A tight, suspenseful thrill ride.
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When it was first announced that Peter Jackson would be adapting the "Lord of the Rings" novels to screen, I think I was in sync with most of the world in asking, "Who?" And once the connection was made to his American film debut, "The Frighteners," the question changed to, "Seriously?"
"The Frighteners" is the tale of two movies. The first half is a goofy romp in the style and memory of horror-comedy classics like "The Evil Dead" and "Ghostbusters." The second half is a tight, suspenseful thrill ride. The first half is all I could remember when reflecting back on the film; that´s unfortunate because the movie as a whole is a fun little romp.
Frank (Michael J. Fox) is a man with issues. He lost his wife during a horrible car accident years earlier and his life has been on a steady decline from there. Rather than attempt to continue his career as a self-absorbed, alcoholic architect, Frank follows a different path; one set down by the ghosts with whom he interacts. You see, following that tragic accident, Frank can now see and talk with the ghosts that populate our world. Rather than use his powers for good, Frank becomes a conman, promising to connect with the dearly departed for a fee, or rid a house of the spooks he instructed to haunt it. In all, Frank´s just a sad shadow of a human being.
The problem is that the town Frank inhabits is experiencing a bit of a mystery; over twenty people have died in the recent months from unknown, ghostly circumstances. And Frank´s connection to them and his recent oddball behavior has made him the prime suspect.
As I said, the first half introduces Frank, his sad-sack existence, and his often comical interactions with the ghosts he calls his coworkers. Also established are the ancillary players in this drama, including Lucy (Trini Alvarado), a local doctor, who is introduced to Frank after her husband dies of the affliction that has taken dozens of lives in the town. All of the introductions feel organic, and though there are obvious hallmarks of exposition, nothing feels forced "for the sake of the story." That´s not to say that an observant viewer won´t be able to figure out what´s going on with the mystery fairly easily-you will. But the fun is in getting to the conclusion and seeing how everything comes together. Astute viewers are treated to a more satisfying conclusion because the movie sets up the finale in a logical fashion.
One of the major problems the film suffers from is a lack of understanding of how the ethereal plane works; how can a spirit become trapped in a container when they can also walk through walls? It´s a convenient plot-point, but something that does need to be expanded on.
I never saw this film in theaters, so I´m not sure I´ve ever seen the theatrical version. That having been said, there was nothing that stood out from this extended edition (fourteen minutes longer) that seemed completely unneeded. Though I did have questions about the FBI agent´s motivations (played pitch-perfectly by the odd Jeffery Combs of "Re-Animator" fame), even he was interesting to watch. The story is a taught narrative that has a substantial tone shift in the middle; but even then it pulled me along so that I didn´t mind.
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[release]16713[/release]