Most fans know Peter Jackson from his Lord of the Rings and Hobbit film fame, but I’m here as a massive fan of his early, outrageously gory horror film roots. That’s right, I’m talking about Jackson’s forgotten, wildly underappreciated horror comedy, The Frighteners, which just so happens to be celebrating its 30th anniversary, so let’s dig in!

The Frighteners tells the story of Frank Bannister (Michael J. Fox), a widowed architect who gains the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. Teaming up with his spectral pals, The Judge (John Astin), Cyrus (Chi McBride), and Stuart (Jim Fyfe), he runs a phony exorcism business—until a deadly supernatural force emerges, threatening both him and his town.

Hot off their success with critically acclaimed subversive thriller Heavenly Creatures, husband-and-wife power team Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh wrote a story treatment that eventually made its way to mega director/producer Robert Zemeckis’s desk. Impressed, Zemeckis hired the couple to write a script as a potential spin-off for HBO’s popular Tales from the Crypt series.

When Zemeckis read the script, he thought The Frighteners‘ broad ideas and extensive visual effects had enough legs to stand as a stand-alone feature rather than as part of an anthology. Zemeckis stepped aside to produce, and Jackson jumped into the director’s chair.

At this point, Jackson had built a successful career in New Zealand, writing and directing low-budget indie gore-tastic horror films such as Bad Taste, Meet the Feebles, and Dead Alive. Jackson had cultivated a dedicated local crew working at his small effects company, Wētā Workshop, which focused on practical makeup and creature effects, and Wētā Digital (now known as Wētā FX), which handled VFX.

Against Universal Studios’ wishes, Jackson shot The Frighteners in New Zealand with his trusted local team rather than in the States, although he used American actors and found “American-looking” locations. His plan proved gold as it kept Hollywood’s pesky studio set visits and idiotic notes at a distance– which, according to Jackson, was also greatly helped by producer Zemeckis, who shielded them from interference during their grueling 26-week production marathon, plagued by on-set emergencies like the DP getting in a major car crash and star Michael J. Fox seriously injuring his foot in a forest night shoot.

Juggling their transition from small indie cult horrors to now making a massive effects-heavy Hollywood feature not only required Wētā Digital to bump up their computers from one to thirty-five to handle the VFX rendering for the film’s over 570 visual effects shots, but Wētā Workshop also outsourced John Astin’s “The Judge” character’s complex makeup design to legendary master effects artist Rick Baker (American Werewolf in London, Men In Black), creating my favorite gunslinging ghost in the film! Unfortunately, due to scheduling conflicts, Baker wasn’t able to travel to set and instead sent the talented Brian Penikas (Spider-Noir, Galaxy Quest) to apply Astin’s intricate prosthetics during filming.

While I adore the ensemble that delivers a fun-filled horror ride, this wicked writer is especially captivated by the villains. Dee Wallace (E.T., The Howling), known for kindhearted, motherly characters, was cast against type. Her amazing range takes us to manic yet vulnerable places, sometimes within a single scene.

Dee tells Dread Central, “The Frighteners will always have a special place in my heart. Working with Peter Jackson was a creative journey I’ll never forget. And the people of New Zealand I fell in love with forever!”

Wallace’s chemistry was off the charts with Jake Busey (Starship Troopers, Identity). Between Busey’s killer crazy eyes, maniacal toothy grin, and wonderful physicality, they made the ultimate toxic horror couple of my dreams!

And I’ll give The Frighteners MVP to Jeffrey Combs (Re-Animator, House on Haunted Hill), who gives a masterclass in nuanced acting as he methodically creates his tightly wound, quirky character, Special Agent Milton Dammers. Though Combs joined the project late in casting, he truly made it his own. It was Combs who suggested Dammers’ greasy, Hitler-like haircut, wearing appliances to stick out his ears, gave the character phobias like peeking into doorways, and even suggested the satanic scar designs showcased on his chest.

Combs tells Dread Central, “Working with Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, Michael J. Fox and the entire cast and crew of The Frighteners was a seminal and magical moment in my life. Making it was one of, if not the most, beautifully collaborative experiences in my entire film career. As often happens with films that are ahead of their time, it wasn’t fully embraced when it was first released, but happily over the years, appreciation for the film continues to grow.”

The Frighteners had the potential to be a blockbuster hit, filled with wacky, inventive humor, chilling horror, and bloody heart—but it was ultimately a box-office blunder at its initial release, due to no fault of the project. You see, the film straddled genres, which confused the number-crunching suits at the studio, who mismanaged almost every aspect of promotion and publicity for this unique horror film, including confusing lackluster poster art that alienated audiences, and deciding on a summer release pitted against Independence Day, much to the chagrin of both Jackson and Zemeckis, who begged for an October release, for obvious reasons.

Peter Jackson’s The Frighteners is the kind of creative risk that big studios rarely take anymore, but it should be a learning tool and blueprint—leave your artists alone. Let them do what you hired them to do.

Though The Frighteners might not have been understood when released, the thing about timeless films is that they eventually find loyal audiences who appreciate them, and I am one of those die-hard fans. Is this Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh’s final foray into the horror genre? I sure as hell hope not.

Tags: Jeffrey Combs Michael J. Fox Peter Jackson Robert Zemeckis The Frighteners

Categorized:Editorials