The Ghostly 10
This week’s post will feature a random assortment of some of my favorite ghostly themed movies.
Poltergeist
It is a classic for a reason. I don’t think anyone who has seen this movie doesn’t think about the whether or not an Indian burial ground is located underneath the house they are about to buy. You can believe what you want about the superstitions that surround the filming of this movie, but it is still one of my favorites from Steven Speilberg. Even though it was 1985, this movie can still be pretty terrifying.
The Ring
This movie ushered in the great American remake when it came to Japanese ghost movies, but I liked that movement. It started a change in what people wanted to see in a horror movie. They not only wanted to be scared, but they wanted a story that had character development. Turns out, the movie gets real interesting if the ghost itself has character development. The movie Thirteen Ghosts wouldn’t have been a lot better if all of the interesting ghosts had backgrounds. If you didn’t know this, those ghosts do. The DVD has a feature that does just that. The little feature is way more fascinating than the whole movie. In this film, Samara brought a whole new creep factor to the silver screen by having you get to know her and understand her, whether you wanted to or not.
The Shining
There’s haunted hotels, and then there’s Jack Nicholson. I mean, people have to pause when they see twin girls because of this movie. It's scary and a mind trip, just the way Stanley Kubrick liked his movies. In the end you are left with this piece of artwork called a movie that you have to just watch again regardless of the amount of sleep you know you will lose over it.
Ghostbusters
The first is solid gold and I personally enjoy the second one. I saw it as a kid, so it still holds that nostalgia for me. This movie is amazing. As a kid we watch one film and as an adult we saw another, both fantastic. While I am still sad over the passing of Harold Ramis, I plan to go and see the 30th Anniversary release. Who you gonna call?
High Spirits
This is one of my favorites from the 80’s. Let’s just pull out a name call for the cast: Peter O’Toole, Steve Guttenberg, Beverly D’Angelo, Daryl Hannah, and Liam Neeson. It is a quirky little comedy about a decrepit castle in Ireland in need of saving, when the staff decide to fake hauntings in order to generate business. It was all good fun, until everyone finds out that the castle is truly haunted. I love it!
The Frighteners
Again, story driven ghost stories go far, and this one was a surprise when it came out. Not only was this one of the last feature films that Michael J Fox ever did, but it was directed by Peter Jackson. While the true hobbit fans know this, there are the partial enthusiasts that are being pleasantly surprised by this. After a man becomes psychic after a tragedy and upset with the hand dealt to him, he decides to use his new befriended ghost friends to scam people into paying him to rid their homes of the haunting entities that he sent there. Then he comes face to face with a truly angry spirit that is set on reliving and finishing the massacre he started before he was killed.
Ghost
Yeah, it has Patrick Swayze in it, so of course it will make the list. This movie isn’t just a film icon but a culture icon. I don’t have very much else to say outside of Patrick Swayze to help you understand my reasonings, except maybe Whoopi Goldberg. Yeah, she was pretty awesome in this too. I will leave you with this learned lesson. Apparently, if you are a mega asshole that kills your best friend only to be pulled down to the depths of hell, you will come back as president someday. This oddly explains quite a few presidents.
Woman in Black
Maybe you haven’t seen this movie because it has Daniel Radcliffe is in it, and he will always be your Harry Potter. If you like old Victorian and Gothic mysteries and ghost stories, then I definitely suggest this. The story is quite intriguing and interesting as it is slowly revealed throughout the story. It was liked so much, that there is a sequel due out next year.
Stir of Echos
Kevin Bacon had a mini movie come back when the late 90’s and early 2000’s hit. This was one of my favorites! It held my interest and always kept me guessing. I really didn’t see the ending coming at all the first time I watched it. It also features Jennifer Morrison in one of her earlier roles. Some may know her better as Emma from Once Upon a Time. Random fact about her. She used to do commercials for my old alma mater, Ball State University. She clearly moved on to bigger and better things.
Beetlejuice
It isn’t Halloween without Tim Burton. Add what I feel is Michael Keaton’s best performance ever, and we have an inventive iconic movie about the ghost world and how humanity can inconvenience the peace that the dead have created, in a quirky, hilarious way. This movie was our first invitation into Tim Burton’s darker creepier side that has become go to for his films. It is good times, but if you are watching it with the kiddies, look out for the F bomb.