The Frighteners (1996)

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

After he and his wife are involved in a tragic car accident, Frank Bannister (Fox) finds himself able to see—and communicate with—ghosts roaming around the world of the living. He makes a living off this newfound ability as a combination ghost hunter/con artist, but when he becomes the prime suspect in a series of slayings carried out by a malevolent Grim Reapear-esque entity, he’s forced to do right by his “gift.” Peter Jackson’s first Hollywood studio effort is a fast-paced, imaginative rollercoaster ride careening through several different tones and genres (spook comedy, murder mystery, supernatural thriller, chase picture, etc.); some might find the transitions too herky-jerky for their tastes, but it certainly keeps things on a flamboyant and unpredictable tilt. Owes a debt to earlier paranormal laffers (Beetlejuice and Ghostbusters in particular), but the fluid yet frenetic visual effects, ambitious ideas, and sheer audacity sets it in a category by itself. Vividly offbeat characterizations from many of the cast members, with the bizarro gold star going to Combs as an unhinged FBI agent (though he would have benefited from a little less screentime). Not for all tastes, but those willing to go along for the ride should have a lot of fun. Fox’s final lead role in a live-action movie. Executive produced by Robert Zemeckis. R. Lee Ermey cameos in a ghostly role that spoofs his Full Metal Jacket drill instructor; Jackson and Melanie Lynskey also appear briefly.

78/100