Eleven Best Ghost Stories

1) The Haunting (1963)- Four people head over to the infamous Hill House to record a little paranormal activity, and they get a hell of a lot more than they bargained for. Robert Wise crafts the perfect tale of supernatural horror that is psychologically horrifying. Not a single ghost in sight. With "The Haunting," it's all about sound effect. That banging on the door and the cackling still gives me the creeps. Perfectly cast, well-written, and flawlessly directed, "The Haunting" is THE definitive ghost story.

2) Poltergeist (1982)- From the director of "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" and a story by Steven Spielberg, "Poltergeist" brings us to the suburban town of Cuesta Verde, where the Freeling family soon experience traumatizing ghostly events, including the disappearance of their 5 year-old daughter, Carol-Anne. From then on, all hell breaks loose. A perfect blend of subtle horror and tremendous "BOO!" scares, with wonderful effects(Industrial Light and Magic!), a great cast of actors(gotta love Zelda Rubinstein as Tangina), and a truly startling story. "They're heeere."

3) The Others (2001)- Nicole Kidman. Old dark mansion. Ghostly activity. Best words to describe the movie. Alejandro Amenabar's spooky "Haunting-style" tale will satisfy anybody who loves slow-burn horror.

4) The Innocents (1961)- Based on Henry James's "The Turn of the Screw," this ghost story is more sophisticated than you'd believe. Deborah Kerr stars as Miss Giddens, a nanny looking over young Miles and Flora at the Blye estate. When she begins to see apparitions around the mansion, she gets a gut-wrenching feeling that there is something that Miles and Flora are not telling her. You're not really sure what to believe after you watch "The Innocents." Are there really ghosts at Blye? Could it be the paranoia or sexual repression of Miss Giddens? It could be either. Eerie, atmospheric, and very disquieting, "The Innocents" will not let you down. It's truly one of the creepiest horror films of the 1960's.

5) The Fog (1980)- John Carpenter followed up "Halloween" with this nifty little campfire story about the island of Antonio Bay, which is struck by a surrounding fog on its 100th birthday. It is not taken seriously at first. But then it's no joke. A great build-up of suspense and horror backed up by an all-star cast and frightening music from good old Mr. Carpenter.

6) The Entity (1981)- Inspired by the real-life case of Doris Bither and based on the novel by Frank De Felitta, this is one of the more bizarre and very shocking ghost stories to appear over the years. Happily living her life with her three children, all is well with single mother Carla Moran until she is repeatedly beaten and raped by an unseen force over several nights. Psychologists can't understand what is happening, and Carla is slowly dismissed as insane. But you and I both know that an entity is attacking Carla, and the film is her struggle for survival and help. The ghostly rape scenes certainly aren't fun, but "The Entity" is a great and underrated movie that deserves more attention. Barbara Hershey is well-cast as Carla, and so is Ron Silver as Dr. Sneiderman.

7) The Amityville Horror (1979)- Another movie inspired by a true story, this film takes us to Amityville, Long Island, where George and Kathy Lutz and their three children move into the lovely 412 Ocean Avenue home. What begins as a dream come true turns into 28 days of horror. There are a couple of cheesy moments, but it's no doubt that "The Amityville Horror" is a classic haunted house movie due to its publicized story and several genuine creep-out moments.

8) The Sixth Sense (1999)- Dr. Malcolm is a child psychologist whose next patient is young Cole, who says he sees dead people. The bad news is he's right. More of a tragic ghost drama than a horror film, to me, "The Sixth Sense" was M. Night Shyamalan's breakout movie. It made Haley Joel Osment a star, and it gave us insight into why the ghosts in the film were there. Several moody and creepy moments highlight the film, especially young Osment in the red tent.

9) Paranormal Activity (2009)- Katie believes there is something in her and boyfriend Micah's new house. So Micah sets up a camera in their bedroom to film whatever happens when they sleep. The results will terrify you. Delayed for two years and finally demanded by moviegoers everywhere, this is a simple haunted house story that induces major goosebumps. Is "Paranormal Activity" for everyone? No. But for those who are into slow tension will love it. As the movie promises, it will make you afaid to go to sleep with the lights off for a long time.

10) Burnt Offerings (1976)- A super-simple "family rents house for the summer and finds that it's haunted" movie. But what makes it better than the PG-13 dreck you see nowadways are the subtle and quiet scares that build through the movie. The horror builds to a great sense of dread. Put together the star power of Karen Black, Oliver Reed, Bette Davis, Burgess Meredith, and Eileen Heckart, the direction of Dan Curtis(creator of the hit show "Dark Shadows"), and remarkable tension, and you get "Burnt Offerings." P.S. The devilish grin of The Chauffeur brings chills to the spine.

11) The Shining (1980)- Jack Nicholson with an axe. A large hotel. Some extremely frightening ghosts, including those damn twins. If you haven't seen Stanley Kubrick's masterpiece based on Stephen King's novel, watch it or be ashamed that you didn't.