Continuing my look at lesser-known modern horror films that break out of the well-worn "unstoppable slasher chases after dumb teens" mold, we come to the almost-forgotten 1991 movie Cast A Deadly Spell. It's probably no surprise that no one remembers it since it was originally a made-for-cable movie. That said, this is easily one of the most creative TV movies ever made. The best description I've seen of this flick sums it up as "Who Framed Roger Rabbit? with the 'toons replaced by witches and zombies."
The story takes place during the 1940's in an alternate universe where nearly everyone uses magic, tarot cards, and talismans in everyday life. One person who doesn't is private eye H.P. Lovecraft (there's a subtle reference, eh?), played by Remo Williams.....er, I mean, Fred Ward. Heh. Grizzled and old-fashioned, he feels out of place in a world increasingly dominated by the supernatural arts. One day, he's hired by a wealthy, elderly man to look for, what else, the Necronomicon. From there, Lovecraft gets entangled in a mystery which will have him running into gargoyles, zombies, witches, demons, unicorns, and a whole bunch of other animatronic puppets. All that and the lovely Julianne Moore.
This movie is one of the rarer films that could just as easily be referred to as a comedy/satire as well as a horror flick. Its tone is somewhat reminiscent of Labyrinth or Gremlins. It's a fun feature and something goofy tends to occur just when the mood seems to be getting too self-consciously serious for the film's own good. Cast A Deadly Spell is also one of those neat flicks where you can amuse yourself by noticing all the funny bits that go on in the background during different scenes. Only at the very end does the film stumble by tacking on what feels like a standard showdown between the hero and the villain.
Cast A Deadly Spell was obviously crafted by people who love horror and wanted to do something original. The result is this fine piece of entertaining cinema that should appeal to those wackos who like their horror to be cute and amusing on some level.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.