THE FRIGHTENERS
New Zealand/US 1996, 106 minutes, Colour.
Michael J.Fox, Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, Dee Wallace Stone, John Astin, R.Lee Ermey, Jake Busey, Chi Mc Bride, Jeffrey Combs, Troy Evans.
Directed by Peter Jackson.
New Zealand director, Peter Jackson, loves horror stories, like Braindead. However, he also made the excellent exploration of a Christchurch crime in Heavenly Creatures. He now returns to horror but with a big Hollywood budget - although he made the film entirely in New Zealand. It is very entertaining horror, with Jackson enjoying the opportunity to play with special effects, especially with a crew of eccentric ghosts who like to play haunting tricks on people, but also with an ultimately very serious story about a serious killer and his ghostly vengeance. By and large, Jackson combines the two seemingly opposite strands successfully. His cast his mainly American, Michael J. Fox, Trini Alvarado, Jake Busey, Dee Wallace Stone. It is the kind of horror film that film buffs like with its references to other horror movies (and R. Lee Ermey doing a funny take-off of his gunner-sergeant role in Full Metal Jacket. Should please aficionados.
1.An entertaining blend of comedy and horror?
2.The New Zealand locations standing in for the United States? The town, the bay? Convincing?
3.The contribution of the special effects? For the Collector of Souls? For the ghosts? For the confrontations? Musical score and atmosphere?
4.The film relying on audience appreciation of genres: the mass murderers, mystery, the small town and sinister happenings, ghosts, the poltergeists and the exorcists? The humorous turn on these aspects?
5.The prologue and the focus on Patricia and her mother? Patricia in terror, the stern mother? Johnny and the ghost in the wall and the building? Lucy and her coming to visit Patricia? The mother's hostility? Lucy's presumptions, judging on appearances (and the audience doing the same thing)? The TV documentary about Patricia, the newspaper reports? In the asylum? Johnny executed? Lucy and the later visit, her urging Patricia to go? Patricia lying about the urn? The death of the mother, the revelation of the truth?
6.Frank and his going to funerals? The newspapers and the reports of his work? His cards, his reputation? The crash into Lucy and her husband's garden? The reaction?
7.The impact of the crash, the ghosts disturbing Frank? Lucy and her response? Her husband's anger and rage? The breaking of the garden gnomes? The experience of the poltergeists? Frank at work, the collecting of the plasma? The audience finally seeing the ghosts and knowing what was happening? The situation with the ghosts and their not being able to go over to the other side? Stewart and his gawkiness and getting stuck in doors etc? The black ghost and his Afro-American? style of speaking, manner, walking? The judge and his decay? Their lives, helping Frank in his work? Their going to the house - and scaring the mother of the house and the maid with the baby suspended in the air? Their work at the museum - especially getting the mummy to walk unaided? And the audience enjoying seeing the ghosts performing these tricks? Their personalities?
8.Lucy and her husband's death? The impact of the numbers seen on the foreheads of the victims? His anger, appearing to Frank, arguing with him? Not accepting the fact that he was dead? Frank and his dinner with Lucy, offering to communicate with her husband? His being present and getting upset at Frank's behaviour? Frank excusing himself and going to the toilet, seeing the man with the number on his forehead? The death of the man? Frank and his running? The museum and the journalist? Seeing the numbers on their heads, their deaths and the memories of Deborah and the same situation? His driving, upset, crashing? The memories of the initial crash and his decision to turn himself in?
9.The bizarre FBI agent, his fear of people, his look, manner of talking, staying out of the room? His reaction to Lucy, her escape? His following Lucy, going to the hospital, tying her up? His presence in the cemetery, the interaction with Frank? His death? The irony of his being in the car - a sombre and sour guardian angel?
10.The character of the sheriff, his role in the town, pleasant man, wanting to write his book, his puzzle with the FBI agent? Working with Frank?
11.Frank and Lucy's visit to the prison? The decision about having an out-of-body experience to confront Johnny? Going to the cemetery - and the commander and his tantrums at the cemetery, the actor R. Lee Ermey reprising in parody his gunner sergeant role in Full Metal Jacket? The various victims and the tombs? Frank and his dying, freezing and being out of body? His confrontation with Johnny, facing him, the truth and his return from the near-death experience?
12.Lucy and Frank going to the hospital, the visualising of the past, the hospital victims, finding the chapel, the cross and its religious overtones? Lucy being stalked by the FBI agent? The melodrama with the lift, the finale and Johnny pursuing Frank and Lucy? Patricia and the flashbacks to her violence? Johnny and his being destroyed, being dragged into Hell? Patricia and her violence? Frank and his going up to Heaven, meeting Stewart and company? The contrast between Heaven and Hell for Johnny? Meeting Debbie, her reassuring Frank that she was happy, wanting him to go back to earth? Frank and meeting with Lucy - and the happy ever after?
13.Audience response to theories of ghosts, the other side? Images of Heaven and Hell? Life, death, judgment?
14.Peter Jackson's ability to blend the very serious, the horror themes and their conventions, and humour and farce? The appeal of the film to average audience? To film buffs with their ability to recognise conventions and genres?
