Best GHOST STORIES on Film

List creator: AWalter Created on: August 17, 2004 - 11:07 PM PDT Description: From the scarcity of good cinematic ghost stories, we can only assume it's very difficult to make a good one. Well, here are the very few excellent ones I've seen--and I think they're all films that reward repeated viewings.

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	The Others (2001)
This is a real rarity--a ghostly film that matches the atmosphere of the Victorian era's best ghostly short stories.
	Waking the Dead (2000)
A devastating story of dead love--one of the few films that can actually get me choked up. If you loved this film as much as I did, I recommend the books "The Portrait of Jennie" and "The Girl in a Swing" (both of which were adapted as terrible films).
	Beloved (1998)
A truly frightening, shocking film--and highly literate.
	Nang Nak (1999)			Not Rated
This is a unique find--a heartbreaking and creapy Thai ghost story.
	A Chinese Ghost Story (1987)
Think "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" meets Sam Raimi's "Evil Dead" movies!
	The Shining (1980)
One of the classic hauntings of cinema.
	The Kingdom (Disc 1 of 2) (1994)
This ain't Stephen King's "Kingdom"--it's the real thing, the original Scandinavian miniseries by the unique Lars Von Trier.
	Kwaidan (Criterion Collection) (1964)			Not Rated
This is a 4-part tone poem of Asian ghost stories.
	The Haunting (1963)
The classic haunted house film. A legend of ghostly cinema.
	A Christmas Carol (1951)			Not Rated
One of the better adaptations of Dickens' classic holiday ghost story.
	The Sixth Sense (1999)
A popular hit that actually deserves its reputation.
	Dead of Night (1945)
A lively, effective oldie.
	What Lies Beneath (2000)
A surprisingly effective blockbuster screamer.
	The Ring (2002)
Perhaps not the most nuanced film, but this one had me jumping out of my seat and covering my eyes--sometimes at the very same moment! And I'm one of the oddball fans that actually prefers it over the Japanese original.
	Gotham (1988)
An erotic haunting with a very surreal atmosphere.
	Truly, Madly, Deeply (1991)
A subtle story about loss, grief, an moving on with life while saying goodbye to a ghost.
	To Gillian on Her 37th Birthday (1996)