Ghosts and Goblins – in film and Beyond

Ghosts have always been present from the moment man could make up stories about the unexplained. The Bible even references ghosts in various parts to help put an almost tangible creature to help explain some unexplainable events or interactions between people and the ‘unknown’. Even Jesus is referenced as part of the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit. But where would horror be with-out the basis of ghost and goblins? 

What is a ghost and what is a goblin?
Ghosts are viewed as being the soul or spirit of a deceased person. They tend to take on forms of shapes of the past life but no physical shape. They have been known to create noise or even speak. Ghosts do not move objects but when they do they enter a new category of being referred to as a poltergeist. An excellent film of 1982 ‘Poltergeist’ that still has me looking over my chicken very carefully before taking a bite… if you have seen the movie, you know what I mean. Or never wanting any type of deep closet filled with toys in my house! 

Goblins are viewed as sub-human creatures, grotesque in appearance. Legend has them as mischievous creatures, tending to be on the evil side, although literature has them as both good and evil, but mostly evil.

Not very often are goblins seen by themselves, but typically seen in large numbers. Goblins got their first mentioning with ghost perhaps in the 19th century Irish Song, “Rocky Road to Dublin” which includes the words “I cut a stout blackthorn, to banish ghosts and goblins”.

This seemed to have stuck making them interchangeable in other more modern works of fiction about ghost and goblin lure. J. R. R. Tolkien references goblins throughout his ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Hobbit’ master pieces.
Dungeons and Dragons amongst other role (or is it roll I always confuse those two) games of various fantasy levels.

Ghost & Goblins in film:
Goblins have had honorable mention in a few movies, ‘Spiderman’ (Green Goblin) ‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’, Harry-Potter films, ‘Labyrinth’ the 1986 classic with David Bowie as the Goblin King amongst a few, they are present in literature and mainly come from ‘Moria’ or aka middle-earth made more famous in the 2001 film ‘The Lord of the Rings’

Probably one of my first films I had seen on anything dealing with ghosts was the 1979 classic ‘The Amityville Horror’ viewing the film back as a pre-teen still gives me vivid imagery as an adult, every time I approach an older home, attic or dark basement. I still refuse to buy homes that are more than ten years old. The story focuses in on a home that a mass murder of a family had taken part in years past. The new owners then are haunted by images and aparent poltergeist activity mixed in with visions of ghosts. The house itself takes upon an evil, possesed role creating it into a classic haunted house. Even though this story is loosely based on real happenings, it is still erie and real enough to scare even 30 plus years later.

 

Hauntings of every shape and form have littered the media, literature and of course the movies.

The unexplained fascinates us. Pictures of ghostly images or objects floating in the air makes us believe because ‘seeing is believing’ We all have stories or know someone who has ghost stories, true or not we know them. Camp fire rituals in the dark woods, always spawns stories of ghostly ghouls running in the night, it gets our adrenaline running not to mention our thoughts of fear.

We all have also been in some sort of old creepy house, you hear it settling in the night, the wood cracking, floors creaking, it is enough to drive you mad and try to explain what you hear, but we all know it could only be one thing, in the end, it is and has to be a ghost.

Some other ghost movies to view, The Poltergeist film series, ‘House’ 1986, ‘Stir of Echoes’ 1999, ‘The Grudge’ 2003, ‘The Changeling’ 1980, this movie features George C. Scott, I saw this in the theater, I cannot remember who brought me, but as a 10 year old boy 1 year after seeing ‘Amityville Horror’ I am surprised I turned out as sane as I am (Yes, I know, debatable). If you see only one good old ghost movie, ‘The Changeling’ is a must see, low budget, low effects, but high on things that go bump in the night! I promise you will sleep with the lights on after this one!
 

‘Session 9’ 2001, has an ok start, but does this flick get CREEPY! Talk about some eerie moments that will have every hair standing on end! Lastly of course has to be ‘The Shinning’ 1980 Redrum, based on the Stephen King classic, filmed by Stanley Kubrick one of the few films I will ever say not only is better than the book, but damn near burns the book sending it back to hell as this film comes to life with such imagery that some scenes you cannot or will not be able to ‘un-see’ in particular the famous bath scene.

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