L'ensorceleuse

Around the late 1980s, the ailing MGM studios made or acquired a number of movies that they didn't give much of (if any) a theatrical release. This pickup is one of them, and it's pretty easy to see why for several reasons. It's a pretty flat-looking movie for one thing - while it has elements that got it an "R" rating, aside from those elements the movie feels like it was made for television. The script has a number of problems as well. It does have an ending that is somewhat expected (though is somewhat hard to swallow when you think back of every event that happened before it), but most of the movie is a bunch of boring chat. Worse of all, actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is wasted, given only three or so brief scenes. A movie so unremarkable for the most part, one has to wonder why it was thought to be worth making.

If you liked "The Wicker Man", you'll love this tale of attraction, seduction and ultimate deception. By now, the "twist" ending won't even seem new to most horror/suspense fans, having seen something similar so many times before. It is nicely done, however, and there may still be a few people who are knocked off the couch when it happens. The old cliché "be careful what you wish for" has never been more apropos than in this story's case, and SPELLBINDER for its time was a lot better than most DTV movies had a right to be. Solid performances by all definitely help along a better-than-average script, and watch for that truly frightening performance by, of all people, AUDRA LINDLEY, (Mrs. Roper from THREE'S COMPANY and its spin off, THE ROPERS, for those of you too young to know or remember.) This one is long overdue for a nice, crisp DVD release, or even a remake!

Some of the commentators have ragged on this movie for it being predictable, and some parts of it are, but some parts of the ending really surprised me. Again, I saw this movie originally when I was about 19, so maybe what would be obvious now weren't so obvious to me back then. Anway, given the context of the late 80ies when Spellbinder was made there was all this talk about Satanism, most of which later proved to be just urban legend type of stuff, probably made the movie for me a little more spooky in the 80ies then say if someone just randomly saw it now. Anyways, the movie I thought had a pretty cool plot that had some surprises, the acting was good, Kelly Preston was hot, and the movie freaked me out a little back in the day, so I'm giving the movie 8 out 10 stars. I haven't found it on DVD yet, if I did I would buy it and add it to my collection.

Jeff Mills (Tim Daly) is a likable, good looking nice guy lawyer in L.A. who's tired of the dating scene. He chances to meet a gal named Miranda Reed (gorgeous Kelly Preston) in a parking lot one night, and brings her home to his pad, soon striking up a relationship with her. Unfortunately, his impulsiveness turns out to be a bad mistake, as Miranda's past then catches up with them. It turns out that she was part of a witches' coven, and that they "want her back" because they need a human sacrifice for the winter solstice, which is coming up. Blinded by his love for her, he goes out of his way to try to keep her safe, and to deal with her scummy associates, including Aldys (big haired Anthony Crivello) and the deceptively cheery Mrs. White (Audra "Mrs. Roper" Lindley).

The solid supporting cast of nicely chosen actors also features Diana Bellamy as Jeffs' loyal (and intuitive) secretary Grace, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as somber faced police detective Lt. Lee (an expert in occult related crimes), Julian Christopher, Kyle T. Heffner, and the amiable Rick Rossovich as Jeffs' circle of friends, and the very amusing M.C. Gainey as lively survivalist Brock. Overall, the movie is nothing special in terms of presentation, with competent but undistinguished direction by Janet Greek, but it does have its moments (the best occurs when a bunch of mysterious people gather at a window), and isn't totally without atmosphere. The story, written by Tracy Torme (son of Mel), who went on to script one more feature ("Fire in the Sky") and work for television series ranging from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' to 'Sliders' to 'Carnivale', is pretty absorbing, and does have some effective twists near the end.

It's a good movie in general, and is worth a look for 80s horror fans who want to check out everything that the decade has to offer.

Seven out of 10.

"Spellbinder," set in Los Angeles in the late 1980s, is one of the most intelligent horror films of the second half of the 20th century, and one of the very best made in the 1980s. Tim Daly plays Jeff Mills, a decent, hardworking, old-fashioned lawyer from the midwest who believes he'll never find love. One night, he rescues a beautiful woman (Kelly Preston) from being beaten up by her boyfriend. Falling under her spell, Jeff is plunged into a world of witchcraft (no political correctness here)and Satanic cults, with an ending that will haunt you long after the television has been switched off. The acting in this film is superb (Audra Lindley's performance as Miranda's terrifying mother alone is worth the price of this rental). Due in large part to the wonderful script and story, "Spellbinder" succeeds in perfectly walking that fine line between classic horror and psychological horror. I can't recommend this film highly enough. If ever a film deserved wider exposure, it's this one. I can't wait for the DVD.