What are your favorite ghost movies?
10-28-15, 08:15 AM
#1
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
What are your favorite ghost movies?
I’ve been watching lots of movies with ghosts for the DVD Talk October Horror Challenge and I’m struck by the wide range of themes in ghost movies and the way ghosts are played in so many different ways: comedy (VAMPIRE VS. VAMPIRE), romance (ENCHANTING SHADOW), revenge (KURONEKO), low-tech (ROUGE), high-tech (PULSE), spooky horror (JU-ON: THE GRUDGE), childhood longing (CURSE OF THE CAT PEOPLE), monster spectacle (A CHINESE GHOST STORY), etc.
If I had to pick my favorite ghost movies, they’d include:
THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1947/U.S.), a gentle, romantic, melancholic tale of a widow and a ghostly sea captain who dictates his memoirs to her, all underscored by a grand, sweeping score by Bernard Herrmann.
ROUGE (1987/Hong Kong), a low-key plaintive tale of a ghost from 1934 returning to Hong Kong in 1987 seeking the lover who was supposed to have committed suicide with her back in 1934 but who never showed up in the afterlife. Wildly out of place in 1987 HK, the ghost, a courtesan named Fleur, recruits a perky young couple who work for a newspaper, to help her find the man. Starring Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung.
WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE (2014/Japan), a sublimely beautiful animated feature from Studio Ghibli about a city girl visiting the country for the summer who befriends a mysterious girl in an elegant old house and gradually comes to the realization that she’s a ghost.
Overall, I tend to like Hong Kong ghost movies more as a group because, ROUGE notwithstanding, they tend to be more playful and filled with humor and action and more creative renditions of arcane ghost lore.
So, I'd like to ask:
What are your favorite ghost movies?
They don’t have to be horror movies or scary in any way, but anything that features ghost characters in one form or another.
Thanks.
If I had to pick my favorite ghost movies, they’d include:
THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR (1947/U.S.), a gentle, romantic, melancholic tale of a widow and a ghostly sea captain who dictates his memoirs to her, all underscored by a grand, sweeping score by Bernard Herrmann.
ROUGE (1987/Hong Kong), a low-key plaintive tale of a ghost from 1934 returning to Hong Kong in 1987 seeking the lover who was supposed to have committed suicide with her back in 1934 but who never showed up in the afterlife. Wildly out of place in 1987 HK, the ghost, a courtesan named Fleur, recruits a perky young couple who work for a newspaper, to help her find the man. Starring Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung.
WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE (2014/Japan), a sublimely beautiful animated feature from Studio Ghibli about a city girl visiting the country for the summer who befriends a mysterious girl in an elegant old house and gradually comes to the realization that she’s a ghost.
Overall, I tend to like Hong Kong ghost movies more as a group because, ROUGE notwithstanding, they tend to be more playful and filled with humor and action and more creative renditions of arcane ghost lore.
So, I'd like to ask:
What are your favorite ghost movies?
They don’t have to be horror movies or scary in any way, but anything that features ghost characters in one form or another.
Thanks.
Last edited by Ash Ketchum; 10-29-15 at 07:13 AM.
10-28-15, 08:38 AM
#3
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
The Innocents. Gets me every time. The only other telling of the story I've ever enjoyed as much was a Gothic opera adaptation of The Turn of the Screw about 20 years ago, replete with full orchestra onstage with the performers.
10-28-15, 08:57 AM
#4
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
The Changeling
The Haunting
Burnt Offerings
Kairo (Pulse)
The Innocents
Kwaidan
The Others
Session 9
Onibaba
The Shining
Retribution
The Fog
The Eye
Carnival of Souls
Ugetsu
The Ring
Sorum
The Legend of Hell House
The Silent House
Castle of Blood
Kuroneko
Dead of Night
The Haunting
Burnt Offerings
Kairo (Pulse)
The Innocents
Kwaidan
The Others
Session 9
Onibaba
The Shining
Retribution
The Fog
The Eye
Carnival of Souls
Ugetsu
The Ring
Sorum
The Legend of Hell House
The Silent House
Castle of Blood
Kuroneko
Dead of Night
Last edited by inri222; 10-28-15 at 10:29 AM.
10-28-15, 10:30 AM
#6
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Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Canterville Ghost - 1944
Casper - 1995
High Spirits - 1988
Hold That Ghost - 1941
The Spirit is Willing - 1967
The Ghost and Mrs Muir - 1947
Ghost - 1990
Casper - 1995
High Spirits - 1988
Hold That Ghost - 1941
The Spirit is Willing - 1967
The Ghost and Mrs Muir - 1947
Ghost - 1990
Last edited by MScottM; 10-28-15 at 10:43 AM.
10-28-15, 10:31 AM
#7
DVD Talk Hero
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Spirited Away if that counts
Beetlejuice
Stir of Echoes
Pulse
The Ring
Beetlejuice
Stir of Echoes
Pulse
The Ring
10-28-15, 11:14 AM
#8
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Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Ghostbusters
El Santo contra Las Momias de Guanajuato
Crimson Peak
Devil's Backbone
The Shining
.... I guess that's it.
El Santo contra Las Momias de Guanajuato
Crimson Peak
Devil's Backbone
The Shining
.... I guess that's it.
10-28-15, 11:32 AM
#9
10-28-15, 02:10 PM
#13
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Two recently-viewed ones that I liked, The Pact and The Awakening.
Good one
10-28-15, 02:48 PM
#15
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Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
My favorites would be:
The Haunting
The Innocents
Kuroneko
I liked Below a lot---a fairly recent WWII submarine ghost story.
I haven't seen it in ages, but I remember liking Ghost Story quite a bit.
There's a Shaw Brothers one called The Enchanting Shadow that I thought was good.
The Haunting
The Innocents
Kuroneko
I liked Below a lot---a fairly recent WWII submarine ghost story.
I haven't seen it in ages, but I remember liking Ghost Story quite a bit.
There's a Shaw Brothers one called The Enchanting Shadow that I thought was good.
10-28-15, 06:12 PM
#16
DVD Talk Legend
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Poltergeist
Casper
Casper
10-29-15, 02:06 AM
#22
DVD Talk Special Edition
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
The Uninvited with Ray Milland.
The Ghost Breakers with Bob Hope.
The Ghost Breakers with Bob Hope.
10-29-15, 12:57 PM
#23
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Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
The Haunting (1963) - still the best horror movie ever made, IMO
The Uninvited (1944)
Ghostbusters
Hold That Ghost (Or really, any of the spooky fun Abbott and Costello movies)
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (No real ghosts in it, but still one of my favorites)
Poltergeist (1982)
The Frighteners
Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.
The Corpse Bride
The Uninvited (1944)
Ghostbusters
Hold That Ghost (Or really, any of the spooky fun Abbott and Costello movies)
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (No real ghosts in it, but still one of my favorites)
Poltergeist (1982)
The Frighteners
Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice.
The Corpse Bride
10-29-15, 01:13 PM
#24
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Scrooge/A Christmas Carol (1951). Four good ghosts in this one.
An American Werewolf in London.
The Asphyx. Slimer from Ghostbusters was based on the Asphyx, it's pretty clear (maybe not technically a ghost but oh well).
Blithe Spirit
An American Werewolf in London.
The Asphyx. Slimer from Ghostbusters was based on the Asphyx, it's pretty clear (maybe not technically a ghost but oh well).
Blithe Spirit
10-29-15, 01:48 PM
#25
DVD Talk Legend
Thread Starter
Re: What are your favorite ghost movies?
Hong Kong ghosts are the best:
