The Worst Witch

Growing up, I used to watch this kids TV movie every year on Halloween. It features a very young Fairuza Balk ("Return to Oz," "The Craft"), a very flamboyant Tim Curry, and Mrs Garrett from "Facts of Life." But, God,is this awful. I can't believe I didn't notice how terrible it was! The special effects are so bad enough to make anyone laugh through the whole movie. The "bad" witches' costumes are worse than the kind you'd find in a Halloween chain store. But I have fond memories of it so it has a place in my heart. Also, it is nice to see movies that portray witches as normal and good. Not so nice to see pre-teen girls fawning in ecstasy over Tim Curry with a tambourine.

In my opinion, any film where Tim Curry sings is a delight. Although I am not a fan of a lot of the horror Mr. Curry has created, he is perfect in the Worst Witch. Seeing this for the first time at the age of eight back on the Disney Channel in 1986, I was blown away with the story and the actors in the movie. Balk, only a child at the time was a wonderful actress before she hit the big screens. She would later go on to do the sequel to the Wizard of Oz as Dorothy. A lot of the cast members in this movie went on to do other notable movies including The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Overall, a perfect Halloween movie for girls and boys. It's funny that Harry Potter has a lot of similar tones and scenes that are equal to the Worst Witch.

Still a great movie almost 20 years later. Check it out!

First, I must admit two things. 1. I am a fan of Tim Curry. 2. I am a reader and I devour everything I get ahold of including the /Worst Witch/ book that this movie was based on. One of those books series of course is Harry Potter, and I think this movie comes off very well in comparison!

In 1986, the idea for this movie was "a wrap" and no one had even conceived (except JK) there was to be a huge following of a boy who attends a school for wizards. This movie is about a batch of girls who attend a witch school. The potions master in the currently internationally famous movie (Alan Rickman, pants!) is a mean, nasty man who dislikes the lead character. The first scene we have with Diana as Miss Hardbroom is a potions scene.

You might note other similarities, trust me. I especially chuckled watching the flight-teacher "surfing" on her broom. Nahhhh. Don't know where Chris Columbus got that idea do we? Smiles.

Despite all the above, I am seeking a copy of this movie for my son and myself. I think it's a cute movie. Just like the (coughsHPcoughs) other movie, there are supernatural elements in WW, but I think today's children can handle them just fine. If not, we'll turn Queen Aggie on them!

If you get a chance, do watch this one. It's a keeper.

**** out of *****

This adaptation of the much-loved book, is surprisingly good entertainment, that is a little short. The book was one of my favourites when I was little, and I loved the fact they added a couple of touches.

The only other criticism I have is the rather annoying title song. It was beautifully sung by a young Bonnie Langford but the tune got on my sister's nerves, when she herself watched it.

The acting is very good, if a little pantomime. Likewise with the songs, written by the acclaimed Don Black. Fairuza Balk is really cute as Mildred, bringing back memories from return to Oz. Diana Rigg is a suitably frosty Miss Hardbroom, and she is what I would imagine the character. Charlotte Rae and Anna Kipling are also amusing in their turns as Miss Cackle/Agatha and Ethel Hallow. My favourite was Tim Curry as the Grand wizard, he was just amazing, and the Halloween song was actually the main reason why this movie should be watched, because they matched the lyrics exactly.

I have it on VHS. It is a little grainy, but it's because it's second hand. Watch it, and let your children watch it! They'll thank you! 8/10 Bethany Cox

This is one of my favorite Halloween movies. It has terrible special effects, silly moments that only a 4-year-old would find funny, and hokey acting at times...but yet it's become one of my favorite Halloween movies over the years. It just oozes Halloween and never fails to put me in the mood for all things spoopy. It's fun to watch and its bad elements are what make it charming. It also gives me a strange nostalgia for my childhood, even though I didn't grow up in the 80s nor did I grow up watching this movie and that's pretty rare for a movie to give me that feeling.

If you can overlook bad green screen, over-acting, and some moments that make you cringe a little, you will find a kind of magic that makes you long to be a kid again. It's a Halloween treat.

(And yes, Harry Potter was obviously inspired by The Worst Witch books and possibly even this movie because there are way too many similarities for it to just be coincidental and Harry Potter did the magical school concept a lot better, but you have to respect this movie as the highly probable origin for one of the best series of our time).