I don't require a good story in a horror film, but I definitely consider it a good thing. The Shining or The Changeling (the 1980s film) are a lot more intriguing to watch than, uhm, Paranormal Activity where the story seems to be that a house is haunted and that's it.

Films like the Changeling and the Haunting are very different, classical ghost stories and distinct to "horror films"

I don't think of it as distinct from horror. They have typical elements of horror movies, like supernatural stuff, spooks, people dying, perhaps some gore. They just happen to also have a great story.

They are distinct from horror movies like Anaconda or Scream, but I'd say the distinction happens at a lower level. Perhaps distinct subgenres? Either way, I have no problem calling both Scream and The Shining horror movies.

Ok, I'll concede horror films under the sub-genre of ghost films.;)

That goes without saying really. I am not a huge fan of Haunted House movies and (Gasp!) I am not a big The Shining fan either.

I think Session 9 is one of the very best examples of utilising psychological horror within a particular setting as opposed to a typical ghost movie with the usual 'jump out of your skin' scenes.

I still haven't seen The Changeling!

if you asked me, i never saw the appeal of ghost movies at all

that kinda stuff is kid's stuff

Definitely agree with you on Session 9 being one of the better psychological horror movies that excels in pacing and subtly. I also like the minimal use of sound, with just a few scattered piano loops, really helped exacerbate the creepiness of the movie.

I like a good mystery. A ghost makes for a good villain, I think, because there's usually a mystery surrounding their death, their sad stories make for great drama, they can be dangerous and somewhat unpredictable and a good ghost is a proper character in the film with it's own thoughts and motivations.

Unless we're talking Paranormal Activity. Then the ghost has no story, no apparent motivation, no one solves the mystery, we never learn who the ghost is .. boring!

most i've seen is mostly using the "boo!" factor

The Shining is an exception, but that's mostly about possession and not a ghost or ghosts

Horror Movies these days more focus on making you jump, instead of making you seriously freaked out. I went to see Paranormal Activity 3 in the cinema, I jumped out of my seat a dozen times but it just wasn't scary. Insidious wasn't too bad.