Flashback: The Frighteners (1996)

FlashbackMoviesComedy
Written By Chris Well

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.

More Flashbacks
“We belong dead!” Saluting the 1935 ‘Bride of Frankenstein’
Movies, Universal Monsters, Flashback
“We belong dead!” Saluting the 1935 ‘Bride of Frankenstein’
Movies, Universal Monsters, Flashback

Maybe the greatest monster movie ever, Bride of Frankenstein (1935) was directed by James Whale, and starred Boris Karloff and Colin Clive. The sequel also starred Elsa Lanchester in two roles.

Movies, Universal Monsters, Flashback
Remembering Robert E. Howard: Creator of Sword & Sorcery and Conan the Barbarian
Books, Flashback
Remembering Robert E. Howard: Creator of Sword & Sorcery and Conan the Barbarian
Books, Flashback

Celebrating the 120th birthday of one of the most influential authors of all time! Most remembered for Conan, but REH typed out more than a hundred stories for many more pulp categories.

Books, Flashback
New comic book coming from Thundarr the Barbarian: When Conan meets Star Wars!
Comics, TV, Flashback, Animation
New comic book coming from Thundarr the Barbarian: When Conan meets Star Wars!
Comics, TV, Flashback, Animation

The 1980s sword & sci-fi & sorcery cartoon show Thundarr the Barbarian is returning as a comic book by Jason Aaron and Kewber Baal. Find out about the history of the original TV show—and what to expect from the comic book series!

Comics, TV, Flashback, Animation
9 Monster Sci-Fi TV Episodes to Devour for Thanksgiving
Flashback, TV
9 Monster Sci-Fi TV Episodes to Devour for Thanksgiving
Flashback, TV

Celebrating Turkey Day with The Incredible Hulk, The Munsters, Mr. Spock, and more! After that big dinner, this is your chance to gouge on some fun genre TV mixing together fantasy with Thanksgiving…

Flashback, TV
Celebrating the classic TV show ‘The Munsters’ (with lots of links)
TV, Comedy, Flashback
Celebrating the classic TV show ‘The Munsters’ (with lots of links)
TV, Comedy, Flashback

1960’s monster family sitcom The Munsters continues to reach new fans. To celebrate the classic show, we’re sharing several links to find out more about the show, or to watch the original series.

TV, Comedy, Flashback
H.G. Wells: Celebrating the Father of Science Fiction
Books, Flashback
H.G. Wells: Celebrating the Father of Science Fiction
Books, Flashback

Remembering H.G. Wells as we mark his birthday—born September 21, 1866. A productive writer in lots of topics, today he is mostly remembered as the father of science fiction.

Books, Flashback
Tanith Lee: Remembering the first woman to win the British Fantasy Award for best novel
Books, Flashback
Tanith Lee: Remembering the first woman to win the British Fantasy Award for best novel
Books, Flashback

Influential genre author Tanith Lee won lots of awards, published inventive fiction, and was probably responsible for the Sandman comic book series. (Even if her name was never mentioned.)

Books, Flashback
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”—the story behind a monster classic pop hit
Music, Flashback
Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”—the story behind a monster classic pop hit
Music, Flashback

Find out the story behind the epic hit from Michael Jackson, info from the band Toto about working on the blockbuster album, plus 13 AMAZING cover versions of the title track.

Music, Flashback
Coming to print: The alien zombie attack Plan 9 From Outer Space: The Novelization
Books, Movies, Flashback
Coming to print: The alien zombie attack Plan 9 From Outer Space: The Novelization
Books, Movies, Flashback

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.

Books, Movies, Flashback
Complete list of Dracula movies from British studio Hammer
Flashback, Movies, Vampires
Complete list of Dracula movies from British studio Hammer
Flashback, Movies, Vampires

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.

Flashback, Movies, Vampires
Featured
“We belong dead!” Saluting the 1935 ‘Bride of Frankenstein’
“We belong dead!” Saluting the 1935 ‘Bride of Frankenstein’

Maybe the greatest monster movie ever, Bride of Frankenstein (1935) was directed by James Whale, and starred Boris Karloff and Colin Clive. The sequel also starred Elsa Lanchester in two roles.

Remembering Robert E. Howard: Creator of Sword & Sorcery and Conan the Barbarian
Remembering Robert E. Howard: Creator of Sword & Sorcery and Conan the Barbarian

Celebrating the 120th birthday of one of the most influential authors of all time! Most remembered for Conan, but REH typed out more than a hundred stories for many more pulp categories.

Mothra Q&A: Translator Jeffrey Angles talks making the original kaiju fiction available in English!
Mothra Q&A: Translator Jeffrey Angles talks making the original kaiju fiction available in English!

Translator Jeffrey Angles talks making the original 1960s Mothra fiction available in English! “Tōhō’s monster movies are great fun, but they are also fantastically revealing windows….”

Expanding ‘Weird Tales’ with spin-off novels and collections
Expanding ‘Weird Tales’ with spin-off novels and collections

Interviews with the several authors from the “Weird Tales Presents” project. The legendary magazine is adding original novels, anthologies, and compilations—with horror, sci-fi, and fantasy.

Weird Tales Presents: Johnny Compton’s short story collection ‘Midnight Somewhere’
Weird Tales Presents: Johnny Compton’s short story collection ‘Midnight Somewhere’

The horror author talks about his brand-new short story collection, how his fiction represents him as an author, and his excitement working with the folks at Weird Tales.

New comic book coming from Thundarr the Barbarian: When Conan meets Star Wars!
New comic book coming from Thundarr the Barbarian: When Conan meets Star Wars!

The 1980s sword & sci-fi & sorcery cartoon show Thundarr the Barbarian is returning as a comic book by Jason Aaron and Kewber Baal. Find out about the history of the original TV show—and what to expect from the comic book series!

Zombie Fic: Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin series
Zombie Fic: Jonathan Maberry’s Rot & Ruin series

The zombie post-apocalypse book series Rot & Ruin, written by Jonathan Maberry, has won lots of awards. Find out more about the books, plus the author's thoughts on the impact of zombie fiction.

Q&A: Tim Hawken talks his murder mystery ‘The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee’
Q&A: Tim Hawken talks his murder mystery ‘The Apocalypse Will Still Have Coffee’

The dark fiction author talks to Monster Complex about the apocalypse, coffee, and his novel’s bonus materials. “I have a lot of weird ideas.”

9 Monster Sci-Fi TV Episodes to Devour for Thanksgiving
9 Monster Sci-Fi TV Episodes to Devour for Thanksgiving

Celebrating Turkey Day with The Incredible Hulk, The Munsters, Mr. Spock, and more! After that big dinner, this is your chance to gouge on some fun genre TV mixing together fantasy with Thanksgiving…

Godzilla Day 2025: What’s YOUR favorite Godzilla movie?
Godzilla Day 2025: What’s YOUR favorite Godzilla movie?

Godzilla’s first movie came out in 1954. In the years since, there have been dozens more Godzilla movies—with all sorts of angles and different approaches. Which do YOU like best?

Chris Well

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.

https://chriswell.substack.com/
Previous

60+ Special Vampire Book Series—from Anne Rice, L.A. Banks, Charlaine Harris, more
Next

Anne Rice’s ‘Vampire Chronicles,’ ‘Mayfair Witches’ At AMC