The Frighteners: Peter Jackson's Horror-Comedy Classic Makes Its North American 4K Debut (Limited Edition 4K)

The Film:

Most people naturally know the great Sir Peter Jackson as the director behind "The Lord of the Rings," one of the greatest accomplishments in the history of cinema, and one that earned him an incredible three Oscars (as co-producer, director, and co-writer). Then there are those of us who know him for that AND the remarkably different type of films he made before that, including "Bad Taste," "Meet the Feebles," and the utterly delightful zombie feature "Braindead" (aka "Dead Alive").

However, one of his most popular projects was the one he made right before he started his journey through Middle-earth, a little film called "The Frighteners." Sadly the film was not received very well by critics, and that's on top of it being a pretty big box office disappointment, but the amazing part was that the people who went to see it really liked it, and when it debuted on home video, it became an enormous hit that eventually turned the film into a success. With the film celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, Arrow Films is putting it in the spotlight by giving it a tremendous 4K upgrade and packing it with some remarkable special features (including a marvelous, epic-length making of documentary), so now it's time to dive back into this classic from the distinguished Oscar winner to see how well it holds up three decades later.

The film follows "paranormal investigator" Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox), who lost his wife after he drunkenly crashed their car a few years earlier, with the accident giving him the ability to see the spirit world. However, he ends up using this ability to become a con-man, utilizing the help of spirits Cyrus (Chi McBride), Stuart (Jim Fyfe), and The Judge (John Astin) to help scare people into accepting his services.

On his most recent "job," at the home of Dr. Lucy Lynskey (Trini Alvarado) and her husband Ray (Peter Dobson), he notices the number 37 on the latter's forehead, with Ray dying of a heart attack not long after. This is quickly followed by Frank noticing a 38 on the forehead of a man who is killed by a mysterious figure that looks like Death. With Frank determining that he can see who the next victim will be, he sets out to try and prevent the next killing, while also trying to solve the mystery of who's responsible with a little help from Lucy.

"The Frighteners" is described as a supernatural horror comedy, and indeed it's the skillful blending of these genres by screenwriters Fran Walsh and Peter Jackson that make the film the fun & entertaining experience that it is. For starters, the supernatural mystery that they concocted is a rather compelling one, presenting us with its backstory and unfurling its pieces at a steady pace until we fully realize what's happening, keeping the audience in its grip as we wait to see how our protagonists could possibly stop something like this.

Along the way, the horror & comedy elements are introduced, but neither one is allowed to overpower the other, making for a good balance between the two. As for the horror itself, it does have a bit of what could be considered violent and/or gory material, but even though the film received an R rating, I wouldn't say that it's anything that your average teenager couldn't handle. Personally I saw the film when it came out on home video, and even as a young lad of 11 or 12, I rather enjoyed it and didn't find it to be overwhelming at all. In fact, even then I was admiring how they were able to mesh all of its components together so well.

Looking at its comedy side, as is typical for any such merger of these two genres, it's not necessarily "laugh-out-loud" material. In fact, it's much better described as a dark comedy, where, obviously, a lot of the humor revolves around death. You even get a sub-villain in the form of a demented FBI agent (played by the delightful Jeffrey Combs) who is quite over-the-top and goofy, but still intimidating & effective due to his somewhat loose grip on reality. Then there are its lighter moments, primarily involving Frank's crew of spirits, who basically provide a lot of the comic relief to help offset the seriousness of the situation. So, again, it may not give you full-on chuckles, but Walsh & Jackson do go out of their way to make sure that the film doesn't get drowned in its more serious aspects.

Finally, just a quick note on the visual effects. Yes, they may look a little dated 30 years later, and yet, they're still quite effective. You have to keep in mind that this technology was quite new at the time, so it's pretty impressive that they still manage to hold up pretty well today, with it being rather fair to say that they even add a bit of charm to its comedic side. One truly has to appreciate that Jackson went to all the trouble with the special effects, because as he states in his intro, it was having all of this technology that became part of his desire to attempt an adaptation of "The Lord of the Rings."

In the end, "The Frighteners" is just a fun, exciting, amusing, and thrilling experience, so we can definitely say that the critics were indeed too harsh on it during its original release (including a way-off-base one-star review from the usually-dependable Roger Ebert). Luckily, as mentioned, it found its true fanbase on home video, turning the film into quite the hit, and now that it's arriving on 4K in North America, fans can now see this pre-LOTR Jackson classic in the best quality possible, hopefully continuing the tradition of its physical success.

Video/Audio:

"The Frighteners" comes to 4K in 2.39:1, 2160p Ultra High Definition transfers of excellent quality for both cuts of the film. The picture has been beautifully upgraded, giving you a sharp & clear image throughout the duration of both versions, perfectly highlighting the multitude of visual effects. Likewise, the various audio options, which includes an original lossless 5.1 DTS-HD MA track on the theatrical cut, original lossless 2.0 stereo surround on both cuts, a 5.1 DTS-HD MA home video mix on both cuts, and an optional Dolby Atmos remix on the Director's Cut, are all fantastic, giving you all the dialogue, sound effects, and Danny Elfman's score in outstanding quality. Overall, as usual, Arrow Films has gone above and beyond to give you the best experience in both areas.

Special Features:

Disc 1: Theatrical & Director's Cuts (4K)

Commentary by Peter Jackson (Director's Cut)

Peter Jackson's 10th Anniversary Introduction (3 Minutes)

Disc 2: Theatrical & Director's Cut (Open Matte Versions) (Blu-ray)

*Note: These versions of the film blow up the aspect ratio to 1.85:1

Commentary by Peter Jackson (Director's Cut)

Peter Jackson's 10th Anniversary Introduction (3 Minutes)

Disc 3: Special Features (Blu-ray)

No Way to Make a Living: A Look Back at The Frighteners (95 Minutes): A feature-length documentary produced in 2022, featuring new interviews with actors Dee Wallace Stone and Jake Busey, cinematographer John Blick, production designer Grant Major, creature and miniature effects supervisor Richard Taylor, visual effects supervisor Wes Takahashi, and producer/editor Jamie Selkirk.

The Making of The Frighteners (271 Minutes): A marvelous, extensive documentary exploring every aspect of the film's production, from script development and casting to post-production and release, produced in 1998 for the LaserDisc release, with a 2005 retrospective introduction by Jackson.

A Conversation with Richard Taylor and Alexandre Poncet (41 Minutes): A 2022 interview with the man behind the film's creature and miniature effects.

Conclusion:

Peter Jackson's "The Frighteners" is a deft blend of a supernatural mystery with horror & comedic elements, where each is balanced quite well so as not to overpower the other. Its visual effects may seem a bit dated nowadays, yet they remain quite effective, adding a distinct charm to its comedic side, ultimately making for a fun, exciting, and thrilling experience that still holds up quite well after 30 years.

Score: 3.5/5

Available on Limited Edition 4K starting tomorrow.

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