Magic Murder

In a world where magic is a part of everyday life, a private detective who refuses to use magic tries to solve a murder, while a corrupt senator organizes a witch hunt, including public burnings.

An unusual fantasy-noir, with a dose of humor that seriously flirts with comedy, comes from the pen of Joseph Dougherty, as a sequel to "Cast a Deadly Spell" (1991), but apart from the basic premise, two films have nothing in common and, although the author is the same, the story is much weaker, and the whole film is worse in every aspect. Dennis Hopper replaces Fred Ward in the lead role, but although I appreciate him as an actor, he did not suit me as a detective Harry Phillip Lovecraft. Penelope Ann Miller is just a pale shadow of Julianne Moore, and the only actor who made some impression in this movie is Julian Sands, although it's not one of his better ones either.

Still, the interesting use of magic and acceptable effects, pleasant music, and a light relaxed atmosphere (which should not fit with mystery, noir, and thriller as genre determinants) make "Witch Hunt" a decent pastime for one viewing.

6/10

"Witch Hunt" is an ideal TV-movie strengthened by the tiny aspects that make it whole. The humor is offbeat and effective; the attention to color and set design is wonderfully evocative of the 1950s; the musical score (by David Lynch mainstay Angelo Badalamenti) sets an appropriate mood; and the well-shaded, blackly humorous performances are something else. The story combines a film noir attitude with the popularity of magic in Hollywood, and a McCarthyesque politician trying to put a stop to it. Granted, the plot seems to get too complicated near the end, but the commitments of Dennis Hopper, Penelope Ann Miller, Julian Sands, and especially the reptilian Eric Bogosian elevate "Witch Hunt" above your standard rental fare. Worth a look.

6/10

This film was a pleasant surprise. The mixture of historical set design, good plot and political satire was refreshing in an age where everything political is

hammered home in a pedantic monotone. Sheryl Lee Ralph was excellent and

her dynamic presence begs the questions as to why aren't there more black

females playing prominent roles in movies that have nothing to do with gangs

and drugs. Dennis Hopper was actually playing a character instead of playing

himself as he usually does. Julian sands was his slick and sinister self. I don't know why he wasn't chosen for the role of Lestat instead of Tom Cruise. Eric

Bogosian was awesome as the corrupt politician. The special effects were great in that they were not like the CGI crap of recent films. They were old fashioned special effects in that they were not added to make the unreal look real but to make the unreal look...well, unreal. I recommend this film for all fans of

Hollywood nostalgia, costume-period pieces and political commentary.

This movie is one that I watch everytime it comes on cable, hopper is good in it as is penolope ann miller, it has great sets and mood and is offbeat enough to help start a trend that lead to all the good cable movies and series we are now accustomed to... (soprano's carnivale, six feet under etc)

I loved 'Cast A Deadly Spell' but this sequel is a stinker. Same writer so it's difficult to say what went wrong this time around but 'Witch Hunt' has none of the wit or fun of the original, and the parallels with McCarthyism are trite and obvious. As a horror movie it fails, as a film noir it fails and as a comedy it fails. I watched again recently in case I had unfairly dismissed it and I found it so dull and unentertaining I could hardly be bothered watching it til the end. How Paul Schrader of all people ended up directing this is beyond me! Maybe he just needed the money... Anyway, I'm sure he tries to forget it ever happened. It's easily his least interesting movie. I'm a big Dennis Hopper fan but he is miscast and looks very uncomfortable. Maybe Fred Ward might have been able to save this one, I don't know. The supporting cast is below par too - Penelope Anne Miller instead of Julianne Moore and Julian Sands instead of David Warner - there's no contest. I would suggest you forget about watching this and rent 'Cast A Deadly Spell' instead.