Michael J. Fox has always been one of my favorite actors. So when this movie came out on VHS 10 years ago, I bought it without bothering to read the reviews. The Frighteners involves a shady psychic detective named Frank Bannister, who uses his ability to communicate with the dead to boost his business. I found myself laughing out loud in the beginning when Bannister rigs the house of a man named Ray he’d had an altercation with earlier that day. After the furniture and the dishes settle down, Ray’s wife Lucy “mysteriously” finds Bannister’s business card and calls him over to “exorcise” the house.

Then the movie takes a serious turn when Bannister realizes that Ray has become the latest victim of a string of mysterious deaths. Several people in high places suspect Bannister of killing these people by inducing a heart attack, including a crazed FBI agent, for financial gain. Bannister knows that a malevolent spirit is targeting people because he’s seen the glowing number emblazoned on their foreheads shortly before the spirit comes for them. The stakes are raised when Lucy becomes the next target.

For an independent film, I thought The Frighteners was very good. The graphics and special effects were cheesy, but they made up for it by creating a great plot. The DVD version contains an introduction by the director, who talked about the challenges of making a low budget film. If you like a blend of horror, supernatural, and a twist of humor, watch this movie.