The Frighteners (1996) | Almost Cult Classics

[@mahatmarandy5977]

This is a textbook film for me. I love how he sets it up as a comedy and you instantly accept the goofy premise because it’s a comedy. And then he pulls the rug out and it’s not funny anymore, but you’re already invested in it. Brilliant bait-and-switch that circumvents suspension of disbelief.

[@pyenapple]

Yep. It’s baffling to me how few “horror” directors understand that you must do ALL THE WORK to set up genuine characters for the audience or else nobody is scared by or invested in the horror that comes.

[@NoConsistency]

What I love so much about Michaels performance is that there are a few moments when you can kind of see of early Parkinson's symptoms, but because the character is supposed to be a paranoid spirit whisperer, it reads like the mannerisms of someone who can just never chill out, always stressed out and on edge.

[@krakelwok]

I thought exactly that! When the Frank character is at the end of his tether in the prison cell while Lucy visits him, that dead-eyed, taut, teary desperation somehow says to me this is played by a man who has been dealt a bad hand in real life. Very happy we still have Fox with us almost thirty years later.

[@vinnym5607]

Saw it recently and thought the same.

[@pablosonic892]

He would adopt this style of mini manic acting as a way of masking his symptoms into his performance on his series Spin City the following year. As an avid watcher of him on Family Ties, I remember watching Spin City from the pilot on and knew immediately that something with him was off. I didn't think it was anything like the life changing medical issue it was that he hid at the time still, but I used to study his comedic timing on Ties and Back To The Future, Secret Of My Success, even the dramas Light Of Day and Bright Lights, Big City and, yes, there were manic moments in the scripts of all these projects, to be sure, that Michael excels at. He's actually a phenomenal athletic performer. But, my point being, he used to be a comedic sevant at this one certain comic acting ability trait which was what I called Coiled Spring-Money Line which was to have another character opposite him do the set up where they give a long winded diatribe about something absurd. When said person stop talking to let the moment then just hang there in the air and the inane ridiculousness of the words seem to grow more palpably absurd with each awkward silent passing second, while the rest of the cast would be buying time till the cringe of the moment passed on its own, Michael would already be mischievously sizing up the person and situation perfectly still like a silent assassin waiting to pounce. Which just the anticipation of waiting for what smart ass retort he was going to say would get a laugh. Sometimes he would have some stage prop business like his usual go-to was holding a glass with a beverage he was about to sip. When his co-star began their tirade, Michael would raise the glass right to his lips, stop, hold, wait till speech was done, still hold, eyes would dart around like, WTF was THAT?, then slowly lower glass, look down, pretend to be thinking about the plight of mankind and space-time, look up at person, lock in with the thinest of smirks and Lazer lock eye contact with scene partner and then---BLAMO!--deliver the death blow money shot punchline and lay waste always to thunderous studio audience applause. And then resume his beverage and finally sip. Bam, boom, cut, check the gate, scene! But the key element to its tension ratcheting success was Michael's insane level of craftsmanship and talent to perfectly pace out the wait and hold of the bit, the discipline and restraint, and pitch perfect inherent timing to hit the money line at the exact right time, every time. It was the stillness of him in wait like an apex predator crotched and poised ready to pounce on its outmatched prey. That was Michael's bread and butter for seven years on Family Ties. But, by the time Spin City hit the airwaves, that stillness of acting choice to keep an audience on the meat hook excruciatingly in suspense waiting for the shoe to drop and Michael to lower the boom. Yeah, that instrument of destruction was no longer in his arsenal. He would do a watered down version of it, still attempting to hold the moment and delay of punchline gratification thing, but in place of stillness was him moving around, fidgeting, gyrating for no apparent reason, then punchline. That's what gave it away for me something was sus about Michael. At the time, I would yell at the TV telling an imaginary stage hand 'somebody sit on him.' Eventually I got used to it and he was remarkably good at concealing the physical side effects of Parkinsons the first few years of it and the four years he was on the show. He's really one of the all time great comedic great of television and film. Legend.

[@davidbranch1077]

Wow, it's true great minds do think alike. I too, among you all, noticed the very same thing. 💙💯👍

[@nathanforester5993]

Jeffrey Combs is one of the MVPs of horror movies, and actors in general especially when you see all the characters he plays in the Star Trek shows and all and his voice roles.

[@matthintz9468]

I could have watched an entire Star Trek series, or film, built around his Commander Shran character.

[@zimriel]

"ohh my! That is *quite* toxic."

[@JoelJessup]

Jeffrey Combs matches the intensity and weirdness of the CGI and makeup in the film, but just using his own face...

[@diablorojo3887]

​@@JoelJessuphe is Soo good of a actor that made me endure transformers prime

[@fcukgogle9213]

There are actors who act the same in every movie, Tom Cruise, Arnold Schwarzenegger etc, and then there are actors who transform their entire being it's almost impossible to recognise them, Jeffery Combs is one of them...

[@dantecarpenter6202]

As a kid I thought this movie was a fever dream then years later I rediscovered this movie in high school and realizing it was a Michael J Fox movie, I really loved this movie.

[@Killbrokraft]

The part with him walking through the hospital with the flash backs cut in is some of the most compelling and cool stuff.

[@shmikex]

I kinda wish they had gotten Christopher Lloyd to play the Judge. Not just as a callback to his Judge Doom character in Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but also because the chemistry between him and Michael J Fox cannot be denied. Would also make the "Doc" outtakes funnier. Also head cannon is that R. Lee Ermey's character in this movie is the ghost of his character in Full Metal Jacket.

[@Nick-ty9us]

Yeah, so we can see the chemistry between doc and Marty one more time

[@wstine79]

I assumed that the R Lee Ermy ghost in the Cemetery was the same drill sergeant from Full Metal Jacket. I was hoping Private Pyle would be amongst the ghost in those Graves.

[@unclegoose3864]

For me its him lol

[@Drew791]

Michael J. Fox accidentally screaming “Doc!!!”, several times, is pretty damn hilarious.

[@Nick-ty9us]

He knows that back to the future is his most famous movie

[@ImmortalThanos]

I was lucky enough to see The Frighteners at an actual drive-in theater when it premiered. Such a fantastic experience! I watch this movie every year around Halloween. It's a classic!

[@Reginald_Harrison]

I’ve always loved The Frighteners. Such a fun movie. Jake Busey plays a great psycho.

[@NostalgiNorden]

No joke. I'll watch that 5 hour making of documentary in a heartbeat.

[@dtdimeflicks6708]

Dee Wallace and Jeffery Combs are two of the nicest actors I've ever met and they are at their absolute best in this movie.

[@myrrmur]

So happy to see you cover this! Our family considers Frighteners a classic. We've watched it god knows how many times at this point. My parents even had the novelization, which I also really enjoyed. The concept of a grifting psychic who actually can see ghosts, but uses those spirits as part of an elaborate con, is just hilarious to me, and a nice twist on the old scheming medium trope. And it does have some genuinely creepy scenes in the last half. Great story, great actors, great director... Thanks for giving it a spotlight. I hope this helps more people discover it.

[@voxangelaemortis]

I absolutely love this movie. Somehow did not realize that it was a Peter Jackson movie.

[@AlexReynard]

*HELL YEAH!!!* I will never pass up an opportunity to praise this movie. Perhaps a bit overstuffed, but amazingly inventive, technically jaw-dropping, and loaded with good character actors. Plus, on reflection, I think Michael's offscreen pain helped the movie. There's an authentic weariness to Frank. It's not just in the performance but his eyes and skin. It helps the character. Without words, you relate and you empathize.

[@Silver-rx1mh]

The Frighteners was superb! So inventive and well done.

[@JeonardShadby505]

It's sad how the stress of those HOBBIT movies stopped Peter Jackson as a narrative filmmaker for the immediate future. After LOTR, he could have gone back to horror like Raimi has and done some incredible stuff.

[@zimriel]

IMO he should have suggested Raimi as the Hobbit director. Raimi had done fantasy-with-comedic-elements in Army of Darkness.

[@davidruble7699]

It blows my mind how little attention this film gets. I just watched it again for the first time after many years and it was just as good as I remember. It’s truly a fun, scary and thrilling movie

[@bensneb360]

The Frighteners is such an underrated gem, it’s the perfect mix of horror, comedy, heart, and creativity. And one of Michael J. Fox most underrated performances

[@JonRamsten]

Avoiding spoilers Jake Busey is terrific and terrifying in this film.

[@Transmission_Rory]

Watching this video has reignited a memory from my childhood. It turns out that I did see this film, but only the scene of Ray witnessing his funeral. I had no idea what it was about and wanted to see the rest to see what it entailed. Then my parents came into the room, and changed the channel to put on something that wasn't "daft" (They have such limited imagination). Over the years, I've been meaning to revisit it, though I've heard that the director's cut is the version that's supposed to be the "good version", seeing as how The Frighteners got mixed reviews back in 1996.

[@Y2Jerms]

One of my favorites. Highly underrated.

[@StrongStyleFiction]

I will forever be grateful to this movie for introducing me to the great Jeffrey Combs.

[@tstonyts]

One of my favorite films!

[@retromacman620]

Since I was a kid this has been a favorite of mine to watch this time of year!

[@_topikk_]

I absolutely LOVED this movie. I rented it randomly as a teenager looking for a horror movie not realizing it was horror comedy or even noticing that it starred Michael J. Fox, who I was a huge fan of. It's a shame they didn't even bother to put his face on the poster or cover.

[@deetjay]

My buddies and I must have rented Dead Alive (Brain Dead in other regions) countless times. When someone asks me what is the bloodiest horror movie you’ve ever seen I point to this one.

[@pyenapple]

The director’s cut is the way to go. There’s even MORE character development. The story is so well-constructed and has a truly genuine emotional core from many angles. This could’ve made an EXCELLENT mini series or short run high quality hbo series. There’s that much weight to the various characters, which only slowly gets revealed. I think this is becoming not just a cult classic but a classic in its own right, like A Christmas Story did over decades. Like The Thing did over decades. People know quality film and writing when they see it…eventually.

[@Artofficial1986]

When I was a kid I was scared of the dark because of ghosts and shit and when I saw this movie it kinda helped me not be so scared because some ghosts are actually cool and can be your friend.

[@chadopitz6883]

We also gotta give it up for Troy Evans at 1:47 who plays Sheriff Perry in this. Guys pops up in so much stuff and is always recognizable and great.

[@andrewpragasam]

The Frighteners is an outstanding movie. Genuinely funny and even seriously unsettling at times with a towering tragicomic lead performance from Michael J. Fox. Sure, The cgi may be a little dated but Peter Jackson directs the spooky set pieces with gusto and the script is fiendishly well constructed with some great twists.

[@Jared_Wignall]

Peter Jackson is a true visionary and fantastic filmmaker. His pre-Lord of the Rings films are truly remarkable. Thank you for talking about this Joe, take care!

[@andrewgrove1691]

Dead Alive is a good one

[@Jared_Wignall]

@@andrewgrove1691that it is. It’s really good.

[@Silenced23]

I LOVED DEAD ALIVE!!!! I consistently rented when I was 14 years old. Hilarious and always a go to Zombie film.

[@abegarfield7031]

​@@andrewgrove1691 Bad taste (his 1st movie) is good too. It doesn't compare to Braindead/DeadAlive but considering it's a thrown together first effort with virtually no budget, it's pretty decent. ....or indecent, depending on how you look at it.

[@SmegulonPrime]

Brain-dead and bad taste were amazing but LOTR and King Kong sucked so hard

[@nikkilev78]

Love this movie and also I'm glad you highlighted Braindead! Up there with Evil Dead 2 as one of the greatest horror comedies.

[@TheSearcheronYT]

This is a movie which I want to be real. I want to be a ghost just wondering the world. When I was a kid I watched this movie, and for years, I had this idea of a guy freezing himself to die, and be a ghost. Years layer, in 2019, I rented it, and was godsmacked that this was the film sitting in my brain. Love Mr. Jackson.

[@WhatAboutZoidberg]

My friend and I have always championed this film to our friends. It's such a good comedy thriller. The whole cast of ghosts were amazing and creative, the Rick Baker practical effects and the wall stretching effects was INCREDIBLE back when this released. Also agree, the backstory portion is still super chilling. RIP R. lee Ermy

[@ArcadeHunters]

A Halloween favorite for sure. I bumped into Jeffery Combs and I got to say how much I loved him in this movie and he was really cool about it. :)

[@thefanwithoutaface8105]

Really sad this was one of the last movies Micheal J Fox was able to do in live action before his Parkinsons really started to affect him. After this and Mars Attacks he mostly stuck to voice work. Dude's a fun actor.

[@PepsiMan666]

Very cute how Fox confuses Judge for Doc Brown.

[@AllG98]

Love this film, probably my favourite of Jackson’s original films. It’s funny, but has such a dark tone with the mass shooter/killers backstory. Jeffrey Combs’ character is a highlight

[@Goblin_Tank]

Great vid. I saw this movie on TV back in the day and fell in love with it. I call it a classic.

[@seanpatrickcain2]

I absolutely love The Frighteners

[@maximusprime3459]

I'm pretty sure The Frighteners is a legit cult classic. Folks really didnt appreciate it until years later. Theres some that are still just discovering it today.

[@serpentinegallery]

Another thing that this movie had going against it was that it was released exactly when the '96 Olympics started airing on TV. As a kid, I felt terrible for this sad timing and made sure to seek this movie out at Blockbuster months later. One of my all-time favorites.

[@seth8629]

Spielberg and Zemeckis thought this was going to be a huge hit. They had everyone locked up into multiple pictures deals and saw a huge franchise in the making They just don't always know

[@johnhiebert5501]

I personally love this movie, and I don't think it was overlooked so much as it was forgotten. I mean, 56k views and counting with almost 500 comments and this video is only 2 months old; that tells me plenty of people still remember it... Anyhow, I love it, still own it on blu ray, and still enjoy flipping it on once or twice a year. On a side note (and I know I'm not alone in this), this movie makes me desperately miss the mid-90's, grunge/post-grunge styles, and overall just how the world was back then... I even went as far as to identify, track down, and aquire the granite faced tag heuer watch Michael J. Foxx wore in this movie. I think it deserves the status of "cult classic" without a doubt... Has my vote

[@blackmagefelix6548]

I loved this movie when it came out because the trailer gave me Casper vibes but towards a more mature audience and being a "cool" teenager at the time was right up my alley, I was plesently surprised at how dark AND funny it was.

[@flutebasket4294]

This really is the perfect example of the almost cult classic

[@brrbrr9766]

This is one of my childhood favorites and any time i meet a horror fan I'm always quick to recommend it. Nice to see it getting some love.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

Brain Dead/Dead Alive, Bad Taste, Meet The Feebles, Heavenly Creatures & The Frightners are my favorite early P Jackson films.

[@hatednyc]

I bought Bad Taste in the mid 90’s from an Entertainment Outlet Store. Couldn’t believe it was the same guy when I watched LotR.

[@tonymata8070]

One of my earliest horror films that I watched with my mom, this will always be one of my favorites.

[@fearoffema]

Frighteners is on my watch list every Halloween

[@fearlessjoebanzai]

4hrs 29mins of Peter Jackson telling us how he made The Frighteners? Yes please!

[@TheOwneroftheIC]

I haven't seen this in years, nice to be reminded of it. Not sure it looks like a sleepy New England town though, you can definitely tell it's New Zealand. Maybe the Maritimes, at a stretch.

[@ThaddeusBigsby]

Throughout the years my love grows for The Frighteners. I definitely appreciate it more now than did when I was younger. It's a very creative film(and Peter Jackson is one of the greatest to ever do it🏆)

[@jarzantarzanful]

The casting in this movie is simply outstanding. Easily the best of Michael J. Fox and Dee Wallace but I especially loved Trini Alvarado. She plays the "damsel in distress" perfectly, her acting is so believable and full of passion. A true genius!

[@fredrikalarsson3962]

I LOVE this movie

[@rlh1984]

I saw The Frighteners at a drive-in theater when I was 11. My sister told my mom she was taking me to see The Hunchback of Norte Dame, but we actually saw The Frighteners. I still haven’t seen Hunchback.

[@SoulStarSketchin]

I still really liked this movie even when it came out. Micheal J Fox still had it even when he was secretly fighting Parkinson. It had a strong Ghostbusters vibe behind it except it was more of the other side of that kind of dynamic with the ghost being part of the main focus of the cast.

[@tomsenior7405]

I bloody-love this film. It is a real treat and lots of fun. Thank you for including this. A pity it has fallen between the cracks and has to be called an "Almost". Thank you for singing The Frightener's praises.

[@cathr5385]

Again, thank you!😄 One of my favorites since I was eight years old christmas break and my brother rented it. Priceless.

[@BeeHatGuy]

I had the novelization as a kid, and absolutely loved the movie!

[@kcadventures1454]

Frightners is on my top 10 favorite films!

[@dr.decker911]

My favorite Jackson movie by far

[@saloz9483]

Saw this movie a lot as a kid and saw it recently and I feel it still is an enjoyable experiance.

[@jwnj9716]

This felt more like a Ghostbusters movie. Underrated.

[@Madbandit77]

The Frighteners is Ghostbusters if it was directed by Sam Raimi, instead of Ivan Reitman.

[@pyenapple]

Except ghostbusters technically has no real plot arc. Four dudes start a business to catch ghost, then they catch ghosts. That’s pretty much it. The Frighteners is MULTIPLE genuine plot arcs.

[@pyenapple]

@@Madbandit77the plot of frighteners is light years beyond the plot of ghostbusters . Ghostbusters was great, but essentially just a theme park ride. No character development, no real narrative interest. It’s funny and fun and loud, but it doesn’t have any meaning. Frighteners is fully loaded with narrative.

[@anchorpoint3631]

Dang! Funny that you say that, since lately I've been thinking it would be cool if there was a Frighteners/Ghostbusters crossover movie.

[@barkboingfloom]

Had Frighteners in my collection for some years and just watched Braindead for the first time last week.

[@tmartin95]

I wouldn't call it an almost cult classic; I'd call it an outright classic. I first saw it a couple years ago, and despite its tonal flaws, it's become a staple of my spooky season since.

[@joegibel9944]

Me and my grandma, mom and sister saw it at the theater when I was 8. I'm 35 now and remember it so well. Great film!

[@jonbourgoin182]

This movie is so underrated and overlooked it kinda hurts. Nice to see it get its due from a popular channel. I hope it gains a few new fans from this video.

[@sallyviolet13]

Oh damn I forgot all about The Frighteners!!!! Thanks for reminding me of such a great childhood memory!!!! #StayEpic #NeverStøp

[@LuxuryPossum]

The Frighteners is so good! The premise is something I love, a Supernatural con man! And to see Fox in that role is an added treat, as it's slightly different to some of his more famous rolls. I have it on VHS, which I find is a great way to watch the movie, as the tape quality detracts from the quality of the early CG effects.

[@TheBeird]

Always liked this film

[@EternallyUncoolTrevor]

I love this movie. I remember when I saw it for the first time when I was in high school, I thought it was the coolest movie.

[@googaboogaloo]

As a child Jeffery combs in this movie scared the hell out of me.

[@DrIronbuddah]

Just watched this film again. Remember watching it as a kid and could never find it until much later. Adore this film.

[@DerekEvry]

I LOVE THIS FILM!!

[@TrevorCopter]

Literally one of my favorite films of all time!!

[@Tensen01]

I love this movie.

[@iraachievement1346]

I finally have the occasion to share this. After watching this movie as a kid, for a good while I was always on edge when I had to open the fridge alone at night and closets were no better lol. I liked the movie quite a bit.

[@caratsomnia8110]

So happy to see u cover this underrated gem of a horror movie❤ one of my favorites growing up. I love how it perfectly balances that line between goofy comedy & just traumatizing horror. That hospital massacre scene still sends shivers down my spine til this day😨

[@iamstu33]

I love this movie so much. Super excited for this video!!!

[@pandahsykes602]

*Happy Halloween Season* 🎃

[@NessyBoy64]

I’ve been waiting for this, all my life.. all lord…

[@LilTurtleBug]

Soo underrated!!!

[@diddyknux]

I love this movie, very memorable to me.

[@julioromero238]

I love the tonal change in this movie. This movie is for sure a classic to me.

[@Certifiable]

ALMOST my arse. It's a gem here in Oz! 🇦🇺

[@SeamusJRM]

The end credits song needed more cowbell.

[@Neverfate]

Just watched Frighteners again yesterday for October. Delightful movie.

[@TDog14126]

I remember seeing commercials for this movie when I was younger. The tv spots made it seem like horror, not a dark comedy

[@KidFresh71]

Another banger of a retrospective from Hats Off Entertainment. Love these nostalgic walks down memory lane.

[@gabe_s_videos]

I find it interesting that some of the more dated CGI effects are mostly the ones used for gags rather than drama. In a way, I feel like it's funnier BECAUSE it looks fake. If it were prettier, you'd just be admiring how pretty it looks, but when it looks fake, the quality of the gag itself stands out. It reminds me a little of the 2002 Scooby Doo movie. Yes, much of the appeal of Scooby's design is lost in translation to photorealistic CGI, the rendering still looks a little too plastic and the 3D model doesn't always integrate perfectly into the live-action photography, but the performance in the actual character animation is so funny that it works better than if they'd just made a perfect replica of the original cartoon design in 3D (it's also just funnier to see a realistic dog do jokes only a cartoon character could). Same with the CGI gags here, the less pretty it looks, the more personality comes through. It makes it feel more like a caricature than a literal photographed image.

[@zimriel]

Or in the old days, Weird Science. CGI works there where it does not work in "Last Starfighter"

[@ScovellsRock]

I love The Frighteners.

[@satevo462]

TIL Dead Alive was a Peter Jackson movie. One of the bloodiest movies ever made.

[@Bandersnatch187]

My body is a road map of pain.

[@Kingofb0ngstyle]

My parents love this movie. Me, not so much, didn't get it as a kid.

[@leightnite3056]

Always meant to catch this one, gonna hafta now!

[@MidnightMovieMavenn]

The "fun cut" is the way to watch this movie. It turns it from adequate to hidden gem

[@azalilystreams91]

This is one of my favorite films of all time, and it was the movie that introduced me to the GOAT, Jeff Combs