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Movies / On DVD / The Frighteners
The Frighteners

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The Frighteners (1996)

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71 %
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Reviews Counted:24

Fresh:17

Rotten:7

Average Rating:6.2/10

Runtime: 2 hrs 3 mins

Genre: Horror/Suspense

Synopsis: Offbeat horror director Peter Jackson goes Hollywood with this follow-up to his acclaimed 1994 feature, HEAVENLY CREATURES. THE FRIGHTENERS, part horror-comedy, part supernatural thriller, stars... Offbeat horror director Peter Jackson goes Hollywood with this follow-up to his acclaimed 1994 feature, HEAVENLY CREATURES. THE FRIGHTENERS, part horror-comedy, part supernatural thriller, stars Michael J. Fox as psychic investigator Frank Bannister. Bannister is able to see and communicate with spirits as a result of the trauma of witnessing his wife die in a car accident. Now a series of mysterious deaths in Frank's hometown has left authorities at wit's end. The deaths appear to be caused by heart attacks, but eventually it is revealed that they are actually the work of a menacing, Grim Reaper-like phantom. Bannister becomes a suspect after several deaths occur in his presence, and in order to prove his innocence, he and a team of three friendly ghosts attempt to unravel the mystery surrounding the murderous specter. But what emerges is far more than they bargained for, and soon a psychotic killer's lust for revenge from beyond the grave threatens the lives of both Bannister and his new love interest (Trini Alvarado). THE FRIGHTENERS is a fun and fast-paced cinematic romp with plenty of stunning computer-generated special effects. [More]

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin

Starring: Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, Jake Busey, Chi McBride, Jim Fyfe, Troy Evans, Julianna McCarthy, Elizabeth Hawthorne

Director: Peter Jackson

Director: Peter Jackson

[See More Credits]

Reviews for The Frighteners

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
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Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
04/17/01
Ben Falk
Ben Falk
BBC
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
01/01/00
Empire Magazine
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
03/26/09
Todd McCarthy
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite being awful in almost every respect, The Frighteners does offer one small pleasure: R. Lee Ermey parodying his Full Metal Jacket drill sergeant character.

comment Comment
01/23/06
Chuck O'Leary
Chuck O'Leary
Fantastica Daily
N/R

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Full Review Source: Reeling Reviews | comment Comment
04/09/05
Robin Clifford
Robin Clifford
Reeling Reviews

It actually works up till its last few minutes.

comment Comment
12/04/03
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

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Full Review Source: rec.arts.movies.reviews | comment Comment
11/07/03
Dragan Antulov
Dragan Antulov
rec.arts.movies.reviews

An incredibly underrated scare-comedy from Peter Jackson that deserves a much wider audience.

comment Comment
07/14/03
Blake Davis
Blake Davis
KFOR Channel 4 News

No review available.

comment Comment
05/30/03
Jeffrey Westhoff
Jeffrey Westhoff
Northwest Herald (Crystal Lake, IL)
N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
05/20/03
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Quirky Peter Jackson film that's half comedy and half horror/gore-fest. Mostly enjoyable results, although Fox a bit miscast.

comment Comment
03/18/03
Brian Mckay
Brian Mckay
eFilmCritic.com

Woulda been five stars, but the cop-out ending smacks of the test-screening process.

comment Comment
03/07/03
Luke Y. Thompson
Luke Y. Thompson
New Times

No review available.

comment Comment
02/21/03
Brian J. Arthurs
Brian J. Arthurs
Beach Reporter (Southern California)

The talented director of “Heavenly Creatures” has pulled together a film that wants to be everything to everyone simultaneously.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Asylum | comment Comment
12/26/02
Brandon Judell
Brandon Judell
Entertainment Asylum
N/R

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Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
06/05/02
Lea Russo
Lea Russo
Boxoffice Magazine

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Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
04/12/02
Globe and Mail
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Full Review Source: Q Network Film Desk | comment Comment
02/27/01
James Kendrick
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
N/R

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Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/14/01
Kenneth Turan
Kenneth Turan
Los Angeles Times
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/01/00
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
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Latest News for The Frighteners

February 17, 2006: "Terabithia" Starts Production Down Under
ComingSoon.net shares with us a press release from the workaholics over at Walden Media, and the newest news is this: Production has already begun on Walden & Disney's... More...

December 13, 2005: Critical Consensus: Crown This "Kong"
The original "King Kong" is a movie so loved, and so emulated, that it would seem a foolhardy task to try to remake it. But Peter Jackson is a director who dreams big,... More...

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