The Frighteners

A con man (Michael J. Fox) with the ability to see ghosts finds himself at the center of a series of bizarre deaths in a small town.

The Frighteners is a fun horror-comedy from director Peter Jackson, whose next three films would be the wildly successful Lord of the Rings trilogy. Here, Jackson indulges his penchant for black comedy, turning in an effects-laden thrill ride with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek.

Unfortunately, The Frighteners suffers from the same problem that befalls so many special effects films: namely, that it doesn’t age well. The effects, which were eye-popping upon its release in 1996, look second-rate compared to Jackson’s later films. Fortunately, this isn’t a fatal flaw, as the cast delivers some timeless laughs.

For his part, Michael J. Fox does what he can with a thinly written character. Fox is charismatic enough to carry the film, and the years since its release have made it easier to accept him in a more adult role. Also turning in a good performance is John Astin as a rapidly deteriorating, but still virile, ghost.

But it’s Jeffrey Combs who steals all of his scenes with wonderful mix of paranoia, fear, and psychosis that works because, despite the presence of ghosts, psychotic killers, and over-protective mothers, his character stands out as the oddest of the bunch. Like the movie, it’s a dark role, to be sure, but fans of black comedy will be rolling with laughter.