Happy Goat Horror

Dark bleetings! I love a good spook, and am always looking for recommendations for books/films about hauntings that will scare me silly. It’s so rare that I’m terrified, these days. It’s sad times. I’m sure you’ll be kind enough to share your favourites with me, but before you get your own list ready, allow me to show you mine!

Here are my Top 10 Ghost Movies:

10. THE FRIGHTENERS

I won’t lie to you – it’s been a looooong time since I last saw this. However, there are images that have stuck with me since childhood from that film. It’s about a man that realises he has a gift, but uses said gift for…. erm… let’s say immoral purposes.

9. GRAVE ENCOUNTERS

I’ve mentioned this one in other lists before, and I know it has its problems but I love it anyway. Yes, there might be some stretchy-mouth ghosting, and yes, it’s a little tropey, but I adore the found-footage format and was genuinely quite spooked for at least half of it. Oh yeah, it’s about a documentary crew that go around debunking hauntings.

8. OCULUS

Kaylie’s brother is blamed for murder, and she goes on a mission to prove that the real culprit is something scary and supernatural. I watched this alone in the dark and parts of it scared the bejeesus out of me. THE BEJEESUS, I TELL YOU!

7. THE FOG (Original)

I love John Carpenter and his weird green fog pirates. This was a childhood classic. I can’t say I was ever scared watching this, but for some reason I really loved pirates so this was my cup of tea. It’s about a fishing town that suffers when a mysterious fog rolls in, and there’s something in it…

6. 1408

Based on the Stephen King novella, this is about a dude who stays at haunted places in order to debunk the ghostly stories. He’s as sceptical as they come, and isn’t easily freaked out. But then the room – an “evil fucking room”, as he’s told – DOES start to freak him out. And it freaked me out too.

5. THE OTHERS

Set in them good old days (I think) a woman and her kids live a sort of lonely life with the housekeepers, and then freaky things start happening inside their home. It’s generally atmospheric and creepy, and goes in an unexpected direction, which to this day I think is a stroke of genius. I love it.

4. JU-ON: THE GRUDGE

Holy crap, did this scare me. I saw the American remake first, which I found terrifying at the time, so naturally I went searching for the Japanese original. It’s scarier. Much scarier. I struggle to articulate why, exactly, but it just is. If you’ve somehow not seen either and are looking for something that will make you want to keep the lights on, I recommend the original over its remake, though I think the remake is good.

3. THE SHINING

You know, I really didn’t want to put this in my list. I think because it’s always near the top of everyone else’s lists, and I try to offer up different recommendations in mine. However, there was just no fighting the Overlook. Based on the Stephen King novel, this is about a family who goes to stay at The Overlook Hotel during the off-season when it’s closed to the public, because Dad becomes the winter caretaker – a seemingly excellent opportunity for someone who wants to be paid while getting the time and space to work on a novel. As an adaptation, it’s kind of a failure, truthfully. But as a movie in its own right? A classic for a reason.

2. BEETLEJUICE

You didn’t think I’d enthuse about ghosts without brining up Beetlejuice, did you? I think this might be Tim Burton’s best work (I’m not sure about bothering with the sequel though…. in recent years, I’ve been mostly disappointed/infuriated by additions to films/franchises I once loved). A strange and unusual girl called Lydia makes some unlikely friends when her parents move them into a new house. She also finds herself with an unlikely adversary. Honestly, if you haven’t seen Beetlejuice…. why? It’s delightful for a whole host of weird reasons.

1 THE HAUNTING (1963)

It might be a cliche to have this topping my list, I know. But there’s just no denying the greatness of this film. A dude takes a group of strangers to a manor house to investigate whether or not they’ll experience a paranormal phenomenon. It’s a treasure, this film is. It goes to show the power of excellent writing and set design and atmosphere, before the age of just slapping CGI everywhere. It’s so spooky and creates so much tension, and has a wonderful ye olde days charm to it. One I return to over and over when I’m feeling a bit classic.

What are your favourite ghost movies? I need more! MORE SPOOKS!