The Frighteners (1996) User Reviews

Surprisingly Dark

[mjw2305 · 8/10 · 21 January 2005]

What sets out to be a comedy movie with ghosts, (and anyone could be forgiven for thinking this is what it would be given that Michael J Fox has the lead) rapidly becomes a very dark supernatural thriller.

The special effects still look good even by todays standards, and the story is solidly written, good characters and good direction, there is not much to criticise in this movie.

The film itself is one that you should not miss, and certainly not because you think its something that it isn't.

8/10 A surprising film, that has probably been overlooked by too many movie lovers.

Excellent movie even after 25 years!!

[frank-liesenborgs · 8/10 · 14 December 2021]

"The Frighteners" is really a good ghost story, not a horror movie. This is really a watchable 'popcorn' kind of fantasy movie, where the humor is raked up in dark devilish, sometimes stupid jokes. This combination of Robert Zemeckis and Peter Jackson is fantastic. This movie is an odd blend of outright comedy and supernatural thriller. Plot essential has Michael J. Fox as a psychic who really can see dead people, so much so in fact that he has befriended three ghosts and makes a living out of setting up hauntings and charging people to exorcise the spirits. However, things turn decidedly deadly when he encounters a grim reaper like spirit that is killing people and putting a number on their foreheads. It seems there is a serial killing spirit on the loose, played by Jake Busey. This movie has a terrific cast with an outstanding acting performance overall. It's also not surprising that "The Frighteners" has become a cult movie of some standing. The bonkers plot, the close to the knuckle humour and narrative make it a fascinating viewing experience. Find the time and watch this movie. You will not be disappointed.

Weird, but Entertaining and Original

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 8 November 2017]

After the traumatic experience of losing his beloved wife Debra (Angela Bloomfield) in a car accident, the architect Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) acquires the ability of seeing ghosts. He quits his profession; abandons the construction of his dream house to live with Debra and becomes a con man, using the ghosts Cyrus (Chi McBride), Stuart (Jim Fyfe) and The Judge (John Astin) to haunt houses and then charging the dwellers to exorcise their homes.

Dr. Lucy Lynskey (Trini Alvarado) visits the reclusive Patricia Ann Bradley (Dee Wallace-Stone), who was a former delinquent and girlfriend of the serial–killer Johnny Bartlett (Jake Busey) that lives with her mother, she notes that Patricia has bruises. Lucy returns home and together with her husband Ray Lynskey (Peter Dobson), they are haunted by a poltergeist. She calls Frank and soon Ray has a heart attack. Lucy meets Frank in a restaurant and he realizes that Soul Collector is marking numbers in the forehead of his victims before killing them. Frank becomes prime suspect of the police due to his knowledge about the murders and he is arrested. Meanwhile the psychotic FBI agent Milton Dammers (Jeffrey Combs) comes to the city to investigate the murder cases. When Frank finds that Lucy will be the next victim of the Reaper, he takes the ultimate decision to fight the entity to save her.

"The Frighteners" is a weird, but entertaining and original film by Peter Jackson. The story is too violent for comedy and too silly for horror; therefore the genre is indeed a combination of comedy, romance, horror and fantasy. The special effects are excellent and state-of-art for a 1996 movie. Michael J. Fox shines in the role of the psychic Frank Bannister and Trini Alvarado is perfect in the role of his romantic pair Dr. Lucy Lynskey. All the characters are interesting and peculiar, and the cast has great performances independently of the special effects. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Os Espíritos" ("The Spirits")

"Death ain't no way to make a living."

[Backlash007 · 15 January 2003]

The Frighteners is a textbook example of how to do a horror/comedy. Peter Jackson once again proves he can handle the genre masterfully. With Psychic Investigator Frank Bannister, Michael J. Fox adds another great character to his pantheon of heroes. The rest of the cast is top notch as well. Horror icon Dee Wallace Stone is great in this. John Astin is great in this. R. Lee Ermey is great in this. Even Jake Busey is great in this. Everyone is great in this. The actors and actresses do a wonderful job of handling the humor and the scares. But the actor that really shines here is genre veteran Jeffrey Combs. His portrayal of F.B.I. Special Agent Milton Dammers is one of his most memorable in long career of genre roles. Only the best went into this movie: Rick Baker was brought in to handle some of the visual effects and Danny Elfman composed the score. I don't know that it's my favorite, but this may be Jackson's best horror offering thus far in his career. That's a bold statement considering he's no stranger to horror.

Note for genre buffs: Peter Jackson cameos as the pierced passerby.

Indulgent But Impressive

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 11 August 2013]

This one has received mixed Reviews. It's hard to imagine that anyone could be critical of the imagination that went into this entertaining, if overblown, Movie. It has enough energy and creativity for three Films. But it doesn't know when to quit. It just goes on and on, almost, but not quite, draining the fresh flourishes from the Film.

There are Artistic touches that impress and it looks very much like the Cartoony Movies that Jackson had made up to this point. But this may have suffered from too much Zemeckis and too much Money. The Director never needed a lot of Money to make Cool, Off-Beat, and Artistically rewarding Stuff.

Just one example, in the opening Scene we see an Evil Entity haunting a Women and it is shown protruding from behind walls and carpets. It is different and diabolical. But it won't be the last time this effect is used. Suffice to say that repetition is the bane of this really good Film.

There are Plots on top of Plots and not just in the Cemetery. It could be just a bit too much for some, and yet it is so charming that others may say, give me more.

Expertly Crafter

[DaveKerr · 10/10 · 27 December 1998]

The Frighteners is an excellent horror-comedy-drama in which Michael J. Fox plays ex-architect and now psychic scamster Frank Bannister. The film revolves around the premise that Frank, after being involved in an accident which resulted in the death of his wife, can now see disembodied spirits and runs a scam in which the ghouls haunt houses under the order of Frank and then he 'exorcises' them for a fee. However, a series of murders begin in Frank's town and it becomes achingly clear that these murders have something to do with his wife's death. The romantic involvement comes in the form of Trini Alvarado (Little Women) who plays a doctor who's husband was killed by the evil forces at work. This film achieves many things, it manages to create a comic atmosphere at times whilst being able to make us feel real sympathy for the character of Frank and his tragic circumstances. This is a truly under-rated film and it is well worth watching.

Not all that frightening and not all that funny either

[juubei-2 · 6/10 · 7 August 2006]

Peter Jackson certainly made a name for himself with Heavenly Creatures and since then Lord of the Rings, so I was curious about checking out some of his older ones. Passing over Meet the Feebles I went with The Frighteners.

Michael J Fox is great, and the effects are mostly pretty good. But the story logic and gags are kind of off, as if Jackson was unsure what to give his audience. Should he be true to his roots and give us a real slasher flick, or a mainstream comedy with a few scary bits? In the end its sort of like Ghostbusters crossed with Scream. I mean, on one side of the coin you've got a bunch of ghosts making sexual jokes, and on the other side you've got a homicidal killer who likes to carve numbers into people's foreheads after murdering them. Every now and then it veers off in one of these directions and I can't help but feel it would've been better if it was more to the extreme one way or the other.

I watched this primarily to see Jackson's pre-LOTR work and I wasn't too impressed but if the mood strikes you for something really off the wall, you could do worse.

Very entertaining with just the right blend of comedy and horror!

[MovieAddict2016 · 8/10 · 19 August 2002]

THE FRIGHTENERS has just the right blend of comedy and horror, and will please most audiences. Director Peter Jackson did a great job directing this film, and Michael J. Fox gives one of his most unusual performances as a "ghost buster" who has a rare gift that allows him to see the dead.

All in all, a unique film that is very different from its competition in the horror drama and really only falls apart towards the end, when it resorts to the typical slasher ending with plot twists. Apart from the end, it's sure to keep you entertained throughout!

4/5 stars

JOHN ULMER

Jackson will never do better.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 6/10 · 4 July 2000]

I used to love The Frighteners and I was one of the few people who actually saw it in cinemas back in the day. Peter Jackson used to be so full of imagination and potential. He started off doing raw, gory horror films (actually broad comedies) like Bad Taste, Braindead, and Meet the Feebles. The Frighteners was his first Hollywood film, and for better or worse, the first film in which his love affair with CGI seized control of his vision.

Michael J. Fox (in his last live-action lead role) is Frank Bannister a psychic investigator/con man with a tragic past who uses his ghost pals to scare people and run a fake ghostbusting racket. His hometown of Clearwater is in the midst of an epidemic in which seemingly healthy people are dying of heart attacks but Frank soon discovers that there is a much more sinister reason behind it and tackles the dark forces before they claim the life of his new love interest.

The mystery and plot twists in The Frighteners are all well-written and keep it alive (pun intended) for the entire running time without the slightest lull. I honestly do mean it when I say that this will probably remain the best film in Jackson's career. Yes, even better than those tedious, overdone LOTR movies, better than King Kong, better than...etc.

So why the 6/10 review? Believe me, back when I was a teenager I would have given this 8/10 without hesitation, but I just cannot stand Jackson as a filmmaker anymore. For a director who began making gritty, in-your-face horror with practical make-up and special effects he come along way/fallen far from his roots. Nothing this guy does these days is 'real'. Nothing is genuinely there, tangible, in front of the camera. It's all a CGI and fake, and The Frighteners was the tipping point for that particular trajectory. Even the Lovely Bones, terrible as it was, had CGI enhancements all over, even outside of the 'Heaven' scenes. Nothing is REAL with this guy, not anymore! He needs to go back to making movies with a camera, some 16mm film, and a boom mike if he wants to get any respect from me or scrape back any shred of credibility. The generic Danny Elfman score, which sounds like absolutely everything else he's ever done, didn't help either.

Universal took a gamble with releasing The Frighteners in the summer season of 1996 (it didn't reach the UK until February 1997, and even then only for about a week) and it was a gamble that they would come to regret. Summer 1996 was an effects filled season with movies like Independence Day, Twister, and Eraser doing huge business. The Frighteners (much more suited to a Halloween release) had a truly terrible trailer, to the tune of Alan Silvestri's annoying Death Becomes Her score, that made it look like a light-hearted comedy. The R-rating was also joke, and a stupid decision. Jackson cut 14 minutes from the movie to lessen the tone but the MPAA still slapped the movie with an R despite the fact that there really, really isn't anything, even in the 124-minute director's cut that warrants such a rating. Plus, the fact that Jackson shot this in rainy New Zealand (doubling as the Pacific Northwest, I assume) meant that a dreary, drizzly, depressing-looking movie fought for box office takings against happy, upbeat, sunny summer movies, and in a year when America was hosting the Olympics too.

Bad move, Universal, very, very bad move.

The best Horror Comedy movie ever

[JontheLobsterLover · 10/10 · 16 September 2013]

I remember my older brother showing me this movie when it first came out. I was younger and had a very vivid imagination so it scared the hell out of me. Today I went back and re-watched this movie I have not seen since then and while my imagination is still vivid, I respect the movie now because of it.

The movie starts off I would say 80/20 Comedy/Horror. You get to see the shenanigans that MJF and his two ghost cohorts pull off. Watching the transformation of his character as he slowly realizes that he's up against more then he thought.

The story develops unbelievably well. The characters (living and dead)are well thought out and brought to life, with such great enthusiasm it's amazing. The story evolves slowly and dramatically, each minute bringing more and more to the story.

The acting is amazing. MJF, awesome. Playing both the con artist, and then the hero. Jake Busey pulls of crazy well, but then again he is his fathers son.

The CGI I think is pretty awesome for the time. The grim reaper shots, still give me the creeps.

Over all I have a love for this movie that makes me want to keep watching it again and again.

This looks like one tough business!

[lost-in-limbo · 7/10 · 14 April 2006]

In a small quiet coastal town of Fairwater, residents are dying in very strange circumstances and Frank Banister makes a living by scamming people of Fairwater with his psychic abilities to rid poltergeists out of their homes. Which, unknowingly for the occupants the trio of spirits that are causing the havoc happen to be part of Frank's scam. Frank manages to communicate and see the dead because of a scarring trauma he had. While, his set-up might be going to plan, the strange deaths keep on rising and Frank starts seeing numbers engraved on peoples' foreheads and one night he encounters a malevolent spirit shaped as the grim reaper who's performing these killings. The town believes Frank has something to do with the murders and a FBI agent is brought on the case and tries at every opportunity to pin the deaths on Frank.

Well, Peter Jackson has made a name for himself with his last four blockbusters, but just before those epic films he made this odd ,comedy-horror caper that was aimed for a mainstream audience, but it sadly went by unnoticed, because it just didn't appeal to everyone's tastes. I've seen it a couple of times and I don't mind it, even if the film's all over the shop. The distinctively, novel film is brimming with creative images, oddball bunch of characters, masterfully constructed CGI effects, deliciously, quirky black humour and spontaneous jolts. So, whats not like!

Well, despite these great aspects the film feels overly convoluted with many ideas and back-stories that makes the tone shift back and forth in such a unsteady rate. You just don't know what it really wants to be and it just feels like the film feels the same way too. The comical humour and ghoulish horror doesn't always gel, with the first half of the flick being more humorous, then suddenly it shifts gear with the second half going for some fast-paced thrills and shocks, but here Jackson never manages connect the two that successfully. That's not to say I didn't find it amusing, because it is. Its an entertaining caper and an ingenious thought, but it throws around so many paths the film could've taken instead of just fleshing one out and going for it. The meaty script is an complete muddle with many scenarios that only scratch the top of the surface and it seems to just go on for too long.

While, the material might have been incoherent, it's Jackson's sharp visual eye that screams at you with the film's stark, Gothic fairytale style. Jackson always makes great use of the scenery and here is no exception with a murky colour palette that has a tonne of atmosphere about it. The twitchy camera-work is always on the move and Danny Elfman's score beats out a spaced out vibe that goes highly strung when the pace picks up. Jackson succeeds in creating around these kinetic aspects, slices of unexpected turns, pumping action and firmly, constructed suspense. But the film's big show stopper is the FX bonanza with it's extravagantly slick effects that shows Jackson demonstrates supreme control in his vision. The glaring getup of the Grim Reaper is the most artistic and forcible of the lot. Though, if you're looking for some gross-out, make-up effects there's none of that to be found and that's the same for any kind of campy nature. This project does seem more colder and distant than that of his previous efforts with the humour side of the things feeding more off the black misery than the goofiness.

The film has a great cast on show with Michael J Fox who fits well as the sympathetic lead Frank. Trini Alvarado as Dr. Lucy Lynskey is good too. Dee Wallace Stone is great as the on edge Patricia. Jake Busey is equally good as her evil-minded boyfriend who's back from the grave committing murders. Chi McBride, John Astin and Jim Fyfe play the ghosts that teamed up with Frank and they add to the humour and so does Peter Dobson as the self-assured Ray. But when in frame its Jeffery Combs who steals the show as the eccentric FBI agent Dammers, who's one real nut! Also there's a amusing cameo from R.Lee Ermey mimicking his performance from "Full Metal Jacket" as a Sgt. Hiles a spirit of a graveyard.

A flawed, but enjoyably agreeable dark comedy-supernatural flick.

p.s. This review is on the theatrical release.

A hugely enjoyable and inventive supernatural horror comedy treat

[Woodyanders · 9/10 · 10 August 2006]

Superslick phony baloney psychic parapsychologist Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox in excellent unapologetically parasitic sleazeball form) has one hell of a novel and effective scam going on. You see, Frank's in league with a motley trio of unrestful spirits -- hot-tempered 70's funky black guy Cyrus (a hilariously hip Chi McBride), sniveling bespectacled nerd Stuart (an amusingly dweeby Jum Fyfe), and cranky, weary, pistol-packin' cowboy old-timer the Judge (a marvelously cantankerous John Astin) -- who "haunt" various houses where rich folks reside; Frank arrives on the case and collects himself a bountiful fee for exorcising the unruly ghosts. But lately things are beginning to go awry for Frank: the locals in the sleepy town of Fairwater are starting to catch on to Frank's crafty con, a loony FBI agent (a fabulously frantic Jeffrey Combs) wants to nail Frank, lethal mass murderer Johnny Bartlet (a creepily on-target Jake Busey) and his fragile, sheltered, possibly innocent accomplice Patricia Bradley (beautifully played with touching vulnerability by Dee Wallace Stone) further complicate Frank's already strife-ridden life, and, most ominous of all, a powerfully nasty and malevolent long dormant murderous supernatural entity reawakens from its lengthy slumber to start killing anew. Only Frank knows about this evil thing's actual existence, so he has to go into action to thwart it before it racks up a hefty body count.

Director Peter Jackson (who previously gave us the gleefully over-the-top splatterific treats "Bad Taste" and "Dead Alive" before tackling the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and the "King Kong" remake) and co-screenwriter Fran Walsh have concocted one wickedly twisted, complex and inventive fright film scenario, deftly blending pitch-black humor, starkly horrific scares, elaborate, but judiciously applied special effects, a breathlessly speedy'n'steady pace, madly careening and expansive cinematography, a typically lively, jaunty score by Danny Elfman, and an absorbingly tricky and winding surprise-laden narrative into a deliciously dark and unnerving cinematic brew. It's genuinely refreshing to see a horror feature from the mid-90's that isn't specifically targeted for a no-brainer teenage audience, that has the strength of its own grim convictions, that delivers laughs and jolts aplenty without one canceling the other out, that even doesn't punk out at the very end with some weak, pat, everything-gets-neatly-tied-up-with-a-bow wimpy conclusion. In short, this baby qualifies as a true praiseworthy rarity: a pretty recent full-blooded no-nonsense big budget major studio mainstream shockathon that's every bit as smart, spooky and unsettling as any really up to snuff horror movie ought to be.

Far more fantasy than horror but still enjoyable

[kannibalcorpsegrinder · 7/10 · 3 September 2013]

Accused of murder, a small-town psychic charlatan learns that his skills in dealing with the deceased are put to the test for real when the murder spree continues despite everything he can do to stop it and must keep the spirit from harming his friends.

This here turned out to be quite an infuriating and quite troubling if somewhat interesting effort. Most of this is due to the fact that the film is far more of a fantasy effort that a straight-forward horror effort which is strange considering the subject matter at hand. This is mainly found in the finale at the hospital about the subject being sent into a heavenly arena and all the different after-effects on the body being adjusted to life back on Earth, all this just makes for a rather confusing time being that the main purpose is to stop the rampage of the ghostly figure throughout the town that only he can see and believe, so the sudden influx of mystical elements that this does at the very end makes for a confusing time. As well, the fact that these scenes force the film along far longer than it really should as the lengthy running time here really kills this one in that last section, not only with the sudden influx of fantasy but the mindless need to pay off far more plot- threads than it needed. Overall, this really could've used a few minutes shaved off here by deciding to abandon a few of these plots. That said, there's a lot to like here especially the scenes of the hooded ghostly menace in action, most notably the kinetic sequence in the holding cell where the good ghosts go fight the hooded ghost and take the fight between the walls and they good barreling through the different sections of the room as the humans watch and wait for them to appear and disappear, as well as a couple stellar attacks on a moving car that look absolutely amazing, an ambush in a graveyard and finally the hospital confrontation that makes for a lot of fun, so as an action film and horror film it definitely works wonders. As well, the CGI used is actually well-done and doesn't look cheap or fake at all, and gives the ghosts a fluidity that actually comes off nicely and makes up for some of the other flaws.

Rated R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.

gave up after an hour

[pepekwa · 2/10 · 8 June 2008]

I loved Robert Zemeckis films like back to the future, Peter jackson for directing "rings", danny elfman for his great musical scores like batman and who doesn't like Michael J Fox. But as much as I tried, I just couldn't like this film,it tries too hard to be a jack of all trades rather than to be a master of one.Its not funny enough to be a sci-fi comedy-hit like Ghostbusters was and its not scary enough to be even labeled suspenseful, let alone a horror. And because of its forced comedic element and uneven story,it can't be called a drama. I know I'm disagreeing with the majority on here but it was a mess for me, I couldn't get into it,I didn't know whether I should be taking it seriously or viewing it as a fantasy,either way it didn't work for me.

Comic book chills...good for Halloween viewing...

[Doylenf · 20 October 2002]

THE FRIGHTENERS is about as far out as any comic horror flick can be, making great use of special effects to get its ectoplasm creatures going through some scary capers. Michael J. Fox stars as a man who can communicate with and see dead spirits but the plot is strictly made of comic book horror fantasy. Everything moves so swiftly you have no chance to think about the complete lack of logic.

Dee Wallace is frightening as a demented woman hell bent on revenge. Trini Alvarado is a good foil for Fox's romantic interest and Jeffrey Combs makes the most of his role as Special Agent Dammers.

A good mixture of horror, fantasy and humor that is overwhelming in its use of CFX effects. Creepy settings are a plus and give the whole film a Halloween feeling--just don't expect the flashbacks to make any sense of the proceedings. Some of the scenes are too intense for younger viewers.

get this

[lee_eisenberg · 7/10 · 9 August 2006]

Years before the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and "King Kong", Peter Jackson made this very quirky flick with Michael J. Fox. Fox plays Frank Bannister, a sort of ghost-buster: he has several ghost friends, who pretend to haunt houses, and he comes to the rescue to get them out. This has basically turned him into an outcast in the town, until he starts seeing numbers on peoples' heads. These numbers turn out to relate to...

OK, I don't know how much more I can tell you without giving everything away, but I will say that "The Frighteners" is one of the most interesting movies that I've ever seen. Aside from the original story, there are some clever scenes. For example, R. Lee Ermey plays a ghost seemingly based on his character in "Full Metal Jacket", and one of Frank's ghost friends decides to get slinky with...a mummy! You read that right. Plus, there's Jeffrey Combs's loony detective; I don't know how such a person would ever get to be a detective! Obviously, this movie isn't any kind of masterpiece, but it doesn't pretend to be. This is all about being far out, and they do just that. This may be Michael J. Fox's coolest movie ever. If it has any problem, it's probably what a previous reviewer identified: it's a little bit formulaic what happens to Frank at the end. But other than that, you're sure to like the movie. Also starring Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace (that's right: Elliott's mom in "ET"!), Jake Busey and Chi McBride.

One of my top favorites

[deexsocalygal · 8/10 · 22 October 2020]

I absolutely love this movie! It's a funny story with Michael Fox as the main character who can see ghosts. Three funny friendly ghosts talk to him regularly, hang out in his house & ride with him in his car. He's good friends with them & they help him drum up business. You see Michael advertises that he can rid a house of ghosts. When someone calls him thinking their house might be haunted he brings his ghosts with him on the first visit. The ghosts help Michael J. Fox by haunting the house while he's checking it out & writing an estimate. By the time he's done the owner is begging him to come back at any cost! It's really funny. The DVD is better. When I streamed it I noticed some scenes were cut out or shortened. I highly recommend.

You are violating my territorial bubble.

[reddiemurf81 · 7/10 · 25 November 2021]

Before Peter Jackson took us to the Shire,, he directed this fun, mid-90s horror comedy. I seriously thought this one was done by Tim Burton back when I saw the trailer in 1996, but that might've just been hearing Danny Elfman's score, lol. If you're a 90s child, like me,, you can't pass this one up. If you're not a 90s child,, it's still a great viewing! 👌

Excellent, Underrated, Fantasy/Horror/Comedy film.

[hu675 · 9/10 · 6 July 2005]

Frank Bannister (Micheal J. Fox) is been seeing Ghosts after he was in a car accident with his wife (Angela Bloomfield), who died in the accident. Frank for years is been conning people as a Ghostbuster with the help of two wise cracking ghosts (Chi McBride & Jim Fyfe). When a mysterious ghost disguise himself as the Grim Reaper is been killing humans for pleasure. With the help of a local doctor (Trini Alvarado), she willing to help Frank stop this menacing ghost but stopping them in a way is a Freaked Out FBI Agent (Jeffery Combs).

Directed by Three Time Oscar-Winner:Peter Jackson (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Brain Dead, King Kong-2005). Jackson made an very entertaining film that mixes it with Supernatural, Comedy, Thriller and Horror very well. This was a Box Office Disappointment in the Summer of 1996. The film plays better on Video and Television. But it was a must see in the theater, for it's amazing Digital Effects. Fox gives one of his best roles, Combs steals the show in the film. The movie's supporting cast are:Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jake Busey, Troy Evens and R.Lee Ermey.

This Review is the Director's Cut for new DVD. Which the film is now 14 minutes longer than the theatrical cut. DVD has an sharp anamorphic widescreen (2.35:1) transfer and an strong-Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. DVD has an entertaining commentary track from the director from the original 1998 Director's Cut Laserdisc. This new DVD has the same features from the Laserdisc, including the original 4 and ½ hours documentary. Which the documentary also has deleted scenes, outtakes, interviews with the cast and more. The problem with this DVD is a flip-side disc, which one side is the film and other side of the disc is the documentary.

The documentary is been trimmed down for the DVD but side A does have the 45 minute long storyboard scenes with commentary by the director. Which is not on side B on the documentary of the DVD. Although be careful with this DVD, since it's a flip-side disc and it could get scratches easily. This Director's Cut adds some funny moments and some character development (especially from Combs character). This is a one of a kind film from the increasingly talented filmmaker-Peter Jackson. Don't miss it. Executive Produced by Robert Zemeckis (Back to the Future Trilogy). Written by Fran Walsh and the Director. Nice music score by Danny Elfman (Batman, Nightbreed, Red Dragon). Watch for Jackson in a Cameo. Super 35. (**** ½/*****).

Interesting...

[ajs-10 · 7/10 · 28 June 2011]

I hadn't heard of this film before I got more involved in reading and writing about films. I became interested in the work that Peter Jackson did before he embarked on the 'Lord of the Rings' epic trilogy. So, when I can, I'm slowly going through his back catalogue. This is quite an interesting film with some nice ideas and some really great effects (for its day) but it does suffer from a slightly over-complicated plot and being a little too long. But more of my thoughts later, here's a brief summary first.

Frank Bannister makes a living as a Psychic Investigator. After an accident five years ago, he can see and speak to ghosts. One of his clients is Ray Lynskey, who he had had a run-in with recently. Just before he leaves, after removing some troublesome spirits, he notices a mystical number on Ray's forehead but thinks nothing of it. The next day Ray is dead. His wife, Dr. Lucy Lynskey, asks Frank to communicate with Ray and from this they form a friendship. More people die and it begins to look like Frank is the culprit, but he claims he's innocent. The FBI even get involved in the shape of, the very strange, Milton Dammers. Eventually Frank and Lucy link it back to a serial killer, Johnny Charles Bartlett, who went to the electric chair many years before. Will Frank be able to stop Bartlett before he claims Lucy as his next victim? Well, you can probably guess, but you didn't hear it from me right.

As I said at the beginning, this film does suffer from a rather over-complicated plot. The first-rate special effects go some way to making up for this, but not quite. Having said that, it's still quite watchable with some decent performances; chiefly from Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister and Trini Alvarado as Dr. Lucy Lynskey. Also worthy of note are Peter Dobson as Ray Lynskey, John Astin as The Judge, Jeffrey Combs, who was really off the wall, as Milton Dammers, Dee Wallace as Patricia Ann Bradley and Jake Busey as Johnny Charles Bartlett. Oh, and worthy a special mention, it was nice to see a small cameo from R. Lee Ermey as Sgt, Hiles.

I must admit I did quite enjoy this film, there were many sight gags that I found amusing and the musical score was pretty good too. A very well made film with some decent cinematography and, as I've already mentioned, some excellent effects, both CGI and animatronic. It does suffer though from the very complicated plot and it does seem to drag a bit towards the end, probably because it's too long. Having said that though, it's worth a viewing for some very interesting ideas that you might recognise from Jackson's later works… Recommended.

My Score: 7.1/10

Fun and frenetic

[januaryman-1 · 8/10 · 5 September 2013]

The Frighteners is a fun little movie from the mid-90s. It has an pleasing mix of stars who hit their stride in the 80s (Fox,Wallace, and Ermey) and others who count this as among their first works (Alvarado, Busey, McBride). It is an odd mix of horror and humor from Peter Jackson and had state-of-the-art special effects for the time.

The Frighteners, filmed and produced in New Zealand, was the biggest special effects movie made at that time outside the Hollywood movie base. It made extensive use of blue screens and had over 400 computer-enhanced special effects. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh wrote the script and Jackson directed and produced the film.

The Frighteners has an overall tone of whimsy but also has some impressive horror movie moments. The Danny Elfman score fits the movie perfectly. Frank Bannister, played by Fox, is a widowed psychic investigator exploring supernatural goings on in a placid rural town. Newcomer Alvarado plays his romantic interest. Veteran actor John Astin plays a ghost called The Judge who has seen his better days. Ermey plays drill instructor (go figure), Sgt Hiles, who is in charge of the local cemetery. He has several lines and a general demeanor that pays homage or satirizes (depending on your viewpoint) his character in 1987's Full Metal Jacket. Jake Busey plays a good bad man, and McBride plays a funny role as Bannister's ghostly aide.

The Frighteners is amusing, frightening, entertaining, and a bit exhausting. It is a great Fall or Halloween movie.

Good, but too much music

[begob · 6/10 · 2 March 2015]

Overblown and noisy, but a clever comedy ghost story with a serial killer element.

The cast plays it well, with Fox nice and laid back, and the direction keeps the pace and plot bubbling over. One flaw I guess is that the scary reaper is defeated and replaced with a lesser menace well before the final conflict - I'd reserve the best till last. Also the FBI guy is a bit of a plot convenience.

The effects are very good, but one thing that annoyed me is almost every minute is filled with dramatic music. I suppose it was the last fling for '80s cheese so no way to avoid it.

Overall it's a bit long and busy, but amusing and entertaining all the same.

An over-the-top romance featuring Patricia, Johnny and big, sharp knives, with a fine Michael J. Fox and lots of special effects

[Terrell-4 · 7/10 · 15 February 2008]

The room was full. Almost everybody had filled their white styrofoam cups with black coffee and had taken their seats. When I finally got the nerve to stand I felt so self-conscious I wanted to crawl under my chair. "My name is Charley DeRiemer," I finally said, "and...I...uh...I'm a fan of...uh...The Frighteners."

But I'm disappointed in a lot of it, too. This horror-comedy has too much humor and wit and not enough cheese to qualify as a cult flick. All the film's Computer Generated Flatulence, for me, eventually loses impact. The CGF so clutters up the story-line, which already is complicated, that I think Peter Jackson, the director, must have fallen in love with his computer toys and forgotten there was a story to tell. It doesn't help that while most of the movie is over-the-top funny, the last part sinks into to an old-fashioned scare-um gore-fest without cleverness, just Jake Busey grinning with a lot of teeth and people jumping out with big knives in their hands. So why is this movie so likable?

First, most of the time the script is funny and clever. Second, several of the sequences manage to create a great blend of humor, raunchiness, special effects and drama (the funeral and cemetery, the museum party in the Egyptian wing) or a real jolt of dread and foreboding (Lucy in the mansion with Patricia Ann, the beginning of the psychiatric hospital scene). Third, the movie has some fine, grotesque acting that is weird and unsettling (Jeffrey Coombs, Dee Wallace, Jake Busey) or weird and funny (John Astin, Chi McBride, Peter Dobson). Fourth, you can't beat a love story that reaches beyond death into eternal devotion. For Patricia (Dee Wallace) and Johnny (Jake Busey), love is forever and means never having to say you're sorry. Fifth, and to my mind most importantly, it has Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister. Fox has the personality and star firepower to be able to turn a typical nice-guy character into a man we really like. Fox has been a master in portraying flawed, vulnerable nice guys we almost instantly sympathize with. It's a rare talent. For me, he manages most of the time to overcome the continual show-off intrusion of all that Computer Generated Overkill. The exception is when he's involved with a massive tube to heaven that looks like a Slinky on steroids. When he's on screen, even when he's enmeshed with silly blue-screen aerobics, he makes the film human and grounded. It's a shame Jackson had all that money and all those computers to play with. He didn't really need them. Just watch how he builds dread when Lucy arrives at the creepy old mansion to whisk Patricia away to safety. It's one of the best, most skillful scenes in the movie, and there's hardly a computer effect to be seen until the last of it...when the dread and suspense are swept out and the "wow" stuff is swept in.

There's a lot of great stuff in this comedy about serial killers, demonic possession and a scamming psychic investigator who brings along his own ghosts. There's a lot to be frustrated by, too. For the most part, I just use my fast-forward button now and them. I do like the movie even with its faults. Now if only someone would make, "Johnny and Patricia versus Mommy and Daddy," featuring the knife-wielding Mommy and leather-suited Daddy from The People Under the Stairs. That would make a tag-team match worth watching.

Jackson's most disappointing work

[Willzo · 3/10 · 18 February 1999]

I cannot stress the extent to which I was shocked that this film was the work of Peter Jackson, who gave us before such ridiculously funny films as Dead Alive and Meet the Feebles, and also Heavenly Creatures, which is one of the most innovative and powerful movies I have ever seen. The Frighteners was, to quote a friend of mine, extraordinary only in its mediocrity; a film totally bereft of Jackson's usual spark and wicked sense of humor.

Though I have faith that he will redeem himself somewhere down the line, I find it difficult to let him slide so easily with this film: in all of its many facets it is unentertaining and uninvolving, and gives him a bad name.