Mirror Mirror

I watched Mirror Mirror many years ago back in I think 1991. I seem to remember it being a pretty good film. After all these years, with the help of EBay, I found another copy and just got done watching it. Very interesting film.

The movie starts out back in the 30's. A young woman appears to have murdered her friend with an ominous looking mirror in the background. Now, skip to present day (1990), Megan and her mother have just moved into the same house in which that murder took place. The same ominous mirror is still in the house and instead of disposing of it, Megan has grown a liking to it. Now, Megan is a teenager and dresses like a goth kid so naturally she is tormented in the new school she is going to. But, she discovers that this mirror is giving her powers and her tolerance for the kids at school is wearing thin.

I know this description of the movie sounds a bit cheesy but you have to watch the movie to really catch the atmosphere. The camera angling is absolutely wonderful, the score is wonderful, the acting is okay (except Karen Black who is always welcome), the special effects are okay considering that this movies strong point was its atmosphere. And the ending is quite original. All in all, I give this a 7/10. Good effort.

An 80s goth girl (Rainbow Harvest) and her goofy single mom (Karen Black) move to a new suburban town. She gets picked on by her new classmates and generally despises life in typical 80s goth girl fashion. She discovers a mysterious mirror in her room left by the previous owners and finds that it gives her the power to get what she wants...ie, the death of those who mess with her! The tagline for this movie is something about being a cross between "Carrie" and "Heathers". Well, it is nowhere near either of those classics. It is, however, a surprisingly charming little B-movie! The actors' style is late 80s/early 90s in the worst possible way but it is totally endearing. There is some witty dialogue and some really sick and twisted scenes (including a fair amount of gore). Karen Black is totally over the top. It seems like Rainbow Harvest (?!) was only cast because she looks like Winona Rider circa "Beetlejuice"...a more charismatic lead would have helped this movie. It also would have been more satisfying if the lead character had some attitude beyond her clothing and were a bit more hardcore (a la Ginger Snaps) instead of being a wimpering loser. But for a B-movie this was pretty damn entertaining. Recommended to fans of 80s B-horror as well as estro-infused horror flicks. My Rating: 6.5/10

Where credit is due, 'Mirror, Mirror' is a hot and steamy little Gothic horror oddity that won't blow you away from its originality, but by confident performances (headed by the likable Karen Black and Yvonne De Carlo) and director Marina Sargenti's presentably moody handling which simply builds towards the ghastly shocks. The script is standard, but its focus on an outcast's passage through school-life remains stimulating… no matter how many times we've come across it before. This can be attributed to the sincere acting of Rainbow Harvest (as the shy Goth girl who has a striking resemblance to a 'Beetlejuice' star Wino Ryder), Kristin Dattilo and the buxom Charlie Spradling as the stuck-up bully. Then revenge is served, as those you get in Harvest's way… bites the dust in many unexpected ways.

Megan and her mother arrive at their new home and a mirror (which did belong to the original residents) in Megan's bedroom catches her attention. Starting school isn't easy, and she's made fun of instantly. Her anger is soon picked up by the mysterious mirror, which suddenly gives her the ability to cause some 'accidents'. Soon she begins to pick on these things and virtually it takes control of Megan, which would go on to hurt those who she cares for.

The low-key back-story could have been a little clearer about the supernatural link (but the conclusion holds a witty touch), and the story could have been tighten since it dragged on too long. The low-budget look didn't stop the atmospheric camera-work (like POV from the mirror) and lighting being effective. Sargenti stylishly uses slow motion efficiently, and crafts some lasting scenes (some bloody and cringe-like scenes) and the eerie flight of the shady score works trumps.

Very passable horror feature.

"Mirror, Mirror" is at its best in the first half, with its simple but effective depiction of school life. In the second half, a few of the death scenes leave something to be desired, but others (bathtub drowning) are good. Karen Black and Yvonne De Carlo may be the draws in the cast, but it's their younger co-stars that do almost all the hard work: Rainbow Harvest makes a believable transformation from a "Winona Ryder in Bettlejuice" - wannabe to a wicked villainess, Kristin Dattilo is also convincing as one of the sweetest persons you'll ever meet, and Charlie Spradling plays the spoiled b*tch to perfection (and is downright GORGEOUS to boot). The movie does seem to go on a bit too long, but stick with it because the ending is the cleverest part. (**1/2)

Los Angeles punkster Megan (Rainbow Harvest) moves with her mother (Karen Black) to a small California suburb. Megan doesn't fit in at her new private school, but to make matters even worse, there is a massive antique mirror left behind in her new bedroom that boasts dangerous supernatural powers.

"Mirror Mirror" is an under-viewed gem from the early nineties that is corny and shocking in equal measure. The film is admittedly a bit dated, and the singular element that I found most alluring in it was the late eighties/early nineties atmospherics that are reminiscent of an "Are You Afraid of the Dark?" episode; make no bones about it though, "Mirror Mirror" is considerably more gratuitous.

Director Marina Sargenti, who only has a small handful of credits to her name (all of them nineties television films and horror pictures) handles the material here very well. The film blends Gothic elements with an early '90s California sensibility, and the composition is surprisingly nice. The opening scene details a gruesome murder in the 1930s that takes place before the eponymous mirror, and occult elements pervade as its origins are uncovered.

Plot-wise, the film is nothing remotely original, and that may be its only significant downfall. Elements of "Carrie" and "The Boogeyman" abound, and the narrative progression is predictable to say the least. The upside is that the material is handled with much more sophistication than a film like this demands, and the horror creeps in, growing more and more violent as Megan's powers grow stronger and stronger. Great performances elevate the film above standard teen horror fodder as well; Rainbow Harvest (gotta love that name) plays the Gothic, "Beetlejuice"-era Winona Ryder character. We also have performances from veterans Karen Black as Megan's boozy Beverly Hills mother, and Yvonne De Carlo as the inquisitive estate handler; both Black and De Carlo's presences are welcome and they handle these supporting roles with considerable class.

Overall, "Mirror Mirror" is a well-made snapshot of late eighties-early nineties teen horror that is entertaining and thoughtfully made. While it lacks originality and could be heavier on stylistic flair, I appreciated the film as a time capsule for an in-between era of the horror genre as it transitioned from the celebrated eighties slasher to the onslaught of a nineties new wave. 7/10.