Owen Gleiberman Chief Film CriticYears ago, I learned that certain people will grow mortally offended if you call a character in a movie a zombie who is not, in fact (according to the supreme checklist of zombie traits), a zombie.
It makes you wonder if there are other supernatural micromanagers out there who keep tabs on whether a given character is or is not a ghost, a demon, a devil, or an evil clown.
These legendary figments of fear do have definitions, of course. Yet they can mash together in your head — at least, if you see enough horror films, since the movies themselves tend to blur them.
Read more on variety.com