Guest Post: Spirits on the Screen

Catriona writes:  I'm delighted to be hosting Cynthia Kuhn today. I read her debut The Semester of Our Discontent shouting "YES!" every few pages, and upsetting the cat, because Cynthia really gets to the heart of academia in a way few other mystery writers manage to. And now here we are at Book No. 3, an appropriately October-ish Lila Maclean story, with paranormal elements as well as the scholarly setting. Cynthia's doing Femmes Fatales a spooky solid today, with a timely check-list of entertainment options for the month end coming. Boo!

Cynthia writes: Thank you so much for having me! I’m very excited to be with you during the launch of the third Lila Maclean Academic Mystery, The Spirit in Question.

To get into the right “spirit,” I have a question for you: what are your favorite films with ghosts? Let’s trade recommendations. I can’t wait to hear. Here are my top ten in chronological order.

•  The Shining (1980): Even though the movie is terrifying, I have re-watched it many times. Probably because Jack Nicholson is compelling...and of course the cinematic aspects are fantastic too. (But mostly, it’s Jack.)

• Poltergeist (1982): I showed this to a college class, and they were just as freaked out as we all were back in the day. It definitely holds up. There’s something about the domestic setting that adds an extra kick—it’s not happening in a creepy mansion on the edge of town, but right there in the sunny suburbs.

• Ghostbusters (1984): Professors-turned-ghost-catchers? Yes, please. Plus, five gold stars for the banter, humor, and memorable one-liners. And I have to say that I loved the 2016 reboot too.

• Beetlejuice (1988): Exquisitely weird—with Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Michael Keaton, Winona Ryder, and Catherine O’Hara being all hilarious and delightful.

• Ghost (1990): The pottery-wheel scene and...hmmm...what else happens in that movie? Kidding. Perfectly calibrated blend of heartwarming and suspenseful, with engaging performances by everyone.

• The Blair Witch Project (1999): Preceded by a marketing campaign that suggested that the students in the film were missing and the footage had been “found,” so it was a genuine experience to watch this, filmed documentary-style with a most unsettling ending, in theaters when it first came out. (Side note: we went camping the next day. Um. Worst scheduling ever.)

• The Sixth Sense (1999): The dramatic pacing is perfection and so is the reveal. There’s a reason that famous line—you know the one—is borrowed and repeated all over the place. (I’m trying very hard not to give anything away here.)

• The Haunting (1999): An adaptation of Shirley Jackson’s amazing Gothic novel, The Haunting of Hill House, this had a great cast and was quite entertaining (if you can ignore one scene where it slides briefly into an action film mode, with the main character basically taunting the ghost). However, I’m still waiting for an adaptation that faithfully reflects the more subtle psychological aspects of the original story...hoping the upcoming Netflix series might do so.

• What Lies Beneath (2000): Focuses on a mother who is having trouble adjusting to being an empty nester and is repeatedly told that the weird stuff happening in her house—and next door—is all in her head. (Of course it’s not.) There’s one scene so chilling that I still get goosebumps thinking about it. Love Michelle Pfeiffer and Harrison Ford’s performances.

• Crimson Peak (2015): Beautifully filmed and edited, with rich Gothic elements. The twists and turns are splendidly disconcerting.

And just for you, one bonus item (a mini-series):

• Sharp Objects (2018): A brilliant adaptation of Gillian Flynn’s brilliant novel, with brilliant performances. Extremely dark, insistently thought-provoking, and incredibly moving. It starts slow but simmers into one heck of a boil. (If you do watch, be sure to pay attention to the shifting words onscreen...and to watch all the way through the final credits of the finale.) Overall rating: wow.

I’ll confess that it was difficult to narrow it down to ten...already I’m thinking of others (like The Others, ha) that should be included. But now it’s your turn: what are your favorites?

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Cynthia Kuhn writes the Lila Maclean Academic Mystery series: The Semester of Our Discontent, an Agatha Award recipient for Best First Novel; The Art of Vanishing, a Lefty Award nominee for Best Humorous Mystery; and The Spirit in Question.She is professor of English at Metropolitan State University of Denver and president of Sisters in Crime-Colorado. cynthiakuhn.net

The Spirit in Question is now available at booksellers and online:

Amazon: amzn.to/2unzWF9
Barnes and Noble: bit.ly/2NlGFXe
IndieBound: bit.ly/2vH7ChC
Kobo: bit.ly/2NVbi7

Twitter: @cynthiakuhn

Facebook: www.facebook.com/cynthiakuhnwriter

Amazon Author Page: www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Kuhn

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/cynthiakuhn

Book Bub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cynthia-kuhn

Blog: chicksonthecase.com

Comments

[Mark]

I must admit I’m drawing a blank. I watch so few movies with ghosts. I don’t think I have a favorite, although I’ve seen a couple that you named.

[catriona]

The Others is my favourite - so dreamy and soooooo unsettling.

[Jeanine Cronin]

Ghost is my favorite!

[Keenan R Powell]

All are good suggestions. I quite liked Ghostbusters (2016). Chris Hemsworth is a gifted comedic actor. And when the kids were little, we were charmed by Casper and loved Practical Magic.

[Cynthia Kuhn]

Thank you so much for letting me visit today! Thrilled to be here.

Mark, if you think of one, please share.

Catriona, those are the PERFECT descriptors for The Others! Very subtle but powerful, that one.

Jeanine, love Ghost too. (Just thinking of it makes me want to watch it again asap.) Thank you.

Keenan, I'm so glad you liked 2016 Ghostbusters too. :) And gasp, Practical Magic is one of my favorites--how could I have forgotten about that one? Thank you for mentioning.

[Kathy Reel]

You have several of my favorites on your list, Cynthia--The Shining, Ghostbusters, Beetle Juice, The Haunting, and The Sixth Sense. Also on my list are Practical Magic, Hocus Pocus, and The Others (with Nicole Kidman).

[Cynthia Kuhn]

Kathy--great adds! Thanks for sharing.

[Sybil Johnson]

The Uninvited (1944) with Ray Miland is my absolute favorite.

[LynDee]

Cynthia!! So happy to see you here today, and cannot wait to finish my draft so I can get to reading your wonderful (I’m sure) new Lila!

I love every movie you’ve listed here, and have two (okay three) to add: Stir of Echoes (the perfect blend of thriller scares and haunting moments, with a nod to Poe) and The Mothman Prophecies (not technically a ghost, but ghost-adjacent). Oh, and the only Tim Burton movie I truly love, always on my must watch this time of year: Sleepy Hollow. The atmosphere is so perfectly creepy it could carry the film by itself.

[Leslie Karst]

The Shining, for sure. I was so scared when I first saw it that I asked my sister if I could stay the night--in her bed with her!

[Liz Milliron]

I'm not much on horror ghost movies, so I gave "The Shining" a pass and I don't think I was brave enough to even try Poltergeist. But you've mentioned several of my favorites in other genres.

I missed the reboot of "Ghostbusters," but my daughter liked it.

[Kathy Valenti]

Congrats on The Spirit in Question, Cynthia!

Your list hit every one of my favorites, and your first two top my list, too. The Shining is a movie (and book) that holds up viewing after viewing, and Poltergeist haunts me so much that the idea of watching it again gives me shivers.

I'm excited about The Haunting NetFlix series! My son has begun to dip his toes into the Shirley Jackson waters. :)

[Cynthia Kuhn]

Sybil, I don't know if I ever saw that one! Will add to my viewing list pronto.

LynDee, thank you for the kind words and good luck with your draft! And YES to all of those. The Mothman Prophecies, especially, freaked me out!

Leslie, I'm glad you were able to find a safe place. :) That is one scary movie.

Thanks, Liz! And if you do watch the reboot, I'd be interested to hear what you thought.

Thank you, Kathy! I hear you on the films. And I am a bit worried that The Haunting looks to have gone really full-on scary...eek! :)

[Vickie Fee]

Cynthia, I love your list -- and I do enjoy a bit of fright in films, especially around Halloween-- but favorite ghost movie is The Ghost and Mrs. Muir!

[Cynthia Kuhn]

That's a great one, Vickie! Thanks for the add!

[M Rups]

"I'm still waiting for an adaptation [of The Haunting of Hill House] that faithfully reflects the more subtle psychological aspects of the original story"

Try the 1963 film, whereof the 1999 is a poor imitation. Directed by Robert Wise, starring Julie Harris, Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, and Russ Tamblyn. It comes about as close as you're likely to get.