John Astin

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Automatically we think of ghosts as scary deformed frightening ghouls. Spirits that take our breath away at the slightest sight, touch or sound. That is why a good ghost movie scares the wits right out of us.

Throughout the years the cinema has produced many movies with a twist to our spooky friend by making this terrifying ghoul into a passive, fun loving comical spirit. For example, comedy horror movies such as 'Casper' the friendly ghost who is actually a kindhearted spirit of a little boy; 'Frighteners' with ghosts who like having a little fun; and 'Ghost Dad' as a loving father who comes back from the dead to help his son.

How about a good friendly ghost movie tonight to keep your wits? I have picked out eight of my personal favorites from the comedy horror genre file and put them in a chronological order.

1) Topper - 1937

This cute comedy classic has the ghosts as a happy fun couple that are now dead. The deceased Kirbys decide to do a good deed by helping Mr. Topper a stuffy executive they once knew.

Starring: Cary Grant as George Kirby, Constance Bennett as Marion Kerby, Roland Young as Cosmo Topper.

2) A Christmas Carol - 1951

Now this Charles Dickens story has been revamped on TV and the silver screen in so many different forms, even Mr. Magoo did this ghostly tale. Animation, TV sitcoms, the Muppets, everyone did 'A Christmas Carol'

storyline and they were all very entertaining. Why not, the story is a Christmas classic bordering a great horror movie. In fact the best movie version was released October 31, 1951 (Halloween). A Christmas Carol with Alastair Sim as Ebeneezer Scrooge. Also starring: Mervyn Johns and Hermione Baddeley.

3) Ghost Busters - 1984

A delightful comedy about four supernatural exterminators that became heroes. Lots of fun and great ghoulish effects.

Starring: Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, Sigourney Weaver.

4) Beetlejuice - 1988

Directed by Tim Burton, Micheal Keaton does a great job of being the most irritating ghoul in the afterworld. Beetlejuice with all his nastiness actually helps a very nice, newly deceased couple from losing their lovely home. A comedy horror, classic ghost movie.

Starring: Michael Keaton, Alec Baldwin, Geena Davis, Winona Ryder.

5) Always - 1989

Steven Spielberg directed this fantasy romance movie about an aerial firefighter who dies in a crash leaving a very distraught girlfriend. The pilot comes back as a ghost and helps a rookie pilot become the best but the rookie falls in love with the dead pilots girlfriend. A very touching film.

Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, John Goodman, Holly Hunter.

6) Ghost - 1990

Speaking of a touching film, this has got to be the most famous ghost movie ever. A film that has everything a movie buff would want with comedy, romance and action. A banker dies at the hands of a mugger only to Come Back as a spirit. The only person that can hear him is a con artist medium. This movie also has malicious revenge.

Starring: Patrick Swayze, Demi Moore, Whoopi Goldberg.

7) Casper - 1995

A paranormal expert and his daughter move into an old mansion which is inhabited by one friendly spirit and three mischievous ghouls. A great family comedy horror film.

Starring: Bill Pullman, Christina Ricci, Cathy Moriarty, Eric Idle.

Frighteners - 1996

Definitely a favorite in my books. Frank Bannister can hear, see and talk to spirits in this comedy horror directed by Peter Jackson (Lord Of The Rings). Frank uses his abilities to investigate a supernatural presence from hell with help from three friendly ghosts.

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Jake Busey, John Astin.

There you have it, eight of my favorite non-scary ghost movies of all time. When I first thought about this movie project, Beetlejuice and Frighteners automatically came to mind. Lets not forget Casper the Friendly Ghost. So when your tired of getting the wits scared out of you, try a non-scary friendly ghost movie. Any of the above comedy horror movies will do the trick (or treat).

I am a freelance writer on subjects of interest, mostly in the cinematic world. Researched projects by delving deep into all film genres and movie productions of old and new. See all the colorful views and comments at: http://moviesanddownloadgalore.com

OSCAR Movies DVD

The last five decades have produced a score of films, each better than the last. But come Oscar night, only one movie could walk away with the distinction of Best Picture of the Year. And here you will find a list of the Best Picture winners from 1950 to today.

2006: The Departed
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson

2005: Crash
Starring: Sandra Bullock, Matt Dillon
Director: Paul Haggis

2004: Million Dollar Baby
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman
Director: Clint Eastwood

2003: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Starring: Elijah Wood, Sean Astin
Director: Peter Jackson

The Oscars2002: Chicago
Starring: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta Jones, Richard Gere
Director: Rob Marshall

2001: A Beautiful Mind
Starring: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris
Director: Ron Howard

2000: Gladiator
Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix
Director: Ridley Scott

1999: American Beauty
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening
Director: Sam Mendes

American Beauty1998: Shakespeare In Love
Starring: Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow
Director: John Madden

1997: Titanic
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet
Director: James Cameron

1996: The English Patient
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche
Director: Anthony Minghella

1995: Braveheart
Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau
Director: Mel Gibson

Titanic1994: Forrest Gump
Starring: Tom Hanks, Robin Wright Penn, Gary Senise
Director: Robert Zemeckis

1993: Schindler's List
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley
Director: Steven Spielberg

1992: Unforgiven
Starring: Clint Eastwood, Gene Hackman
Director: Clint Eastwood

1991: The Silence of the Lambs
Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins
Director: Jonathan Demme

Forrest Gump1990: Dances With Wolves
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell
Director: Kevin Costner

1989: Driving Miss Daisy
Starring: Jessica Tandy, Morgan Freeman
Director: Bruce Beresford

1988: Rain Man
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise
Director: Barry Levinson

1987: The Last Emperor
Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci

Rain Man1986: Platoon
Starring: Tom Berenger, Willem Dafoe
Director: Oliver Stone

1985: Out of Africa
Starring: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford
Director: Sydney Pollack

1984: Amadeus
Starring: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce
Director: Milos Forman

1983: Terms of Endearment
Starring: Shirley Maclain, Debra Winger, Jack Nicholson
Director: James L. Brooks

The Deer Hunter1982: Gandhi
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen
Director: Sir Richard Attenborough

1981: Chariots of Fire
Starring: Ben Cross, Ian Charleson
Director: Hugh Hudson

1980: Ordinary People
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore
Director: Robert Redford

1979: Kramer VS. Kramer
Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep
Director: Robert Benton

Rocky1978: The Deer Hunter
Starring: Robert De Niro, John Cazale
Director: Michael Cimino

1977: Annie Hall
Starring: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton
Director: Woody Allen

1976: Rocky
Starring: Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire
Director: John G. Avildsen

1975: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Starring: Jack Nicholson, Louise Fletcher
Director: Milos Forman

The Godfather1974: The Godfather Part II
Starring: Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Robert De Niro
Director: Francis Ford Coppola

1973: The Sting
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford
Director: George Roy Hill

1972: The Godfather
Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duval
Director: Francis Ford Coppola

1971: The French Connection
Starring: Gene Hackman, Fernando Rey
Director: William Friedkin

The Sound of Music1970: Patton
Starring: George C. Scott, Karl Malden
Director: Franklin J. Schaffner

1969: Midnight Cowboy
Starring: Jon Voight, Dustin Hoffman
Director: John Schlesinger

1968: Oliver!
Starring: Ron Moody, Shani Wallis, Oliver Reed
Director: Carol Reed

1967: In the Heat of the Night
Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger
Director: Norman Jewison

My Fair Lady1966: A Man for All Seasons
Starring: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller
Director: Fred Zinnemann

1965: The Sound of Music
Starring: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer
Director: Robert Wise

1964: My Fair Lady
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison
Director: George Cukor

1963: Tom Jones
Starring: Albert Finney, Susannah York,
Director: Tony Richardson

Ben-Hur1962: Lawrence of Arabia
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness
Director: David Lean

1961: West Side Story
Starring: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer
Director: Jerome Robbins

1960: The Apartment
Starring: Jack Lemmon, Shirley MacLaine
Director: Billy Wilder

1959: Ben-Hur
Starring: Charlton Heston
Director: William Wyler

On the Waterfront1958: Gigi
Starring: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier
Director: Vincente Minnelli

1957: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Starring: Alec Guinness, William Holden
Director: David Lean

1956: Around the World in 80 Days
Starring: Shirley MacLaine, David Niven, and countless cameos
Director: Mike Todd

1955: Marty
Starring: Ernest Borgnine
Director: Delbert Mann

An American in Paris1954: On the Waterfront
Starring: Marlon Brando
Director: Elia Kazan

1953: From Here to Eternity
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, and Frank Sinatra
Director: Fred Zinnemann

1952: The Greatest Show on Earth
Starring: Charlton Heston, Jimmy Stewart
Director: Cecil B. DeMille

1951: An American in Paris
Starring: Gene Kelly
Director: Vincente Minnelli

1950: All About Eve
Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

..........

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Do people think that Peter Jackson was right to film all three Lord Of The Rings at the same time?

i think it was a great idea not because the movies came out great (thought they did, and are awesome) but because of the outcome of what he did..

It was a great idea. New Zealand is an 18 hour flight. Imagine moving all that equipment/actors/crews three different times. He not only did it for financial and artistic reasons, but he filmed it all at once so the characters wouldn't age, as all three films took place in a relatively short amount of time. He couldn't have those young actors age even a year.

Basically, he saw it as one film, and shot it as one film, and it was great. They did literally live as a family, and it shows in the character interactions in the films.

Again, he did it not only for financial reasons, but to make the whole thing that much more authentic, and to keep the actors at their same age, as I said, but also to keep them in the same state of mind to play their character.

They're going over and filming The Hobbit part 1 and 2 the same way, and in New Zealand.

Devlin B.

Today in History
February 25, 2010

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