Saturday, February 14, 2009

The Frighteners (1996)



Came across this movie while channel surfing awhile back and was frankly surprised I'd never heard of nor seen it before. Where have they been hiding it??? It has Michael J. Fox in it and is directed by Peter Jackson, so it should have show up SOMEWHERE on the radar before this.

The only thing I don't like about this movie is the title! Whomever came up with it needs to be shot. It sounds like a kids afternoon special! If it would have been given a proper title in the beginning I can say almost with certainty it would have been a hit. I would love to see it re-released with a new, appropriate title.

On now to the film itself. I've included a plot synopsis and one review below that covers quite a bit. Things that most impress me with The Frighteners:

1) Michael J. Fox. TOP-NOTCH PERFORMANCE. You will never see Michael better than him in this movie. He covers all of the bases of emotions and does so with ease.

2) Portrayal of the female characters. They step way outside of the old stereotypical roles of weak window dressing that waits for and on man.

3) The plot rocks.

4) The location rocks.

5) The special effects are friggin outstanding. I think one of the below blurbs talks about "working fx" and I agree. The special effects are spectacular and not there just to be there. They are integrated into the plot and create excitement, horror, and realism. What is tricky with them is how horror and comedy have been mixed. Without the relief of comedy, the special effects might give you nightmares; with the comedy you're able to watch them without being traumatized. To be able to pull this off takes skill.

Thanks go out to the individuals involved in the making of The Frighteners for making a top-notch work that entertains from beginning to end and one that can be watched again and again with delight.

review from nbc website:
In the sleepy little town of Fairwater, a monstrous evil has awakened...an evil so powerful, its reach extends beyond the grave. Director Peter Jackson and Executive Producer Robert Zemeckis unleash a riveting thriller with the most spectacular special effects this side of the hereafter.

For Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox), death is a great way to make a living: ridding haunted houses of their 'unwelcome' guests'. But he's in cahoots with the very ghosts he promises to evict! It's the perfect scam...until Frank finds himself at the center of a dark mystery. A diabolical spirit is on a murderous rampage, and the whole town believes Frank is behind it.

Boasting music by Danny Elfman and co-starring Trini Alvarado, Jeffrey Combs and John Astin, this supernatural chiller is so fiendishly entertaining, it's scary!

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, John Astin, Jeffrey Combs, Peter Dobson, Dee Wallace Stone, Jake Busey, Chi McBride, Jim Fyfe
Directed by: Peter Jackson

--Blurb taken from the nbc website store, at:

http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/detail.php?p=15602

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Review from imdb:

I don't know what it is with horror movies, and horror/comedies in particular. Either they are huge, blockbuster hits (GHOSTBUSTERS, SCREAM) or they are virtually ignored by theatergoers and critics (everything except for GHOSTBUSTERS and SCREAM). Unfortunately THE FRIGHTENERS falls into the last category, which is a shame because it's a great, original film.

Others like M.A. Rogers have described the plot in detail here, so I won't go into it. Suffice it to say that Michael J. Fox gives a terrific, believable performance here as the ghostbusting conman who gets more than he bargained for. The supporting cast is a hoot (especially the insane FBI agent). Peter Jackson, a man who has proven he can even make a good movie on a camcorder, was given a decent budget here and it really shows. The special effects are noteworthy and are actually put to good use rather than being eye candy. While the violence/gore factor in THE FRIGHTENERS is toned down in comparison to Jackson's earlier films, the comedy is still spot-on. Jackson can do no wrong it seems.

Even if you're not a total horror fan, there should still be something here for you to latch on to and enjoy. Heck, there's almost nothing missing from this movie--romance, comedy, scares, action... it's all there. What's not to like? But don't take my word for it, go rent it and see for yourself.

-- Author: obiwan-27 (obiwan@ghosts.org) from New England