Cast a Deadly Spell

It is rare to find a film that can actually be funny and still mount very real tension (Ghostbusters and Galaxy Quest are two examples that have succeeded). This film does so in very good noir-ish style. Rife with inside jokes that should appeal to any fan of the hard-boiled detectives, horror movies, Lovecraft and film noir. Fred Ward and David Warner are perfectly suited in this film.

Damn near close. The idea of a private eye going it alone in world where magic reigns supreme is probably the ultimate extension of film noir and the hero-as-outsider. This movie captures all the charm of the Bogart 40's detective flicks and 80's type supernatural/horror F/X. It also adroitly mixes humor, horror, hard-boiled detecting, and mystery, with great performances from Fred Ward, David Warner, Clancy Brown, Alexandra Powers, Raymond O'Connor, and Julianne Moore.

This movie was excellent! The combination of old gangster, comedy, and horror was a great idea. The acting was excellent (Fred Ward rocks, as usual), and for an 80s film, it was really good (I'm not a big fan of the mall hair, brat pack, and Modonna crap that was hashed out in the big 80s).

This film, quite the opposite was very entertaining and an absolute MUST HAVE for HPL fans.

The entire movie was Lovecraft inspired and not a murder of his writings, like most of them are.

Most definitely, check it out. You won't regret it. it's a great tongue-in-cheeck, campy horror schlock that is actually well done.

If you like it, there's a sequel called "With Hunt" with Dennis Hopper as the lead. Not as good, but still entertaining.

This film rates 7 tentacles and a star shaped protrusion all the way up, on the elder god-o-meter

This is such a fun movie, everyone I've shown it to has tried to swipe my rather beat up copy... If you're a fan of hardboiled detectives, the works of H.P. Lovecraft, horror mixed with comedy, Fred Ward, or watching movies in slow motion to find all sorts of cool stuff going on in the background, then this film is for you...

Sadly, you CAN NOT PURCHASE this film, unless you find it used. HBO only released it to video rental stores, even though it's lesser sequel is available just about anywhere. To make matters worse, all tapes come with a Macrovision copy block. Bummer...

So, if you can find it, grab it quick, before someone else does!

It's 1948 Los Angeles and magic is real. Hardboiled private detective Harry Philip Lovecraft (Fred Ward) refuses to use it. He is hired by rich Amos Hackshaw to recover the Necronomicon. Olivia Hackshaw is the flirtatious 16 year old daughter. Connie Stone (Julianne Moore) is a lounge singer. Harry Bordon (Clancy Brown) is the mobster club owner.

The magical hard-boiled noir detective story is a great concept. It is held back by its TV level production. It could be a great action horror but it doesn't have the dark style or the budget. There is some sly humor but it needs a real comedian to pull it off. The humor comes too close to being camp. Ward could use a funny sidekick. This has some great value especially if one is familiar with the noir genre.