Recently I've been asked by an old friend of mine to write a script for his feature movie (this will be his first movie). Nothing too extravagant nor complicated, mind you, but something that can make people scream and possibly die of heart attack. Having never written horror stories before, this is a bit of a challenge. My aim is to write the best story which my friend, the first-time director will be able to create into a real masterpiece. So said, the best ghost movie of all time, or at least for the next 5 years.
Personally, I prefer the suspense and shock delivered by a good horror movie. It doesn't have to show the ghost, but there's something to be said about knowing that there's something lurking around, waiting to pounce. You will be waiting for something, expecting something, but what came to you was something totally out of what you were expecting. Oh, by the way, this is not a thriller (no psychotic murderers), this is a pure ghost story. My friend has even consulted the local bomoh (malay shaman) so that the ghost appears as a ghost as seen by these spiritual doctors and not a man-made monster from Blue Lagoon.
Out of these, my all time favourite is The Blair Witch Project. Their use of shaky handheld camera delivered realism to the whole experience. The storyline was also good (for a found video genre), and managed to deliver the story well. I used to have goosebumps watching that movie, but then again, it was probably because I thought the story was real.
I like Nang Nak, the Thai ghost story relying heavily on folklore. There is just something about the movie that puts me on edge. And the ending was just cool at least from what I remember.
I love The Ring (Ringu, the original japanese version). I think it's the imagery and camera view that made it scary. But then again, I haven't watched it for so long that my memory may be faulty. I believe the Hollywod version of The Ring failed to deliver the same fear as the original japanese movie.
One Missed Call is another one of my favourite. It was the original idea that captured my interest at first. It was the depiction of supernatural death that kept me watching. All in all, I didn't regret paying for the movie. I even played it a few times and it still scared me.
So what is your favourite ghost movie and why did you like it?