IMDb RATING
6.4/10
5.3K
YOUR RATING
In a fantastical 40's where magic is used by everyone, a hard-boiled detective investigates the theft of a mystical tome.In a fantastical 40's where magic is used by everyone, a hard-boiled detective investigates the theft of a mystical tome.In a fantastical 40's where magic is used by everyone, a hard-boiled detective investigates the theft of a mystical tome.
- Won 1 Primetime Emmy
- 1 win & 3 nominations total
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Featured review
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.
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaHBO produced a sequel, entitled Chasseur de sorcières (1994), which takes place in the 1950s during the red scare (magic is substituted for communism). Dennis Hopper played Lovecraft, in place of Fred Ward. Many characters reappear from this film, though some have different backstories.
- Goofs(Possibly intentional?) The handwritten spell (that leads to the creation of the oatmeal monster), written by Tugwell, varies every time it is shown. Even the kind of paper seems to be different in some shots. Most strikingly, it varies in handwriting style, boldness of the ink and the nature of the characters. In some shots, the third character looks like a Greek delta while in other shots it looks like a D. Another letter shifts from a [ to a C to an E and back again. The character named Lovecraft calls them runes, but generously speaking no more than half of the characters could possibly be runes.
- Crazy creditsUnicorn Wrangler: Hollywood Animals
- ConnectionsFollowed by Chasseur de sorcières (1994)
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Language
- Also known as
- Cast a Deadly Spell
- Filming locations
- Ambassador Hotel - 3400 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, California, USA(night club scene)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $6,000,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 36 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Détective Philippe Lovecraft (1991) officially released in India in English?
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