Flashback: The Frighteners (1996)
The 1996 horror comedy The Frighteners starred Michael J. Fox as Frank Bannister, a man running a kind of “Ghostbusters” scam. Yes, he can see real ghosts, but they’re actually his accomplices: They haunt a place until someone pays Bannister to, um, “bust” them. But when the spirit of a mass murderer can attack the living and the dead, Frank and his ghost friends have to stop him.
The Frighteners was directed by Peter Jackson and co-written with Fran Walsh. The film also starred Trini Alvarado, Peter Dobson, John Astin, Dee Wallace Stone, Jeffrey Combs, R. Lee Ermey, and Jake Busey. The Frighteners was Fox’s last leading role in a live-action feature film.
British studio Hammer kicked off their classic monster movies with their Dracula films often starring Christopher Lee as Count Dracula and Peter Cushing as Doctor Van Helsing. Find out about all nine movies in their series.
Continuing our comparisons between the Fantastic Four and The Munsters—why do the FF and The Munsters fight crime? This is another example that THEY have in COMMON—but very few others would also have this in their description.
Bram Stoker’s novel DRACULA has left a lasting mark on the vampire genre. Published in 1897, the book also explores superstition, sexuality, and the clash between modern POVs with ancient evil.
In the latest episode of our show, we go over the uncanny similarities between the influential comic book legacy of the FANTASTIC FOUR and the monstrous (but beloved) television sitcom THE MUNSTERS!
The Rondo Awards honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's winners include the reissue of ROBOT MONSTER, the movie GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, the TV series WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, and more! Find out the details here.
Over the decades, there have been LOTS of robots on TV—including helpers and heroes, plus warnings about evil robots. We look at robots from a couple dozen TV shows, including sci-fi series, cartoons, and sitcoms.
The founder of 3D Film Archive talks to Monster Complex about the reissue of 1953 alien horror movie ROBOT MONSTER—including why he’s following it with a 3-D comic book anthology.
With tech so common now, we take a look at some of the best movie robots of all time—from charming co-workers who just want to help us out to menacing monsters planning to stomp on us.
Want to see some monster movies that are technically bad but are fun to watch? These may never live up to the standards of applauded horror movies, but you can’t say they aren’t fun to watch…
Giant monster legend Godzilla returns to American comic books in 2025—with brand-new stories scheduled at both Marvel Comics and DC Comics. The King of Monsters will meet up again with the likes of Fantastic Four, Justice League, and more in brand-new comics stories.
Monster Complex celebrates our articles that got the most views in the past year! Looking back at our most-read monster stories from 2024, including stories about monsters in books, movies, TV, music, comic books, and more.
Author J.J. Ackerknecht talks about his superhero LitRPG series All I Got is This Stat Menu. JayAck talks about how his sci-fi book series is moving from being mostly Earth-focused to expanding out into the farther reaches of space. “Each book really builds on the one before it.”
Horror and comedy both make us jump—which is why these elements work together so well together. Looking at books from authors like Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, Tanya Huff, Kelley Armstrong, John Scalzi, Diana Rowland, and Kevin J. Anderson, plus many authors you should meet.
In this video interview, Ryan North talks about the hilarious and uplifting superhero comic book starring Squirrel Girl. He also talks about his book How to Invent Everything: A Survival Guide for the Stranded Time Traveler.
Looking for places to send your monster stories? We’ve posted links to some places looking for urban fantasy, horror stories, science fiction, fantasy, and speculative fiction.
The 1957 sci-fi horror movie called the “worst film ever made” has a new book version coming for the 100th birthday of Edward D. Wood Jr., the man who wrote, directed, produced, and even edited the movie.
In our exclusive interview, Meg Ripley tells Monster Complex how NECROLOGY sets up the bigger picture, some of her favorite horror fiction, and how her book impacts particular kinds of readers.
In our exclusive interview, the author explains how his monster research impacts him as a storyteller, and how he wrestles with both real-world monsters and those that are fantastical…
Exclusive interview with the author about her new urban fantasy that takes readers on thrilling journey into Bay Area’s supernatural underbelly. “Expect drama, romance, steamy sex, and heightened emotions—with Democracy hanging in the balance!”
Chris Well been a writer pretty much his entire life. (Well, since his childhood.) Over the years, he has worked in newspapers, magazines, radio, and books. He now is the chief of the website Monster Complex, celebrating monster stories in lit and pop culture. He also writes horror comedy fiction that embraces Universal Monsters, 1960s sitcoms, 1980s action movies, and the X-Files.
The 1957 sci-fi horror movie called the “worst film ever made” has a new book version coming for the 100th birthday of Edward D. Wood Jr., the man who wrote, directed, produced, and even edited the movie.