The Frighteners -- opinions?

[chris larralde]

I've seen this in the stores a few times but never realized it was from Peter Jackson (Dead Alive). All of a sudden I'm very interested -- any opinions?
chris

 

[Julie K]

I like the Frighteners quite a bit. Sure, it's not the gorefest that Dead Alive is, but it is still a wonderful horror/comedy in the manner that Peter Jackson does so well. Plus, Jeffrey Combs playing a demented FBI agent is a sight no one should miss.
I really wish Universal would re-release the DVD to include the the extra footage, commentary, and 4 1/2 hour documentary that was on the LD. Perhaps I should mention that I bought the LD (which isn't cheap) then went out to buy a LD player. Yes, I like the movie that much

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[Justin_S]

A great film all the way! One of my favorite actors of the genre, Jeffrey Combs, is at his best here. He is totally over the top and funny. "You are violating my territorial bubble!" Heheh, that line always cracks me up. The ghost special effects are flawless, especially the Grim Reaper effects. The town has a cool sleepy, gothic look to it. Another great horror genre actor, the lovely Dee Wallace Stone, is great in this film as well. She captures her character's psychotic persona perfectly. This is a great horror flick and I highly recommend it!

 

[MaxY]

Good solid Horror Comedy with an excellent cast and a great 5.1 soundtrack.
Max
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[Alex Spindler]

The only title I dream of having more than a LD equal special edition is Bad Taste, which is coming. After that, I'll need to get some firstborn to start offering to Universal.
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[chris larralde]

Well, it sounds like it should be added to my "must watch" DVD list!

 

[Derek Miner]

When The Frighteners came out, I was enticed by the fact that Robert Zemeckis exec. produced it. I may have seen Peter Jackson's Heavenly Creatures, but Dead Alive and Meet The Feebles are definitely not my taste. The Frighteners, on the other hand, turned out to be one of my favorite films.
Anyway, I went around after seeing The Frighteners raving about how it was the only movie of the summer which actually had (gasp!) REAL CHARACTERS! In addition, it managed to meld comedy and thriller pretty well, with some good twists. Most people didn't listen to me at the time, but the film has definitely gained a following since then.
= Derek =

 

[SteveMc]

I just picked up the Frighteners this weekend at Best Buy. I was greatly surprised the first time I saw this movie a few years ago. A great horror-comedy. And the bit of comedy in it doesn't really take away from the spooky parts. Add a great score the script (scored by Danny Elfman!!) and you got a kick ass movie...starring Marty McFly

or was it Alex P Keaton...not sure....
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[Inspector Hammer!]

I love this film! I had the barebones edition LD and thought that the film was extremly fun and entertaining. It has that cold chill feeling like you get the feeling while watching it that it's taking place in October, plus it's a great movie to watch on Halloween.
My favorite charactor is of course Jeffrey Combs nervous wreck of a detective! The parts that kill me are when he flips out whenever woman yell at him!

One of my favorite lines...
Reggie, "I'm Reggie Bannister, i'm a pshychic."
That asshole boyfriend, can't recall his name, "Oh, your a pshychic huh? How come you didn't see the corner coming!?!"
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[Paul_D]

I think its one of Michael J. Fox's best roles. Highly recommended!

 

[Gary Tooze]

Mike D'Angelo rates it the 7th best film of 96':
His Review:
At last, a big-budget summer movie that actually delivers on its promise of entertaining escapist entertainment, without insulting the audience's intelligence in the process. While it's inevitably a bit of a disappointment, coming as it does on the heels of Jackson's staggeringly brilliant Heavenly Creatures, The Frighteners is nonetheless first-rate goofy fun, marred only by a rather weak first act and a truly lame denouement (the final five minutes or so seem to have been imported from some other, considerably dumber summer movie...maybe that one with the tornadoes and Helen Hunt running around in a flimsy white tank top...can't remember what it was called...). And get this: the movie actually has a plot. You remember plots, don't you -- those sequences of events that keep you wondering what might happen next? (If you've forgotten, I can't say as I blame you, as it's been quite some time since a film with a budget this big featured one worth paying attention to.) Granted, it's a fairly derivative plot, incorporating elements from Ghostbusters, Ghost, The Shining, and various other supernatural flicks, but Jackson and his co-writer, Fran Walsh, manage to combine these influences into a surprisingly satisfying blend of over-the-top comedy and ghoulish horror. Ultimately, though, it's Jackson's inventive, kinetic, madcap direction that truly impresses; his visual panache, as always, is consistently exhilirating without ever becoming gratingly excessive. The film's climax, set in an abandoned hospital, is a tour-de-force of rhythm and motion, fluidly moving back and forth between past and present in breathtaking fashion. Best of all, Jackson knows how to use exciting special-effects technology without letting it run roughshod over the narrative; the effects are impressive, but they're also an integral part of a story that would still be of interest even with dime-store, cut-rate work in this department. (Would anyone have cared about Jurassic Park if the dinosaurs had been so-so?) Performances range from slightly-more-than-adequate (Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado) to dementedly inspired (Jeffrey Combs, whose fine low-key work in Re-Animator failed to prepare me for his hilarious histrionics as Milton, a very deranged FBI agent). Water in the desert, this one.
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[Edited last by Gary Tooze on September 06, 2001 at 07:31 AM]

 

[SteveMc]

One of my favorite lines...
Reggie, "I'm Reggie Bannister, i'm a pshychic."

Reggie who? Wasn't his name Frank?
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[Inspector Hammer!]

SteveMC, you know what, I think your right with the name!

But, i'm sure i've heard that name Reggie Bannister somewhere before though!?! Oh, great, this is going to bother me all night!
Anyway, I picked up this movie today because of this thread, talking about it made me want to see it again since it's been awhile.
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[Edited last by John Williamson on September 07, 2001 at 08:17 PM]

 

[Justin_S]

Reggie Bannister is the guy in the Phantasm movies.

 

[MaxY]

Or wait wasn't he the guy from the Archie comics?
Max
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[Rob Tomlin]

D'Angelo's review above really nailed it!
I definitely think this is the best movie of this type, by far. And I don't particularly care for this type of movie generally. But the combination of horror/comedy was extremely well done!
Highly recommended!

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

You know what, I am such a dumb ass! I just bought 'Phantasm' last weekend and watched all the extras and things, I must have had that actor on my mind subconciously when I posted my first post in this thread. Oh, man it's been a tough week, I have to get some sleep.

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