THE
WITCHES (1990)
Starring
Anjelica Huston, Jasen Fisher, Mai Zetterling, Charlie Potter, Rowan
Atkinson, Jane Horrocks. Directed by Nicholas Roeg. (92 min)
ON
BLU-RAY FROM
Review
by Stinky the Destroyerđ¸
This
is based on a children’s novel by Roald Dahl, who apparently hated
the changes made to his story, especially the ending. However, Dahl
also hated Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, so there you
go. While The Witches never became a beloved classic like
Wonka, it’s definitely cut from the same cloth: a
semi-whimsical family film with sinister undertones. I’m not sure
what Dahl’s issue was because – narrative changes notwithstanding
- it retains the spirit of his work.
But
as cantankerous as he appeared to be about adaptations of his books,
I’d have to agree on one point: retaining the story’s original
ending certainly would have been interesting. Without getting into
specifics that would spoil the party for those who haven’t read the
book or seen the movie, that ending was apparently filmed but never used. No way
would a major studio let such a resolution fly, even with an
eccentric like Nicholas Roeg directing. But man, it would have been
an awesome bonus feature to include on this disc.
As
it is, The Witches harkens back to the days when fantasy films
didn’t rely exclusively on CGI for its visual effects. Being a Jim
Henson production, the film makes ample use of puppetry, animatronics
and highly-imaginative make-up to convey its story. However, the
movie’s true MVP is Angelica Huston as Eva, England’s Grand High
Witch who gathers her loyal disciples at a hotel with a plan to turn
all the country’s children into mice. From her quasi-dominatrix
appearance to her over-the-top scenery-chewing, she injects a considerable amount of wicked fun into the film (at-least for the grown-ups in the
audience).
 |
| The kid gets an eyeful. |
For
the little ones, the film’s hero is Luke (Jasen Fisher), an
American boy vacationing at the hotel with his grandmother (Mai
Zetterling), who regales him with terrifying tales of witches’
hatred for children and once narrowly escaped Eva herself. After
discovering Eva’s plan while eavesdropping on the witches’
convention, Luke and another boy are turned into mice. Still, he
tries to stop them from carrying-out their scheme with help from his
grandmother.
The
Witches is fun and fast-moving, simply presented and featuring
fine performances. Sure, the special effects look a bit quaint, but
they serve the story well and reflect a considerable amount of
handcrafted effort. And like Willy Wonka, it has a subtle,
amusing mean-streak. While definitely family-friendly, this isn’t
strictly a kiddie film.
I
suppose I can understand Dahl’s misgivings about the chosen ending,
which admittedly negates the underlying tone of the rest of the film.
It's unfortunate the darker one isn't included on this disc - either as a bonus feature or alternate ending option - so viewers could decide for themselves. Still, The
Witches remains quirky, charming and certainly deserving of the same cult status Hocus Pocus inexplicably enjoys.
EXTRA
KIBBLES
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
PURR-R-R...LIKE A GOOD SCRATCH BEHIND THE EARS.
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