Some guilty pleasures are so lame, we can’t stop loving them! I’ve mentioned this movie here and there but never did a real discussion of it. So, since it’s the 25th anniversary this year, this is a good time.
I saw this movie in theaters when it came out July 1993. Why did a clearly Halloween movie come out in July? Got me. Maybe Disney was so excited about it they couldn’t wait. They certainly hyped it enough, with horrible ads that didn’t explain the plot at all. Just made it sound like the three sisters were here for wacky hi jinks. And some of the stuff in this movie is definitely silly. Like the stock bullies, big plot holes, and that idiotic zombie nonsense. But what works, really works in my opinion. And in fact it’s grown such a cult following that Freeform shows over and over in October.
So we all agree that it’s a guilty pleasure, at best, then what is it that brings us back every year? Well, here are five reasons for me anyway :
The Music
Of course Bette Midler is in the movie so we had to have a song. And “I’ve Got a Spell on You” is pretty good. It’s got a nice beat but isn’t ridiculous. But what is often overlooked is the rest of the soundtrack, which is also damn good. The music is great and really enhances the mood. I discussed composers earlier this year one name I overlooked was John Debney who does good work. The other overlooked theme is the song Sarah sings to lure the children which is, well, mesmerizing.
Garry Marshall’s Pointless Cameo
Some movies will have cameo’s in them which make no sense whatsoever, but there they are anyway. Like Bill Murray in Space Jam. In this movie, we get a Garry Marshall cameo about half way through. He’s playing a guy dressed as the devil that the sisters confuse for their actual master. The scene is totally pointless filler, but seeing Garry Marshall and Penny Marshall is always a delight. But why in the world were they even in this movie?
The Plot
So the plot isn’t the greatest but I think it’s effective. First of all the Salem stuff in the opening is excellent. So the three witches are hanged in 1693 Salem, vow to return to to get there revenge. All that is needed is a virgin to light the special candle. Which our hero does. And yes I know a lot of people make a big deal about that virgin nonsense, I think it’s a little exaggerated. We also get a talking black cat which was oddly a thing in the 90’s. The big goal of the sisters is to suck life force from children to retain there youth, and they have until sunrise to do it at least once. Of course this leads to a massive plot hole, when Winnie can have her choice of any child and goes after our heroes instead. Considering what;s at stake you’d think she would have waited to get her revenge, but we need this to give our heroes a chance. There is to much filler, we get like two fake out’s where we thunk the day is saved only to have it turn out it isn’t. And while it has a good climax, the very ending is a little to corny to be honest, I praised the music but it’s too much there.
The Characters/Actors
The real success in this movie lies in the three witches. They are played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimi and Sarah Jessica Parker and they are just fantastic here. Not because they are acting so well, but because they are having so much fun! So much so that it translates to the audience. Midler even said this was her favorite movie to work on. I also like how the characters function. Sure Winnie is the elder sister and the leader, but the others aren’t just there to be stupid comedy relief. Yeah they have their moments when they are, but they also assist Winnie and it’s clear that Winnie relies on them even if she loses her patience once in awhile. What about our heroes? They’re OK. Omri Katz and Thora Birch are hardly amateur and they do what they can with the stock roles (new kid in town and his sister). Actually it’s amazing what an actress Thora Birch has become since this, but that’s another story. For a silly Disney movie there’s some decent talent in it.
Drenched in “Halloween”
Can you imagine what it felt like when we saw this in theaters, in the middle of Summer, and saw what was clearly a Halloween movie. I mean, there’s no mistaking it! I’m not gonna say that there aren’t movies more drenched in Halloween than this, I’m sure there are, but man does this cover all the bases it can! From the fall foliage in the beginning to that big full moon in the end, every frame of this movie is Halloween. Which is probably why, goofy as it can be, it’s just way to easy to put this movie on or near Halloween. We get trick or treating, a Halloween dance party, a spooky cemetery, black cats, and even a haunted house, sort of. The only thing missing is real monsters. Outside of the witches and that stupid zombie, we don’t see the classic Halloween monsters that are usually front and center in most movies like this. But it’s ok, we don’t really need them here.
So yeah I am one of those that loves watching this movie every year. It’s just a part of Halloween for me, and is just goofy fun. Even if it’s hardly the greatest movie ever made. Do you guys like it? Comment and let me know.
No comments:
Post a Comment