Five Best Haunted House Movies

When it comes to Halloween, is there anything more basic than a haunted house? Whether it's large and creaky or just been built, there's something frightening about one's own home being somehow infected and evil. With " Paranormal Activity 3" in theaters soon, it seems audiences are more ready than ever for tales of haunted houses.

"Poltergeist"

Not all haunted houses are old, run-down mansions; pristine new houses are just as susceptible to angry spirits. The Freeling family lives in a quiet house in a quiet neighborhood until strange things start to happen in their home. It starts out harmless enough with objects being moved around. Soon it escalates to trees attacking their son and their youngest daughter vanishing.

Strong performances abound and while not all of the effects have aged well, they're still inventive and well executed. Plus there are few single moments creepier than that little girl in front of a static-filled TV set proclaiming "They're here."

"The Haunting"

Probably the purest haunted house movie ever made, this 1963 film is just as effective now as it was when first released. A small group of strangers come together at a supposedly haunted house under the supervision of a scientist to investigate the paranormal. One of them begins to experience strange sensations and hear odd noises, and these experiences soon escalate.

Filmed in stark black and white, what makes this film truly effective is that it is equally possible the woman is being tormented or she is mentally disturbed. See the original and avoid the vapid 1999 remake.

"Beetlejuice"

This black comedy is one of the only haunting films to tell it from the ghost's perspective. The Maitlands, played by Alec Baldwin and Geena Davis, died in a car crash and find themselves not only dead but trapped in their house. Next the Deetz family arrives and begins to completely pull apart the house they love. Desperate to rid themselves of the invaders, the Maitlands turn to an unstable spirit called Beetlejuice, manically portrayed by Michael Keaton, whose presence only makes things weirder. Twistedly funny and full of gothic touches from director Tim Burton.

"Haunted"

Aidan Quinn plays a man who makes his living disproving ghostly phenomena. However, when he's called upon to investigate the Edbrook House, he sees and hears things that even he may not be able to explain. Set in 1928, this is a low key and more realistic take on haunted houses for most of the film. The approach was under-appreciated at the time but in many ways this was the precursor to the more successful release of "The Others." A young Kate Beckinsale has strong chemistry with Quinn and the resolution is fairly inventive and somewhat ahead of its time.

"The Shining"

The Overlook Hotel, a gorgeous, five-star resort that closes during the winter due to heavy snows, needs a caretaker -- a post recently taken up by Jack Torrance. Torrance, played by Jack Nicholson, is an aspiring writer who brings his family along knowing they'll be snowbound all winter, thinking he can write in peace. However, strange occurrences begin to unravel Jack's mind and he soon turns on his wife and child.

Stanley Kubrick's loose adaptation of the Stephen King novel is still heralded by many as a true classic of horror. The ever increasing sense of dread builds the film to a shattering climax while leaving enough questions unanswered to feel like a legitimate haunted house story.

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