The Frighteners
Overview
When his hometown is struck by a series of mysterious deaths that appears to be the work of a malicious supernatural killer, a psychic investigator who is able to communicate with the dead attempts to get to the bottom of things and put a stop to the murders. But even with the help of three ghostly friends, he soon discovers that defeating the deadly fiend is a task much easier said than done. With its mix of humor and suspense, THE FRIGHTENERS is spooky good fun from cult horror director Peter Jackson.
Awards:
Main Cast & Crew:
John Blick - Director
Peter Jackson - Director
Michael J. Fox
Trini Alvarado
Peter Dobson
John Astin
Jeffrey Combs
Juliana Mccarthy
Dee Wallace
Julianna McCarthy
K.C. Kelly
Peter Jackson
Details
- Format: Blu-ray (Anniversary Edition, Digital Theater System, Dolby, AC-3, Dubbed)
- Run Time: 123
- Color Format: Color
- UPC: 025192067938
- Genre: HORROR / SCI-FI / FANTASY
- Rating: R (MPAA)
- Release Date: September 2011
Movie Reviews
Synopsis:
Offbeat horror director Peter Jackson goes Hollywood with this follow-up to his acclaimed 1994 feature, HEAVENLY CREATURES. THE FRIGHTENERS, part horror-comedy, part supernatural thriller, stars Michael J. Fox as psychic investigator Frank Bannister. Bannister is able to see and communicate with spirits as a result of the trauma of witnessing his wife die in a car accident. Now a series of mysterious deaths in Frank's hometown has left authorities at wit's end. The deaths appear to be caused by heart attacks, but eventually it is revealed that they are actually the work of a menacing, Grim Reaper-like phantom. Bannister becomes a suspect after several deaths occur in his presence, and in order to prove his innocence, he and a team of three friendly ghosts attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding the murderous specter. But what emerges is far more than they bargained for, and soon a psychotic killer's lust for revenge from beyond the grave threatens the lives of both Bannister and his new love interest (Trini Alvarado). THE FRIGHTENERS is a fun and fast-paced cinematic romp with plenty of stunning computer-generated special effects.
Notes:
Theatrical release: July 19, 1996.
Although the film is set in California, it was filmed in New Zealand.
Peter Jackson had actually sent an outline for THE FRIGHTENERS to executive producer Robert Zemeckis as a proposed episode for the HBO series TALES FROM THE CRYPT. Zemeckis thought the story was good enough to stand on its own and decided to turn it into a feature-length film.
Jackson has a cameo appearance as a biker that Michael J. Fox's character bumps into exiting an office building.
Reviews:
"...Flashes of twisted inspiration..." - 08/22/1996 Rolling Stone, p.105
"...Everything-goes....Consistently witty and often lewd and rude..." -- Rating: B+ - 12/20/1996 Entertainment Weekly, p.84
"...Saucy, scary and pleasantly unsettling....Jackson, at home with all kinds of excess, keeps everything spinning nicely..." - 07/19/1996 Los Angeles Times, p.F10
"[A]s the filmmaker points out, THE FRIGHTENERS represents a major turning point in his career. This was the first time that Mr. Jackson worked for a Hollywood studio, cast a major star and made extensive use of computer-generated imagery..." - 12/06/2005 New York Times, p.E11
"Jackson's first Hollywood outing is a smash-and-grab horror-comedy....The ectoplasmic effects have aged fairly well..." - 02/01/2006 Sight and Sound, p.89
4 stars out of 5 -- "Eccentric, muddled and CGI heavy; Jackson's Hollywood debut still manages to look like a cult classic." - 12/01/2011 Total Film
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