NARRATOR: “Welcome back to Reign of Terror 2019! 31 straight days of horror movie reviews and interviews. Today’s episode will guest star Amy Dobzynski, aka One Movie Spouse, from right here at One Movie Punch, who will be reviewing Peter Jackson’s classic horror film... ‘The Frighteners’? By God, was that really Peter Jackson?”
NARRATOR: “In lieu of just running the One Movie Punch promo, however, we’ll be running a promo from our friends at the Movie Geek and Proud podcast. Every two week, Rob and Shawn serve up a fun episode discussing movies that people are proud to like, no matter what others think. A promo will run before the review.”
NARRATOR: “But for now, let’s turn our attention back to the fate of our host, Joseph, in Part One of “COSMIC FARM HOUSE”.
SCENE: Haunted house exterior.
JOSEPH: “I really don’t like these options.”
NARRATOR: “Why would he? Joseph looked quickly down the road in either direction, seeing nothing. He then turned back to look at the dilapidated structure in front of him, the only source of shelter, and potential assistance. Sunlight was rapidly fading around him.”
JOSEPH: “Well, let’s see what’s behind door number one.”
NARRATOR: “Joseph should have also known to leave the punchy dialogue. Door number one? Honestly.”
JOSEPH: “Hello?”
NARRATOR: “He listened, waiting for an aural response, perhaps from another human being, but instead, he was only answered by the slow creak of the door opening before him.”
JOSEPH: “Oh, that’s not disconcerting. Not at all.”
NARRATOR: “It was quite disconcerting, even though normal people didn’t talk like that. Joseph pushed his way in, searching, but failing to find a light switch. The remaining sunlight was filtering into the dark, mostly shuttered interior. Joseph looked around, until he began to hear footsteps upstairs.”
JOSEPH: “Hello?”
AMY: “Joseph, is that you?”
JOSEPH: “Amy?! Thank goodness!”
AMY: “I’ll head down there!”
JOSEPH: “Finally! What are the odds?”
NARRATOR: “Joseph moved to the stairwell, but instead of seeing the beautiful and talented Amy Dobzynski...”
AMY: “Stop it, you’re making me blush!”
NARRATOR: “...Joseph saw the spectral form of Michael J. Fox descending the staircase.”
JOSEPH: “Uh, Amy?”
AMY: “It’s me.”
JOSEPH: “But you look like Michael J. Fox!”
AMY: “I know, but I need you to listen.”
JOSEPH: “Like, Alex P. Keaton from ‘Family Ties’!”
AMY: “Yes, but...”
JOSEPH: “Like Marty McFly from ‘Back to the Future’!”
AMY: “Please just listen, we don’t have time!”
JOSEPH: “Like Scott Howard from ‘Teen Wolf’!”
AMY: “WILL YOU LISTEN?!”
JOSEPH: “Sorry, it’s just disconcerting.”
NARRATOR: “Even Amy sighed at the use of that word.”
AMY: *SIGH*
JOSEPH: “Okay, I’m listening.”
AMY: “All right, you need to head to the silo in back, and climb to the top. Once you’re there, I can guide you the rest of the way out of here. But you have to be quiet.”
JOSEPH: “What’s going on?”
AMY: “Well, it turns out that its actually...”
NARRATOR: “And conveniently, or perhaps inconveniently for Joseph, the spectral vision of Michael J. Fox decided to evaporate, leaving Joseph in the middle of a house slowly getting darker and darker.”
JOSEPH: “I guess I head to the silo. Quietly.”
NARRATOR: “Of course, why he had to be quiet, and what was waiting for him at the silo, Joseph didn’t know. Tune in tomorrow to find out, when One Movie Punch will be re-running a review for “A Quiet Place” (2018). Join us for part two of “COSMIC FARM HOUSE”!”
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<< MOVIE GEEK AND PROUD PROMO >>
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Hello, It’s me Amy AKA one Movie Spouse back for this month’s spooky review for Reign of Terror 2019. Since the inception of One Movie Punch over two years ago, I have seen many films with Joseph, several of which were well-outside of my rom-com, dramedy, Bollywood, musical, animated, and suspense favorites. Ok, so I have a lot of favorites, but horror films have never been on that list... until recently. All of that changed when I saw “A Quiet Place” with Joseph on Mother’s Day weekend when it debuted in theaters. Since then I’ve started exploring the horror genre a bit with films such as “Get Out”, “Hereditary”, “Halloween”, and “Us” to name a few. While excessive blood and gore are NOT my thing, I’m open to exploring parts of the horror/thriller/suspense subgenre, and today’s film is a flashback to one I missed seeing in my teens.
Speaking of which, today’s movie is “The Frighteners” (1996), the fantasy comedy horror film directed by Peter Jackson and written for the screen in collaborations with Frances Walsh. After a tragic car accident kills his wife, Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox) discovers he can communicate with the dead, and begins using it to con people. However, when a demonic spirit appears, he may be the only one who can stop it from killing the living and the dead.
NO SPOILERS!
Watching the trailer for this film, my first thought was “Oh, it’s like ‘Ghostbusters’ - a cheesy action film.” But before we go any further, I want to say this is definitely NOT “Ghostbusters”, even though it’s still an enjoyable and entertaining film. It definitely appears to be trying to capture that audience, however, having a similar 1980s flair, complete with grainy video quality, and cheesy action/terror scenes. The more we get to know Frank Bannister as a character, the more he began to remind me of James Roday’s portrayal of Shawn Spencer in “Psych”. In fact, perhaps the best description for today’s movie is “Ghostbusters” + “Psych” – a likeable guy using his deception to make a living. Of course, the difference is that Frank can actually see ghosts, and that makes it all the more fun.
I chose this film for Reign of Terror 2019 because I thought it would be fun to do a “classic retrospective” I had not already seen. Of course, today’s film turned out to be way more of a comedy film than a terror or a horror film. Some scenes were thrilling and/or terrifying but were limited in their “scare factor” due to the special effects limitations of 1996. Being choked and/or tripped by a demonic spirit hiding in your wallpaper or carpeting is a very creepy thought, and if it were redone using today’s special effects, and with Peter Jackson’s impressive production company, it could be truly terrifying, and would easily tip the balance between comedy and horror. As it is, the film is a fun ride, but it feels more like a “one and done” experience.
One more similarity to “Ghostbusters” is the effect of the rating system on the film’s success. “Ghostbusters” was given a PG rating, despite including some very questionable and directly implied content. No PG-13 rating existed at the time, and the panel couldn’t or wouldn’t give the film an R-rating. As such, many more children went to see the film than probably should have, and many more saw the film at home when it was released. By contrast, “The Frighteners” was given an R rating, although I would liken it more to a PG-13 rating by today’s standards - not suitable for young children, with some scenes of violence and usage of adult language. I can only imagine receiving this rating really hurt trying to capture the same broad audience of “Ghostbusters”.
“The Frighteners” is a ghost horror comedy that attempts to recapture the audience of “Ghostbusters”, delivering a fun ride, but also receiving a more restrictive rating than it probably should have. This film is filled with comedy, tragedy, and supernatural activity – a perfect film for Halloween! Fans of Michael J. Fox’s early work, and fans of cheesy horror/action/comedy films may enjoy this film.
Rotten Tomatoes: 63%
Metacritic: 52
One Movie Punch: 6.0/10
“The Frighteners” (1996) is rated R and is available on VOD.
