ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, July 19, 1996 TAG: 9607190020
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
TYPE: MOVIE REVIEW
SOURCE: MIKE MAYO CORRESPONDENT|
It's easy for a horror-comedy to go too far in one direction or the other, but director Peter Jackson keeps "The Frighteners" solidly on track. Using wild special effects, swooping camerawork and a breakneck pace, he stirs laughs and scares into a zesty mix.
Think "Ghost" meets "Re-Animator."
In the little town of Fairwater, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) is a psychic exterminator. Actually, he's a conman with ESP. Working with his ghost pals Cyrus (Chi McBride), Stuart (Jim Fyfe) and the Judge (John Astin), Bannister "haunts" houses and then charges the owners to exorcise the spirits. (Don't worry about the plot details in the script by Jackson and collaborator Fran Walsh. They're explained as fully as they need to be.)
Despite his psychic powers, Bannister doesn't know what to do when a more malevolent spirit appears, killing innocent victims at random. Without giving too much away, the other key ingredients are a young woman (Trini Alvarado) who believes in Bannister, a paranoid FBI agent (an inspired Jeffrey Combs), a serial murderer (Jake Busey, son of Gary) and his possibly innocent accomplice (Dee Wallace Stone).
The special effects deserve as much attention as the cast. Jackson uses some impressive computer-generated scenes to tell the story. Though nothing in this film is played out on the broad scale of "Independence Day," the effects are just as impressive, and really more sophisticated and finely tuned. The combination of "real" and "supernatural" has never been presented more seamlessly.
But things move so quickly - particularly in the second half - that viewers are going to miss many of the details. That's where the touch of executive producer Robert Zemeckis can be seen. Beyond the casting of Michael J. Fox, the film is strongly reminiscent of "Back to the Future."
At the same time, much of the action is too graphic and violent for children. This is the stuff of nightmares, and even though many younger viewers will probably want to see it, parents should take a look first.
For horror fans, though, "The Frighteners" is the best movie of the summer.
The Frighteners HHH1/2 A Universal release playing at the Salem Valley 8. 106 minutes. Rated R for graphic violence, strong language.
Trini Alvarado: "The Frighteners" is the best movie of the summer for horror fans
Michael J. Fox: "Real," "supernatural" have never been presented more seamlessly
LENGTH: Medium: 56 linesby CNB