The Frighteners Recut (The Frighteners) - Neglify
Frighteners is one of those Horror films I watch every couple of years. Peter Jackson’s career was ascending rapidly at this stage, having nailed a hit with Heavenly Creatures and bracing for the challenge of Lord Of The Rings.
As a genre film, Frighteners remains the uneasy mix. Part Mystery, part Thriller, all Horror, yet undermined by moronic comedy. Silliness, stupidity. Several cringe sequences make the Stooges look like Woody Allen. Any improvement on that score is well applauded.
Video - As expected, excellent work here. I never missed a single trim, though deep in the film I realized I had not winced yet. The moments I had hated were gone. The colors were fine, albeit subdued, but that is Jackson’s palette.
Audio - Highly dynamic 5.1 mix. Dialogue was clean and focused. No subs. I never needed subtitles, but checked after the fact.
Neglify’s version is now my preferred Frighteners, displacing the original. My main problem with Jackson’s version was always the humor. Silly rather than clever, dull witted rather than razor sharp. Jackson’s jokes are sophomoric at best. (Feebles remains a brilliant exception.) Neglify excised the stupidity. The trims might be light, but they are effective. Stellar job.