Milton Dammers (The Frighteners)

"My body is a roadmap of pain. But pain has its reward. The power of the mind is absolute."

(Milton Dammers, The Frighteners)

The Villain

Milton Dammers is a comedically awkward FBI agent who has been scarred and disturbed from having worked undercover in Satanic cults. (Paradise Lost nod, anyone?) He is called upon in The Frighteners to help investigate the mysterious deaths surrounding the town and, particularly, the main character Frank Bannister.

The Story

Frank Bannister can see the dead. Since developing this ability after a traumatic event, he has used it to stage hauntings and earn money as a psychic. However, perfectly healthy people in the town start dying sporadically from heart attacks. When the trend does not waver, it crosses Frank's path, making his connection to the deaths look extremely suspicious. Frank, with his ability, has witnessed Death as being the offender, but nothing is quite what it appears.

The Movie

I was very skeptical about seeing it (because I am really high strung and have a lot of stress right now and CANNOT watch a movie that will bore me in the slightest,) but it proved it's entertainment quality right off the bat. A product of the 90's, the characters surprise by being exceptionally well acted. The storyline has many layers that are impressively cohesive. The movie succeeded in providing laughs, and Milton Dammers helped define its clever uniqueness.

Here's a good introduction to Milton. (The video just keeps on playing after the clip, so if you don't stop it, you'll just watch the last 30-some minutes of the movie.)

He is a side character and only comes in towards the end of the movie, but his character's part is satisfied, is important to the story, and does not feel unappreciated.

Fun Fact: "It was actor Jeffrey Combs who suggested the Hitler-inspired haircut for his character, to show Milton Dammers' extreme sense of nationalism after serving his country for so long." (source)