Well, it’s Monday, you know what that means… time for another installment of Disc Dive! This week we have a movie that I caught on streaming awhile back and I enjoyed it so much that I bought a physical copy of it. The blu-ray copy I have has both the theatrical and director’s cut versions of it and today I am diving into the theatrical cut of… The Frighteners (1996).
Title: The Frighteners
Director: Peter Jackson
Released: July 19, 1996 (Theatrical – United States)
Runtime: 1 hour 50 minutes
Disc Format: Blu-ray
Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) has established himself as a psychic investigator. However, he happens to have an advantage that he keeps close to his chest.
You see, Frank has the ability to communicate with ghosts. It started when he survived the car accident that, unfortunately, took his wife’s life. Since then, Frank has realized he has the ability to see, talk to, and interact with ghosts.
Ever the opportunist, Frank decides to use this rare ability to his advantage and start his own sort of ghost busting business. Luckily for Frank, there are three ghosts that live with him that he can trust, so he uses Cyrus (Chi McBride), Stuart (Jim Fyfe), and The Judge (John Astin) for his business. Frank lingers around funerals, making sure to slip his card to the grieving, then it is showtime. Cyrus, Stuart, and The Judge will then go cause mayhem at the person’s home. The homeowner reaches out to Frank to rid their home of the evil spirits. He then swoops in, “eliminates” any threats, and walks away with a sizable payment for his services.
Sounds like Frank is living life on easy mode, right?
Well, maybe so if there weren’t actual mysterious happenings that keep occurring in the town of Fairwater. Recently there have been a number of healthy people who have started dropping dead for no apparent reason. What’s even weirder is that Frank begins seeing a number carved into the victim’s forehead before they wind up being next.
But why is it Frank can see the numbers on the victim’s foreheads?
And why do these deaths seem to be eerily connected to a massacre that occurred in Fairwater back in the 1950’s?
The Frighteners is just an all-around fun time.
For starters, the cast, from top-to-bottom, are all just great for their respective roles. Fox gives us what almost equates to a darker version of Marty McFly and Jake Busey is excellent as the ’50s murderer John Bartlett. Meanwhile McBride, Astin, and Fyfe keep things light with their roles as Frank’s sidekicks, so to speak. Though they are all great, it is Jeffrey Combs as FBI Agent Milton Dammers who quietly steals each scene he is in.
It is wild to think that The Frighteners turns 30 this year. It has aged like a fine wine. There are a ton of special effects in this film and they’re used to enhance the story rather than to advance it. Not only that, but visually they stand the test of time as well. In fact, I’d argue that it looks better than a good chunk of what we get today.
The Frighteners feels like a Saturday morning cartoon come to life. Yes, it is a horror movie. However it is just as much a comedy as it is a horror movie. Jackson found the sweet spot where this is able to exist happily with one foot planted firmly in each genre.
Whether you’re a die-hard horror fan or someone who is just trying to dip their toes into the genre, The Frighteners has something for everybody.
So, what say you?
If you’ve seen The Frighteners (1996), tell me what you thought of it by leaving a comment below or reaching out to me on Bluesky!
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