new_zealand american horror comedy film directed written wife film stars tells story fox architect develops psychic abilities allowing hear communicate ghosts wife murder initially uses new abilities ghosts sends people charge handsome fees ghosts spirit mass murderer appears able attack living dead posing ghost grim prompting frank investigate supernatural presence jackson conceived idea script writing phase executive producer hired duo write script original intention directing spin film television series tales jackson draft submitted january believed film better directed jackson produced funded distributed universal_studios visual effects created jackson existence years plus fact required digital effects shots movie time resulted eighteen month period effects work largely stressed despite rushed post production schedule universal impressed jackson rough cut studio moved theatrical release date closer months film box office success received generally positive reviews critics despite lackluster performance box office film gained cult following recent years fox leading role live action feature film fox went year run television series semi retiring effects disease plot architect wife dies car accident profession unfinished dream house sits incomplete following accident frank gained power ghosts befriends 1970s street gangster cyrus 1950s stuart judge ghosts houses frank fee locals consider con man soon frank local health wife physician ray dies heart attack frank discovers entity appearing grim killing people marking numbers frank sees frank late wife similar number found frank ability murders puts suspicion police fbi agent convinced frank responsible frank arrested killing newspaper editor attacked press investigates murders target grim attacked visiting frank jail escape help cyrus stuart dissolved process frank wants commit suicide stop grim helps frank near death experience putting stop heart revealing victim family form frank confronts grim discovers ghost psychiatric hospital orderly killed people years earlier captured convicted executed newspaper reports reveal greatest desire prolific serial killer showing pride killing contemporaries like teenager accused accomplice escaped death penalty status frank visit unknown love friendly terms ghost eventually kills mother trying monitor daughter behavior frank trap spirit kept pair chapel abandoned psychiatric hospital hoping send ghost hell chase ruins throws ashes away releasing ghost kills ghost hunt frank frank realizes ghost help responsible wife death number trying add body count death bullets frank death frank spirit form spirit body forcing follow grabs ghost frank makes heaven reunited cyrus stuart wife spirits claim claim lives portal heaven quickly changes demonic looking appearance dragged hell giant worm like creature frank learns time sent body spirit tells happy frank fall love able ghosts frank later begins unfinished dream house building life looking ghost riding sheriff car frank enjoy picnic cast jackson envisioned low budget film unknown actors suggested casting future star fox lead role fox enthusiastic working jackson saw toronto international film festival character named star cameos health obsessed hot headed husband frank tactics judge decaying ghost penchant firing guns random mentally ill lover escaping execution time original murders strict observation mother special agent eccentric fbi agent undercover agent known work caused sustain multiple massive driven brink insanity problem women screaming jackson opted cast fan actor work mass murderer continues work focusing increasing body count form competition famous murderers returns hell able attack living dead ghost grim ghost cyrus gangster frank deceased associates ghost hunting business stuart frank deceased associates ghost hunting business frank deceased wife local law enforcement officer ally frank bradley mother director psychiatric hospital constantly monitoring daughter british editor local newspaper cameo man cameo deputy briefly seen standing development wife writer conceived idea script writing phase wrote page film treatment sent talent agent hollywood viewed treatment intention directing spin film television series tales helped produce hired jackson turn treatment length screenplay january husband wife duo completed draft early january impressed script decided work better directed jackson executive produced funded distributed universal film commence pre production million budget april studio granted jackson total artistic control right final cut privilege production jackson decided film entirely new_zealand universal agreed condition jackson new_zealand look similar principal photography began lasted november longest shooting schedules approved weeks shoot cinematographer car accident replacement later alternated duties rest shoot location shooting primarily included wellington weeks spent interior scenes compiled visual effects jackson created visual effects included computer generated imagery scale models necessary wellington look american prosthetic makeup practical effects help visual effects supervisor explained effects work complex inexperience computer technology mid-1990s prior film worked largely physical effects ghosts main cast required digital effects shots movie till time special effects company existence years eighteen month period completing largely shots handled small new_zealand company called employees eventually join hired design prosthetic makeup judge portrayed later added digitally baker able apply hours makeup commitment professor makeup artist pirates caribbean trilogy fulfilled baker duties extended shooting schedule owed fact scenes ghosts human characters interacted filmed twice human characters acting set ghost characters acting blue screen elements later digitally shot use split screen photography sequences required precise timing cast traded dialogue characters merely blank air hardest challenge digital animators creating grim went finding physical form set intention rod puppet maybe shooting water tank jackson commented thought filming dressed costume different camera speeds test footage shot man suit end decided computer animation easiest task entirely character called winged helps guard cemetery deleted final cut digital effects work running schedule convinced animation supervisor visual effects company help work shots showed pretty remarkable reflected shots kind worried quickly drafted visual effects supervisor began looking schedule trying work finished time way deadline figured plan involving jackson convince universal worthy asking money executives universal proposed splitting shots visual effects companies united_states jackson film chance new_zealand filmmaking stand alongside hollywood convinced universal instead received accelerated release date months earlier planned additional million financing digital animators computer borrowed universal effects companies hired digital effects supervisor soundtrack film score written composed released cassette compact disc closing credits play cover don fear performed new_zealand alternative rock band version song previously released single talking released plays superstar written performed reception average album database allmusic described soundtrack imaginative giving stars lower rating site scores era mission impossible mars attacks soundtrack review website referred album lacking singular creativity release original release date october universal studio executives viewed rough cut impressed release date summer blockbuster slot july addition universal offered filmmaker opportunity released jackson disputed film rating aware meant delivering universal rating jackson tried best graphic violence possible believed deserved rating box office released united_states theaters opened earning opening weekend averaging theater film eventually grossed worldwide total ended box office disappointment competition independence day interviews conducted years release jackson commented disappointed universal marketing campaign including poster didn tell picture believed primary reason film financial success additionally film opened day atlanta summer olympics began jackson realized told studio answered don think research indicates case thought hell know olympic games held united_states years jackson acknowledged tone hard hole sell experience film understand importance marketing critical reception received generally positive reviews film critics june reviewers selected review aggregator rotten_tomatoes gave film positive review fresh average score consensus states notch special effects direction visually striking uneven los_angeles_times stated director home kinds excess new_zealand keeps spinning nicely losing step mood turns increasingly disturbing new_york_times enjoyed walked theater mixed emotions commented deserves enthusiasm expert imaginative effects live actors lively touches leave looking like frantic jackson film weren immune characters dead jeff vice news praised acting film performances fox particular said bits push taste barrier far grind things halt jackson restraint showed movie best kind critic praised film described mixture ign said film wouldn jackson movies harmless fun dark comedy enjoy watching time time received mixed reviews critics jackson native country new_zealand conversely variety thought film remained episode tales critic believed wasn bad film disappointment following jackson powerful true life tale heavenly creatures fell short expectations long line summer movies roger_ebert felt jackson interested prosthetic makeup designs computer animation special effects writing cohesive storyline critic gave rating movies gene roger_ebert chicago reader critic described film special effects ugly aggressive saying trying interested special effects like trying remain interested shouting ear san_francisco_chronicle stated instead moving horror genre new directions simply falls apart barrage visual effects onslaught music score brien said screenplay practically loaded wild ideas dialogue switched gears fast frequently audience left struggling catch twists turns way literally world finale 23rd saturn awards honored jackson nominations shared wife nominated saturn award best horror film special effects nominated work home media released dvd august included special features coincide release issued double sided director cut dvd film november featured version minutes longer includes documentary prepared jackson originally laserdisc release director cut available dvd blu ray
The Frighteners