outside of the effects gimmick, and there's certainly no clever dialogue or gags. The little girl who plays the lead is fairly adorable, but the ghost is more irritating than scary or funny. Only a European audience could get any pleasure out of the outlandishly goofy theme song.
Not really entertainment
RF-Musiker8 November 2006
Warning: Spoilers
My experience with the movie "Schulgespenst" is, it did work middling in the country and in the circumstances where it made (East-Germany before 1990). This movie is made for children, but it shows so many things, hard to explain to today's children. There are many East-German movies, underlining so extremely where they made, that I initially thought, "Schulgespenst" would be pretty neutral. This was also related to the fact, that the East-German population usually ignored the banners with the statements how great socialism is (was important to remember the population always, because they "forgot" it so easily). So I didn't notice the banners in the movie too and was later in a free, united Germany surprised, how "East German" this movie was (in 1990 was no reason to ignore this kind of banners, because no one was interested in glorifying autocracies anymore). Indepedently from these circumstances, I can confess, that this movie never made me really laugh. But I can understand, why this movie is pretty limited. Autocracies made it not easy to make good movies. Artists, directors etc. were excellent educated, but there were so many other factors as budget (it's in Europe still low, but much more in countries like "East-Germany") or that the script author is not allowed to write, what he wants (has to care for the censor's request and if he don't care enough, "someone" gave "suggestions" for modifications). East-Germany was able to make good footage, but they used this footage for getting US- dollars. Maybe you noticed in East-German shows and movies jokes, that aren't funny. Most of these jokes weren't able to make East-Germans laugh, the comedians did it on special "request". In East-German entertainment it was so, that government's needs has priority (and not the audience's one), so the East-German artists were requested to do things, they never did of own free will or if they take the audience seriously, they got trouble. About "Schulgespenst" I have mixed emotions. In knowing, that the makers of this movie couldn't do what they really want, I can't really judge this movie. But on the other hand, I can everyone understand, feeling disappointed by this movie and I agree with others, that it wouldn't be a good idea to recommend this movie as entertainment. I would wish, that someone takes this story and tries to make a better movie.
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