This book takes a close look at films that deal with ghosts. Making a crucial distinction between atmospheric films and conventional horror, Michael Walker argues that they are most productively seen as ghost melodramas.

1. Introduction 2. Three major predecessors 3. The fallow years: an assortment of ghosts SEMINAL FILMS 4. Ghosts in the city 5. Ghosts in the machine 6. Schoolgirl angst 7. Childhood abuse EVOLUTION OF THE CYCLE 8. Generic developments 1: Messages from the dead 9. Spain and history 1: Politics and war 10. Hollywood reinflections 11. Asian variations 12. Generic developments 2: Ghosts in the woman's film 13. Ghosts and institutions 1: South Korea 14. Ghosts and institutions 2: The West 15. National variations 16. Anatomy of the ghost melodrama 17. Spain and history 2: The Franco legacy and the Catholic church 18. Return of the British ghost film 19. Recent US developments and conclusion Filmography Bibliography