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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Best fictional ghosts

The ghost in Hamlet, Hamlet's father.




The three ghosts of Christmas: Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Future.

Casper the Friendly Ghost.

Bloody Mary.

The Amityville Ghosts.

Beetlejuice.

Marshmallow Man.

Dr Malcolm Crowe.

Jacob Marley.

Headless Horseman.

Inky, Pinky, Blinky and Clyde.

Slimer.


Sadako.


The cat/kid hybrid from The Grudge.

Out of protest because I can't stand overly schmaltzy romance, I've left off the Patrick Swayze ghost. Also, I don't consider it a very good ghost character, it being almost exactly the same as a live person.

A good ghost should be shocking, unnatural, gross or appealing. They often appear in loops (residual echoes), illogically justify their existence, have a message or a mission for or against the living.

3 comments:

  1. I think you could probably include the kid from Ju-on as well, or Sadako from Ringu is pretty non-corporeal.

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    Replies
    1. Too true. I've added them. Considering adding in the librarian from Ghostbusters.

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    2. Oh definitely! There is Candyman too, who is basically Bloody Mary but has a hook for a hand, and you call him the same way via a mirror chant. And of course, the two girls in the bloody hallway in The Shining... Redrum! Redrum!

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