Old-Fashioned Ghost Stories

David · #1 10-29-2005, 11:30 PM

What are your favorite traditional (or traditionally minded) ghost
stories in movies & TV? I felt like jotting down a few of mine:

The Uninvited (1944) -- Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey
The Changeling (1980) -- George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere
Kwaidan (1964) -- Katsuo Nakamura, Misako Watanabe
The Innocents (1961) -- Deborah Kerr, Michael Redgrave
The Sixth Sense (1999) -- Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment
The Signalman (1976) -- Denholm Elliott, Bernard Lloyd
Dead of Night (1945) -- Googie Withers, Michael Redgrave
Below (2002) -- Matthew Davis, Olivia Williams
The Woman in Black (1989) -- Adrian Rawlins, Bernard Hepton
The Shining (1980) -- Jack Nicholson, Shelly Duvall

Many more I'd like to see. Has anyone seen any of these?

Great Ghost Tales (1961) -- hosted by Frank Gallup
Ab Kya Hoga (1977) -- directed by Sawan Kumar
Ghost Stories for Christmas (2000) -- hosted by Christopher Lee
Return to Glennascaul (1951) -- Orson Welles
Goedam (1968) -- directed by Jo-Myeong Jeon
Sinnui Yauwan (1987) -- directed by Siu-Tung Ching
Kaidan Oiwa No Borei (1961) -- directed by Tai Kato
Open Window (1972) -- based on the Saki short story

rbs3676 · #2 10-29-2005, 11:32 PM

THE SHINING absolutely....

rbs

dissention · #3 10-29-2005, 11:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

What are your favorite traditional (or traditionally minded) ghost
stories in movies & TV? I felt like jotting down a few of mine:

The Changeling (1980) -- George C. Scott, Trish Van Devere

That's my favorite ghost movie, David. The child's ball...the score...the house, everything about it is chilling. The seance scene alone makes me race for the light switch.

I also love Lady In White with Katherine Helmond and Lucas Haas. I saw it as a child and I still think it's as scary as I did back then.

Burnt Offerings is a rather weak affair overall, but the last twenty minutes or so are really great. The ending is like a punch in the gut; I never expected it to end on such a gruesome and bleak note, but it did and worked to erase a good portion of the mediocre minutes that preceded it from my memory.

A Tale of Two Sisters (Janghwa, Hongryeon) is a terrific ghost story from South Korea. I highly recommend adding that one to your Netflix queue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Many more I'd like to see. Has anyone seen any of these?

Sinnui Yauwan (1987) -- directed by Siu-Tung Ching

That's a really great one. Very wacky and the finale is spectacular. If you like Asian horror, I highly recommend it.

DavidMn · #4 10-30-2005, 12:43 AM

Definitely The SHining!! HEEEERSSSS JOOOHHHHNNY!!

David · #5 10-30-2005, 01:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

That's my favorite ghost movie, David. The child's ball...the score...the house, everything about it is chilling. The seance scene alone makes me race for the light switch.

I love "The Changeling," & one of the things I love about it is the poignancy of the composer's grief & how that grief suffuses his experience with the child ghost, the victim of a murdering parent. That racking grief that comes in realistic spurts (in George C. Scott's excellent performance) adds the beautiful psychological element of mourning to a good ghost story.

Did you ever see "The Woman in Black"?

dissention · #6 10-30-2005, 01:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

I love "The Changeling," & one of the things I love about it is the poignancy of the composer's grief & how that grief suffuses his experience with the child ghost, the victim of a murdering parent. That racking grief that comes in realistic spurts (in George C. Scott's excellent performance) adds the beautiful psychological element of mourning to a good ghost story.

You have such a way with words. I've always thought that it was one of Scott's greatest performances; he's the most restrained I've ever seen him and his anguish is palpable throughout. I thought he was also excellent in The Exorcist III, a great movie that doesn't get the credit it deserves.

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

Did you ever see "The Woman in Black"?

Unfortunately, no. I signed back up to Netflix some time back, so I went over there to add it to my queue after reading your post and they don't seem to have it. I'll have to track it down.

Though it's not a ghost story, have you ever seen a British movie called "Paperhouse" based on Catherine Storr's novel "Marianne Dreams"? It's one of my favorites and it was on the Independent Film Channel earlier today. Such a wonderful gem of a movie; it sorely needs the DVD treatment.

cliffdweller · #7 10-31-2005, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dissention

A Tale of Two Sisters (Janghwa, Hongryeon) is a terrific ghost story from South Korea. I highly recommend adding that one to your Netflix queue.

Saw it. VERY good. But, can you please explain the ending, or, your interpretation of the ending in a p.m.?

Richard B · #8 10-31-2005, 01:11 PM

'The Woman In Black' is great and I own it on DVD.

'The Legend Of Hell House' is also a great, even with the weird ending.

I also think 'The Devils Backbone' although modern is very old fashion with it's ghost tale.

DavidMn · #9 10-31-2005, 01:13 PM

I'm partial to the Legend Of Sleey Hollow.

chiliD · #10 10-31-2005, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

What are your favorite traditional (or traditionally minded) ghost stories in movies & TV?

Gimme Topper. (the Leo G. Carroll TV series)

The Sixth Sense is really good, but I had the "twist" pegged within the first 5 minutes of my first time seeing it. Which kind of ruined it for me.

The Ring was pretty eerie.

The Others (the Nicole Kidman movie, not the short-lived NBC TV series) was pretty good, too...but again, I pegged the "twist" early on.

And, I wonder when/if they're going to release the old John Newland series One Step Beyond on DVD? That show used to give me the creeps!!!

I'm looking forward to the mini-Medium marathon tonight...more Bridget please!