Peter Jackson. For most of us, the name conjures up images of Hobbits and shires, Dwarves and Elves – and let’s face it – money and Oscars. It’s safe to say that directors don’t get much bigger than Peter Jackson, who did the impossible – he turned J.R.R Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings saga into a trilogy that, for some, has even supplanted the original Star Wars saga as the holy trinity of geek culture. Heck, he even managed to turn The Hobbit into three films – even if – let’s face it – it’s was at least one film too many. Plus there was King Kong, which I remember folks being mildly disappointed in back then, but which has, I think, aged pretty well.
But, back in the nineties he was still mostly known for splatter horror like BAD TASTE and DEAD ALIVE, before really breaking out with HEAVENLY CREATURES, which paved the way for this week's film, THE FRIGHTENERS, a big-budget Universal Pictures horror film starring Michael J. Fox which, despite being a box office flop in 1996, has stood the test of time and is an underrated gem. Come with us as we explore why THE FRIGHTENERS is the best movie you never saw!