Review of The Frighteners (1996) by Shane S — 24 Jan 2014
Peter Jackson made a mainstream horror comedy once.
It kind of works. I hear the director's cut is a lot better, but you know, he's too busy making overlong LotR films.
Also, surprised that the film got pretty DARK at times. I mean, very dark. The trailers and the poster make it seem like an extremely quirky comedy with some horror elements - the undead pull pranks on the living - but the movie itself is pretty sobering, itself a tale about loss, regret, and traumatic experiences.
The funny thing is that I remember watching this back when it first came out on VHS. My mom and my dad rented a copy at Hollywood Video (or Blockbuster - I can't remember) and I saw bits and pieces of the ending. Probably gave me nightmares, but now, it's just kind of silly to see Michael J. Fox hunt for ghosts with the help of decade-specific stereotypes. For some reason, I thought Christopher Lloyd was in it - I probably confused either Judge or Dammers for a Doc Brown wannabe.
Anyhoo, this movie's not bad. Has some Sonic Youth in it, if that gets you interested. And Michael J. Fox makes use of his final film role here.
This review of The Frighteners (1996) was written by Shane S on 24 Jan 2014.
The Frighteners has generally received positive reviews.
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