The Witches (Blu-ray, 1990)

4.94.9 out of 5 stars

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by matthedsouz_006 Oct, 2020

Scare Your Kids with This Cult Classic Family Horror Picture!

A delightful dark comedy for families to enjoy on Halloween.

Nicolas Roeg’s family fantasy horror film The Witches (1990) is a very fun comedy for children and parents to enjoy together. It’s not scary, but there’s grotesque imagery provided by Jim Henson’s creature company for hideous witch make-up. Then, there’s adorable mice everywhere as The Witches is more like Mouse Hunt with a dash of Hocus Pocus to it. Henson’s cute puppets for the mouse characters are expressive, realistic, and quaint, but the real trained mice are even cuter. Roeg actually directed these talented mice! They perform a number of actions that are dazzling to see throughout The Witches. He was a phenomenal dramatic and horror director, so it’s funny to see an English auteur direct a kids movie. The Witches will terrify your children and get laughs out of the adults in the room for sure.

Roald Dahl’s original story is dark, yet enjoyable while writer Allan Scott gives the script a tender sense of purpose in protecting kids by telling them to be wary of strangers. Scott’s witty dialogue is funny, while Dahl narrative is clever and creepy with witches desiring to turn children into mice. Dahl was a brilliant children’s author with a mindful imagination few could compare. The Witches is another classic film adapted from his source material just like Matilda or Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

Anjelica Huston chews up the scenery as Miss Eva Ernst with her glaring eyes and outrageous German accent. She is very lithe in her skin tight black dress and campy as she wants to destroy all children in England in her massive monologue witches’ convention address speech. Likewise, Swedish actress and director Mai Zetterling plays the sweet Norwegian grandmother Helga Eveshim to the main boy Luke Eveshim, played by an eager and expressive Jasen Fisher. Zetterling is equally tender and graceful as the kind Helga.

I must mention that Mr. Bean himself, Rowan Atkinson, plays the hotel manager Mr. Stringer. He’s so uptight and stiff that it’s even funnier coming from Mr. Bean. Similarly, Bill Paterson plays the obnoxious, wealthy hotel guest Mr. Jenkins, who is hilariously Scottish. Brenda Blethyn is funny as the disapproving wife Mrs. Jenkins. Jim Carter even cameos as the Head Chef in a funny bit with the mouse.

I adored Jane Horrocks as Miss Irvine the witch assistant with a wonderful twist at the end of The Witches. She’s very cute and manic with a softer, sympathetic side you see as The Witches zaps to its conclusion. I love her pink gloves and ethereal white dresses.

Tony Lawson’s editing is very nice and mellow with few cuts unless he cleverly switches from real mice to Henson’s little puppets. Lawson maintained The Witches’ brisk pacing to a breezy watch at 91 minutes. Nicolas Roeg definitely understood he had to convince the audience that mice could do things on command to make the rest of the story feel like it has more weight.

Harvey Harrison’s cinematography uses cute close-ups on puppets, mice, and a precocious cat to deliver neat perspective shots all over The Witches. His wide shots are inventive as he weaves the camera in, around, or under people to simulate the mouse’s view. Andrew Sanders’ production design gives us a cool hotel with lavish furnishings in England years before Wes Anderson’s The Grand Budapest Hotel would delight us with a vibrant hotel locale.

Stanley Myers’ score is very nice with a whimsical feel for all the childhood drama and fearsome and unsettling for the adult trauma and horror sequences. Marit Allen’s costumes are very playful and colorful as evidenced by black witch dresses and neon pink gloves galore.

In short, The Witches is a very grounded kids movie with excellent craftsmanship from everyone involved.Read full review

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