Flashback: The Frighteners (1996)

The 1996 horror comedy The Frighteners starred Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister, a man running a kind of “Ghostbusters” scam. Yes, he can see real ghosts, but they’re actually his accomplices: They haunt a place until someone pays Bannister to, um, “bust” them. But when the spirit of a mass murderer can attack the living and the dead, Frank and his ghost friends have to stop him.
The Frighteners was directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film also starred Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey, and Jake Busey. The Frighteners was Fox’s last leading role in a live-action feature film.
British studio Hammer kicked off their classic monster movies with their Dracula films often starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. Find out about all nine movies in their series.
Continuing our comparisons between the Fantastic Four and The Munsters—why do the FF and The Munsters fight crime? This is another example that THEY have in COMMON—but very few others would also have this in their description.
Bram Stoker’s novel DRACULA has left a lasting mark on the vampire genre. Published in 1897, the book also explores superstition, sexuality, and the clash between modern POVs with ancient evil.
In the latest episode of our show, we go over the uncanny similarities between the influential comic book legacy of the FANTASTIC FOUR and the monstrous (but beloved) television sitcom THE MUNSTERS!
The Rondo Awards honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's winners include the reissue of ROBOT MONSTER, the movie GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, the TV series WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, and more! Find out the details here.
Over the decades, there have been LOTS of robots on TV. We look at robots from a couple dozen TV shows, including sci-fi series, cartoons, and sitcoms.
The founder of 3D Film Archive talks to Monster Complex about the reissue of 1953 alien horror movie ROBOT MONSTER—including why he’s following it with a 3-D comic book anthology.
With tech so common now, we take a look at some of the best movie robots of all time—from charming co-workers who just want to help us out to menacing monsters planning to stomp on us.
Want to see some monster movies that are technically bad but are fun to watch? These may never live up to the standards of applauded horror movies, but you can’t say they aren’t fun to watch…
Pop music legend Brian Wilson wrote so many amazing songs. But I’m here to talk about “This Isn’t Love”—the song he wrote for the 2000 movie The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas.
How the Grim Reaper became a regular character carrying his scythe across the fantasy landscape of Sir Terry Pratchett's Discworld books. “There were so many outrageous things done in the name of fantasy. I thought ‘It’s time to have a laugh at it now’.”
Sad to learn that writer Peter David has died, following years of health complications His memorable stories starred genre heroes from Star Trek, plus Spider-Man, Supergirl, Babylon 5, and more.
For fans of supernatural detective stories, the comic book collection Joe Golem: Occult Detective Omnibus features a mash-up with a hardboiled detective dealing with some very dark supernatural problems that threaten the world.
Catherina Steel kicks off her MG fantasy series The Wythic Wood Mysteries with the spellbinding adventure Vanishings. In our interview, we discuss what pulls us readers into these magical worlds. Plus how the author has created a brand-new kind of martial arts! From goblins!
This 5-issue event calls for all hands on deck as Godzilla is set to fight the combined might of the entire Marvel Universe—including the good guys AND the bad guys!
Horror luminary Stephen Graham Jones pulls readers on a spine-tingling journey through a young boy’s haunted home with a new edition of Mapping the Interior. Find out more about the book and learn more about the author.
Celebrating the birthday of actor Frank Gorshin (1933-2005), my list of what we might watch for a “Frank Gorshin Festival.” Including details about these classic TV episodes.
Japanese superhero Ultraman is more accessible than ever. There’s the brand-new streaming channel, two crossover comic books, plus novelizations from an award-winning author.
The legend is using his nerd power to help authors find their audience. “You’re going to meet authors you don’t yet know you love, including some who are being narrated for the very first time.”

Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.
The 1957 sci-fi horror movie called the “worst film ever made” has a new book version coming for the 100th birthday of Edward D. Wood Jr., the man who wrote, directed, produced, and even edited the movie.