Witches' Brew

WITCHES BREW was hyped in the early 80's by the same horror fanzines that hyped SATURDAY THE 14th. OK, so I can't help it. This is a pretty lame flick.

And Teri Garr is in it. Granted, she is all right in small doses. Overbearing, yes. Annoying, yes. But she was good in last year's DICK. I can't really pick on her too much (Dave Letterman takes care of that for me).

This film has a few effects around the silly housewife hijinks, and those said effects are of the Q variety. At least the gargoyle's supposed to be made of clay.

Still, I haven't seen this picture in years, mostly by choice. It is an unmemorable, and thoroughly draining, viewing experience.

Three modern-day housewives casually use witchcraft to further their husbands' careers. Only one of the couples, Teri Garr and Richard Benjamin, are nicely-matched (brightly-zonked Garr can make any screen-partner look good), but this sloppy comedic rendering of 1944's "Weird Woman" (and its popular remake, 1962's "Burn, Witch, Burn") had a troubled production that shows its seams on-screen. Poorly written, directed, photographed and edited, the film served as the final bow for actress Lana Turner (in a throwaway role as sort of a matriarch witch) and should be justly forgotten. NO STARS from ****

The only reasons I watched "Witches' Brew" is that it is Lana Turner's last film and it was free to watch on YouTube. It turned out to be a strange but watchable movie...but a really weird film for Turner (who is 59, though she appears to be about 70).

A group of women have a strange 'hobby'. They've been practicing witchcraft in order to help their husbands' careers at the nearby university. One of them learns about this and it's not surprising that Professor Lightman (Richard Benjamin) is upset at his wife's behaviors...especially since he's a psychology professor. So, his wife (Teri Garr) wants to teach him a lesson and she removes all her charms on him...and soon his life starts falling apart. But the problem is MUCH worse than either anticipate, as the leader of this coven (Turner) is intent on doing something very evil. What? Watch the film.

This is a decent time-passer, though I wish they'd either chosen to make it much more serious or more of a comedy. Instead, it's a bit of both and could have been better. The ending is also really, really cheesy. Still, it's a one of a kind sort of movie and if you're looking for something different, it is very, very different.

This was a successful scary but funny flick for kids between 8 and 14 years of age. Teri Garr is an excellent actress. If there was ever a Bewitched character to replace Montgomery, Garr would have been perfect. This film is something to remember, is funny, and in its time, it was fun to watch. Today's movies, sure, somebody rents it and of course it's cheesy. Check out Rocky 1. Check out Star Wars 1. Great movies then, but today, they play like a radio on while you focus on fixing the car out in the garage or cutting the lawn. This movie is fun and I give it 6 out of 10. It is a classic to slapstick horror. The other characters in the movie are interesting.

Silliness about a group of faculty wives using witchcraft to advance their husbands careers. Picks up and drops ideas willy-nilly although it isn't completely without an ultimate goal. But the picture becomes increasingly ridiculous as it progresses.

Odd to see gifted comedienne Teri Garr in such as this, although it is played initially with a light touch. She's not bad but it doesn't play to her strengths, she was however still working her way up so probably taking whatever was offered. She's also a peculiar match with Richard Benjamin, who spends what seems an inordinate part of the movie in various states of undress, their styles don't mesh very well.

This was Lana Turner's cinematic screen swan song. While its not the horrifying train wreck that some Golden Age stars, Joan Crawford, Veronica Lake etc., were subjected to it's hardly the sort of film a legendary star should be exiting the stage in. She does look glamorous throughout until script dictates strip her of her trappings, an oasis of pizazz in a sea of slack suits.

Worth catching for the two lead actresses if you're a fan of either but strictly a mediocrity.