| Witchboard (1986) Dir: Kevin S. Tenney Cast: Todd Allen, Tawny Kitaen, Stephen Nichols, Kathleen Wilhoite Rated R, Approx: 98 minutes Anchor Bay Entertainment DVD |
| Witchboard is the type of horror film that you could refer to as a �sleeper�. It�s not entirely well known, but those who�ve seen it typically speak highly of it (I can still recall a bunch of kids in my sixth grade class raving about how creepy this is) and surprisingly, it�s also far better written and produced than many, many films coming out of the horror floodgates of the mid to late 1980s!
Personally, I think it was an excellent idea to make a horror film that�s centered on the use of the Ouija board. I could be ruining my credibility in the eyes of readers but I�ll take the risk and say that I can�t recall another horror film that revolves around those creepy things! I�m sure that many people can drum up a story or two about their own personal experiences with a Ouija, either a story from your own experience, or something really scary that happened to a friend of a friend. Either way, I think that�s one of the reasons that writer/director Kevin S. Tenney�s film strikes such a chord with many viewers. Tenney exploits the fear of the unknown in this film and he does it so very well through three central characters that it�s pretty hard not to get involved with the movie. The premise of Witchboard is rather simple; an evil and angry spirit comes through a Ouija board and takes possession of an unsuspecting person. Tenney�s film is given much more weight in giving his characters a chance to develop beyond the standard victims. Jim (Todd Allen) and Linda (Tawny Kitaen) are a young couple who have separate history with Brandon Sinclair (Stephen Nichols). With Jim, they were once best friends and with Linda, they used to be lovers. One night at a party, Brandon brings over a Ouija board and talks Linda into using it with him. Linda gradually becomes more and more obsessed with the board and the initially harmless and friendly spirit becomes increasingly violent and sadistic. It falls on Jim and Brandon to cast aside all of their differences (and in Jim�s case, his many skepticisms) and try and find a solution to the possession as a body count begins to pile up and Linda becomes increasingly dangerous. Thanks to the writing, Witchboard is a pretty solid little movie. It makes you care about the characters and keeps you in the dark regarding exactly what is happening in the story only feeding you little bits and pieces at a time. I�m not saying that the plot is mind blowing, but it does keep your interest and makes you want to keep watching. Under Tenney�s direction, there are also quite a few funhouse-style jumps and jolts. There�s nothing profoundly scary happening here, but all the same, watch this one loud and you�ll probably pop out of your seat more than once. If this one makes any detrimental mistakes, it�s because too many of its scare scenes are staged during broad daylight. There are at least two scenes in this film that squander away so much potential because of this (the dock scene near the climax is probably hurt the most). It�s a shame really because firstly, the supernatural malevolence in this film always gives off a sense that our characters really aren�t safe no matter where they go, so the tension is always there, at least in little quantities. Secondly, nearly everything else in the movie hits the mark. I don�t want it to sound like these daylight scenes ruin an otherwise particularly fine film; it�s just that it could�ve been so much more. In the lead Todd Allen is a pretty good actor. At first, the character is a little too abrasive but once it�s revealed exactly what the chip on his shoulder is regarding, I found him to be a satisfying lead. Stephen Nichols is an amiable second leading man even if he has a slight tendency for overacting (the back of the DVD states that he was a soap opera actor so that explains it), I still found him to be an enjoyable character in the film and really liked his part. Tawny Kitaen looks great and does a fine job as well, and as an added bonus, we even get a little nudity courtesy of a needless shower scene (not that I�m complaining). Followed by two sequels (Witchboard 2: The Devil�s Doorway & Witchboard: The Possession) of varying quality (Kevin Tenney returned to direct part 2 and from what I recall, it was pretty good), this one holds up fairly well almost twenty years after its release. Fans of 80s horror will find much to enjoy, but maybe even the more skeptical among you will appreciate the well written script and find it light years ahead of what Hollywood is putting into the genre today. |
| Matt's Rating: ***1/2 out of 5 |
| Reviewed By Matt Serafini 08/26/05 |
 |
| Click on my friend to email me |