Comedic horror movie released in 1996. It was directed by Peter Jackson and written by Jackson and Frances Walsh.
The stars included:
The plot focuses on Frank Bannister, a con man and ghost chaser. Years ago, his wife died in a car accident, and Frank somehow acquired the ability to see ghosts. He meets a trio of ghosts -- '70s hipster Cyrus, '50s nerd Stuart, and the Judge, a gunslinger from the Wild West -- and they haunt houses so Frank can exorcise them away for a fee.
After running into several people with spectral numbers written on their foreheads who all die soon afterwards, Frank realizes there's a supernatural serial killer on the loose, disguising himself as the Grim Reaper and able to attack living people and discorporate ghosts. Frank is suspected of the murders because of his ability to predict the deaths, which leads to encounters with FBI Agent Milton Dammers, who's been driven mostly mad after deep undercover work with dangerous cultists.
Frank is helped out of jail by his pet ghosts and Lucy Lynskey, a former client of his exorcism business. She becomes a target of the Grim Reaper and also helps Frank investigate by lowering his body temperature and stopping his heart with drugs, giving him a near-death experience that lets him snoop around as a ghost.
Will Frank learn the real identity of the Grim Reaper and his secret assistant? Will he be able to stop the spirit's murderous rampage? Or is he doomed to be just another mark on the spectral serial killer's kill streak?
This is not high art. It's an unapologetic popcorn movie. It's still a whole lot of fun. The actors all seem to be having lots of fun, particularly Jeffrey Combs, who had his own suggestions for how he thought Dammers should look and act.
The computer effects for the Grim Reaper are also remarkably great, with the ghost crawling underneath carpets and wallpaper, leaping through walls, and jumpscaring the audience more than once.
And because it's written and directed by Peter Jackson, a guy with a long history in horror and comedy, it's got enough jokes for the comedy fans, enough scares for the horror fans, and a little gore to keep the hardcore gorehounds happy.
This isn't a deep movie, but it's lots of fun, with actors who are enjoying having their share of fun, too. If you're in the mood for a scary movie that brings some laughs along with the thrills, this is one you'll want to watch.