“Give it up, Frank. Death ain't no way to make a living!”
The Frighteners is not a remarkable film by any stretch of the imagination, and yet I keep coming back to it every couple of years. I was a huge Peter Jackson fanboy back in '96; the manic explosion of viscera that is Dead Alive knocked me for a loop, and the melancholic, emotionally gripping Heavenly Creatures split my teenage brain wide open (much like that film's unfortunate matriarch). This was the first Jackson film I was lucky enough to see in the theater. The film attempts to find that delicate balance between horror and humor, but ultimately doesn't have enough of either to be wholly satisfying. Ostensibly, the entire film is just a special effects demo reel for Jackson's upcoming adaptation of Lord of the Rings (and not just special effects - dig the waiter in the medieval-themed restaurant sporting the white tree of Gondor on his breastplate). The film rewards many repeat viewings (for this viewer, at least) for one reason - the considerable charm of lead actor Michael J. Fox (still his last starring film role). As such, the first half of the film, featuring Fox bickering with his housemate ghosts, who assist him in small-time paranormal cons, is much more rewarding than its back half, when it becomes an extended spook chase. Though again - watching Fox adapt to his surroundings when he joins the afterlife is a real treat, and Jackson certainly knows how to stage a gripping horror setpiece. Having genre veterans Jeffrey Combs and Dee Wallace Stone along for the ride is a cheeky touch, as well. Come for the Fox and irreverent tone, stay for the mostly still-impressive effects.
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