FILM REVIEW: The Frighteners

[diebitter]

This is a comedy/horror, directed by Peter Jackson, director of the fantastic Lord of the Rings, and various lesser known movies, including 'heavenly creatures' and 'bad taste' (both good uns, but for very different reasons)

It's about a psychic investigator/conman, played by the very-watchable Michael J. Fox, who operates in a small town. He's a conman with a difference though - he can see the spirits, and actually works with them. They haunt the house, and he comes in to clear them up - sweet arrangement, huh? But something's gone wrong. Murders are happening, and it may be that the Grim Reaper himself is taking souls....

This is a pretty effective mix of comedy and horror, with amusing ghosts and cameos (eg the drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket pops up as a ghost in exactly the same character), and lots of exciting set pieces. The horror is mainly 'oh lord, the bad thing is chasing me and I need to escape/ruuuun!' kind in the main, rather than gross-out or the 'building of tension' kind. The plot is a little twisty/turny, but not too hard to follow, and remains interesting up until the end. It's very stylishly directed and shot, and the actors are pretty good.

For pure horror buffs and fans of 'From Beyond' and 'Reanimator', Jeffrey Combs pops up as a nutty FBI investigator that can't sit down properly and can't stand women being loud [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Overall its got a ghostbusters/beetlejuice vibe for adults, a good horror for the ladies that don't like the 'gross-out' kind, and is a fun popcorn movie.

Overall: 2.5/5
Rewatchability: Reasonably high - you'd happily watch it every year or so if there was nothing else on - but you won't be yearning to watch it over and over again.


RATINGS (out of 5):
0 - This is a complete waste of time, and you will regret wasting it
1 - don't bother unless no other options at all
2 - okay for a single watch, if you've got time
3 - Definite watch if you get a chance
4 - See it very soon, at least once before you die
5 - See it immediately, no excuses


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Recent Reviews: Groundhog Day, The Fly, A Mighty Wind