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Features: DVD, Director's Cut, Dolby, Dolby Digital (5.1), English, Spanish, French
Michael J. Fox stars as Frank Bannister, a small-town 'ghostbuster' in league with the very spirits he's supposed to be exorcising. The scam works well until a powerful spirit goes on a murderous rampage, forcing Frank to find a way to stop the diabolical ghoul in this special-effects-packed supernatural chiller that's so fiendishly entertaining, it's frightening!
"An interesting and worthwile watch..." Ben Fak, BBCi
"...saucy, scary and pleasantly unsettling" Keneth Turan, Los Angeles Times
"A ghost story with an attitude." Michael Wilmington, Chicaho Tribune
Editor's Note
When his hometown is struck by a series of mysterious deaths that appears to be the work of a malicious supernatural killer, a psychic investigator who is able to communicate with the dead attempts to get to the bottom of things and put a stop to the murders. But even with the help of three ghostly friends, he soon discovers that defeating the deadly fiend is a task much easier said than done. With its mix of humor and suspense, THE FRIGHTENERS is spooky good fun from cult horror director Peter Jackson.
Plot Summary
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.
| Features | Subtitles: English, French, Spanish | | Audio: English Dolby Digital (5.1), Dolby Surround | | Widescreen Presentation |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Universal |
| Release Date: 11/29/2005 |
| Running Time: 123 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 1996 | | Catalog ID: 26746 | | UPC: 00025192674624 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Available Subtitles: French, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 2.35:1 |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | Rolling Stone
"...Flashes of twisted inspiration..." 08/22/1996 p.105Entertainment Weekly
"...Everything-goes....Consistently witty and often lewd and rude..." -- Rating: B 12/20/1996 p.84 Los Angeles Times
"...Saucy, scary and pleasantly unsettling....Jackson, at home with all kinds of excess, keeps everything spinning nicely..." 07/19/1996 p.F10 New York Times
"[A]s the filmmaker points out, THE FRIGHTENERS represents a major turning point in his career. This was the first time that Mr. Jackson worked for a Hollywood studio, cast a major star and made extensive use of computer-generated imagery..." 12/06/2005 p.E11 Sight and Sound
"Jackson's first Hollywood outing is a smash-and-grab horror-comedy....The ectoplasmic effects have aged fairly well..." 02/01/2006 p.89 Chicago Sun-Times 2 of 10
Incredible, the amount of work that went into The Frighteners. And appalling. Anyone who appreciates special effects, computer animation or movie makeup will regard this movie with awe. There's not a shot that doesn't suggest infinite pains and patience; complex makeup was painstakingly applied to actors for shots that were then married to special effects in order to create a screen filled with gory images. But all of that incredible effort has resulted in a film that looks more like a demo reel than a movie--like the kind of audition tape a special-effects expert would put together, hoping to impress a producer enough to give him a real job. - Roger Ebert
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