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Casper has made haunted houses safe for little kids. But grown-ups don't want friendly ghosts. So peruse this partial listing of the spooky real estate available for rent on video -- perfect to clip and save for Halloween.

THE GHOST BREAKERS (1940, MCA/Universal) The House: A cobwebby Cuban castle, where a couple (Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard) spend the night in this lukewarm comedy. The Haunters: A bunch of mostly bogus spooks, trying to scare her out of her inheritance. The Room From Hell: The main hall, where the pair meet a zombie who's so ugly he must be real.

THE UNINVITED (1944, MCA/Universal) The House: A grand old place on the Cornish coast, picked up for a song by a composer (Ray Milland) and his sister (Ruth Hussey). The Haunters: The former owner's late wife and his late mistress. The Room From Hell: An upstairs studio, where this spooky drama's spectral special effects prefigure Hollywood ghosts for years to come.

THE HAUNTING (1963, MGM/UA) The House: A gabled, gothic horror in New England, visited by a team of classy ghostbusters (including Julie Harris and Claire Bloom). The Haunters: The cursed souls of the original occupants. The Room From Hell: Any room the jittery psychic medium (Harris) is in.

THE SHINING (1980, Warner) The House: A closed mountain resort, where snowbound Jack Torrance (Jack Nicholson) comes down with a killer case of cabin fever in this Stanley Kubrick chiller. The Haunters: Indian spirits, plus assorted guests-turned-ghosts. The Room From Hell: Room 237, where Jack's tete-a-tete with a rotting hag hastens his descent into madness.

POLTERGEIST (1982, MGM/UA) The House: A nice three-bedroom in Spielberg suburbia, home to an average family (JoBeth Williams, Craig T. Nelson, and kids). The Haunters: Unsettled souls who appear (thanks to director Tobe Hooper) as a kid-snatching tree, an evil clown doll, an ectoplasmic demon, and more. The Room From Hell: The kids' room, featuring all of the above -- plus a doorway to the afterlife!


Posted Oct 06, 1995 | Published in issue #295 Oct 06, 1995 | Order Article Reprints