Witch Hunt (1994 TV Movie) User Reviews

Witch Hunt Mixed Bag

[CitizenCaine · 6/10 · 14 November 2009]

Paul Schrader directed this made for cable film for writer Joseph Dougherty, who also wrote the original film Cast A Deadly Spell to which this film is a sequel. Dennis Hopper, an oddball actor if ever there was one, stars as a private detective in this oddball film about 1950's Hollywood, McCarthyism, crooked politics, and the hypocrisy surrounding it all. Hopper investigates the murder of a woman's husband while everyone around him utilizes magic of some sort. He consults with a seer who points him in the right direction, and the seer, in turn, winds up on trial for being a witch. The gag being everyone else seems to be using magic as a means to an end.

The film stars Penelope Ann Miller as Kim Hudson whose husband is...ah... murdered in a most unorthodox fashion. Hopper, as H. Phillip Lovecraft, is on the case investigating when a parallel plot with politician Eric Bogosian unfolds. Viewers end up with an uneven allegory of the times portrayed. The highlights of the film are the art and set direction, despite some of their anachronistic elements, the costumes, and the dialog. The Noir-like touches are nothing new for Schrader, but the comedic dialog (complete with Hollywood in-jokes) is definitely new and interesting territory for a Paul Schrader film. The film is above average for cable television, has several sight gags, clever scenes, and laugh out loud moments, but it ultimately loses some steam before the fadeout. **1/2 of 4 stars.

innovative spin on film noir

[Jonny_Numb · 6/10 · 6 June 2003]

"Witch Hunt" is an ideal TV-movie strengthened by the tiny aspects that make it whole. The humor is offbeat and effective; the attention to color and set design is wonderfully evocative of the 1950s; the musical score (by David Lynch mainstay Angelo Badalamenti) sets an appropriate mood; and the well-shaded, blackly humorous performances are something else. The story combines a film noir attitude with the popularity of magic in Hollywood, and a McCarthyesque politician trying to put a stop to it. Granted, the plot seems to get too complicated near the end, but the commitments of Dennis Hopper, Penelope Ann Miller, Julian Sands, and especially the reptilian Eric Bogosian elevate "Witch Hunt" above your standard rental fare. Worth a look.

6/10

"If God doesn't strike down Hollywood, then he owes Sodom and Gomorrah an apology!"

[Bored_Dragon · 6/10 · 8 July 2020]

In a world where magic is a part of everyday life, a private detective who refuses to use magic tries to solve a murder, while a corrupt senator organizes a witch hunt, including public burnings.

An unusual fantasy-noir, with a dose of humor that seriously flirts with comedy, comes from the pen of Joseph Dougherty, as a sequel to "Cast a Deadly Spell" (1991), but apart from the basic premise, two films have nothing in common and, although the author is the same, the story is much weaker, and the whole film is worse in every aspect. Dennis Hopper replaces Fred Ward in the lead role, but although I appreciate him as an actor, he did not suit me as a detective Harry Phillip Lovecraft. Penelope Ann Miller is just a pale shadow of Julianne Moore, and the only actor who made some impression in this movie is Julian Sands, although it's not one of his better ones either.

Still, the interesting use of magic and acceptable effects, pleasant music, and a light relaxed atmosphere (which should not fit with mystery, noir, and thriller as genre determinants) make "Witch Hunt" a decent pastime for one viewing.

6/10

Wonderfully Weird w/ a Message

[luludavis · 27 November 2004]

This film was a pleasant surprise. The mixture of historical set design, good plot and political satire was refreshing in an age where everything political is

hammered home in a pedantic monotone. Sheryl Lee Ralph was excellent and

her dynamic presence begs the questions as to why aren't there more black

females playing prominent roles in movies that have nothing to do with gangs

and drugs. Dennis Hopper was actually playing a character instead of playing

himself as he usually does. Julian sands was his slick and sinister self. I don't know why he wasn't chosen for the role of Lestat instead of Tom Cruise. Eric

Bogosian was awesome as the corrupt politician. The special effects were great in that they were not like the CGI crap of recent films. They were old fashioned special effects in that they were not added to make the unreal look real but to make the unreal look...well, unreal. I recommend this film for all fans of

Hollywood nostalgia, costume-period pieces and political commentary.

A Disappointment

[Gislef · 5/10 · 19 August 1998]

Not nearly as good as its predecesoor. Fred Ward, Arnetia Walker, and Charles Halloran are sorely missed - couldn't the producers hire back any of them?? Only Julian Sands really brings much that is interesting and new to this new sequel. Dennis Hopper is badly miscast, and generally you wonder why they even bothered. It's enjoyable, but loses a point or two just by failing so badly compared to the original.

Witch Hunt & Cast a Deadly Spell .

[monaclej · 7/10 · 24 December 2005]

I enjoyed these 2 movies on cable a decade or so ago and still think fondly of them, as they were good fun. I wish they would be released on DVD but doubt that will happen as only 1 of them seems to be available (on tape) as of now.

They were 2 in a pair made by HBO pictures if I remember rightly the first,"Cast a Deadly Spell" with Fred Ward in the lead role of "Private Detective Harry Philip Lovecraft" , and the second,"Witch Hunt" with Dennis Hopper playing the part Staged in the 1940's period ala "Sam Spade" and Joe McCarthy(The Commie crazy freak) in Hollywood where those who can use magic for their own benefit (read that as enriching their own careers and bank accounts) our hero is once bitten twice shy about using magic as it could backfire on the wielder as he learned earlier in time before these stories.

I enjoyed the assorted characters and situations and both actors played the part well though I must admit I've been fond of Fred Ward since the movie "Remo Williams" so I rather learn towards his portrayal of the role.

An abject corruption of the fun that was Cast a Deadly Spell

[siderite · 4/10 · 17 May 2015]

The more I think about it, the lower I want to rate this movie. Luckily, four stars out of ten is the lowest I can go before a movie becomes interestingly bad. Witch Hunt has no redeeming qualities whatsoever.

I watched this film because it was the sequel to a Lovecraft inspired detective comedy called Cast a Deadly Spell. It was campy and weird, but I liked it a lot and I found it kept the right proportion between fun and respect of the source, as well as having some original ideas that made it really entertaining.

Somehow, the studios decided to make a sequel and Witch Hunt is what they came with. The production qualities were bad, making the movie feel sloppy and low budget. The director was so horrible that Dennis Hopper came off as a bad actor. The story was written by the same guy that wrote the first film so I have no idea why this one was so lame. They removed almost all traces of fun from it, trying to make it more serious, but ended up sucking the soul from the movie until nothing was left.

Bottom line: one of the weakest sequels of all time and a complete waste of time as a movie. The only Lovecraft inspiration is the name of the main detective. The acting is bad, the direction is abysmal and the production qualities are like they intended this film to never be made.

One of the most enjoyable made for cable movies

[irishnyc · 7/10 · 29 November 2003]

This movie is one that I watch everytime it comes on cable, hopper is good in it as is penolope ann miller, it has great sets and mood and is offbeat enough to help start a trend that lead to all the good cable movies and series we are now accustomed to... (soprano's carnivale, six feet under etc)

clever sequel crushed by lame 'message'

[mcgrew · 4/10 · 2 April 2010]

A sequel to the excellent "Cast a Deadly Spell", this movie has a larger budget (so gets pricier actors and much better effects), but is hobbled by its 'message', which is pounded into the audience through the last half of the movie with all the subtlety of a hobnail boot.

Hollywood, see, believes that there were never any commies in Hollywood, ever. Anyone who says so is nuts. They've built this mythology about themselves so completely that scripts like this get written. Here, Eric Bogosian - apparently believing himself to be channeling Robin Williams - shouts and oozes across the screen as the big evil hypocrite (who literally has the cool dude he hates/wants to be inside himself) making de-dam sure you understand that he is supposed to represent Joe McCarthy and anyone who thought like him, and they were evil, evil, evil, and evil. And also evil. And that anyone caught in their gaze was innocent precisely because they were under that gaze. If you don't get that, don't worry. It will be repeated in various forms for most of the movie. But once Bogosian is on the screen, you can mute the TV and go get a drink, because it'll be more of that. I suppose the movie's makers kept giggling to themselves about the subtlety of their story, in which 'commies' are substituted by 'witches' and 'magic' is 'communism' so well hidden that the audience will most certainly be enticed into learning more about history since this will tease their interest in the period. You betcha.

It's too bad, really, because there's another tough-guy private eye murder story (which might have been as good as the one in "Cast") trying very hard to get out, but is hammered back into the background whenever the message is needed to be paraded to the helpless audience. Alas. Hunt up "Cast a Deadly Spell" instead. Its better all around.

The Vidiot Reviews...

[capone666 · 6/10 · 11 January 2018]

Witch Hunt

In a world where magic is real puffy shirts and sequin pants are acceptable apparel.

Nevertheless, the 1950s detective in this fantasy-thriller plays to stereotype.

Set in an alternate reality where magic is an every day occurrence and horror movie monsters walk among us, an overzealous senator (Eric Bogosian) holds McCarthyesque trials on magic use in Hollywood.

While working on a case for the wife (Penelope Ann Miller) of a murdered movie mogul, magic abstaining private investigator Lovecraft (Denis Hopper) becomes embroiled in the senator's witch hunts when he employs a seerer for the case who is later sentenced to death by the commission.

Hardboiled scribe Paul Schrader's follow-up to HBO's Cast a Deadly Spell, this red scare allegory is a worthy successor to the 1991 made for cable movie, despite its recasting and altering of the main character's retcon.

Moreover, any attempt to use magic in the real world would be halted by J.K. Rowling's lawyers. Yellow Light

vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Not Bad But Not So Good

[blurnieghey · 5/10 · 12 September 2022]

This is one of those movies that tries to do a lot but doesn't do a lot of it well. First, you have this "alternate history" thing going on which is usually a tough sell. Then we have the ham-fisted attempt to tie in witchcraft with McCarthyism and it just doesn't work at all. Actually, in "real" history, McCarthy was on the right track and backed off when he started getting to the top if the pyramid, but we're not going to get into that. I assume the witchcraft references seen throughout the movie were based on real witchcraft and I found this element to be the most interesting, but it certainly isn't enough to carry this weird, misaligned attempt at a detective flick. It's a strange movie and not a bad movie, either, but it just doesn't work on any level. It's worth watching and, as a guy who likes watching bad movies, there is some unintended interest in watching how they tried to glue all of this together and make it work. Easy to see how this thing was a fail with the general public but worth checking out.

Loads of fun--great performances

[auctionmaestra · 8/10 · 6 June 2009]

I have seen this flic a few times and have enjoyed it thoroughly each time. Great supporting performances. I liked Dennis Hopper in this, although I missed Fred Ward from the first one. Penelope Ann Miller was perfectly cast as well. Valerie Mahaffey and Sheryl Lee Ralph were great also. The special effects do not take over the picture, but are imaginative (the mirror effect)and the magical theory is well thought out and consistent. This is just an enjoyable urban fantasy featuring an alternate history (my favorite genre) of the U.S. in which magic is routinely practices and the social reprecussions spur a McCarthy-like reaction. Diverting and enjoyable.

A bizzare magical noir parody about McCarthyism?

[Jithindurden · 6/10 · 31 October 2023]

A bizarre movie that for the most part wasn't very impressive but the things it got right were so good for me. It plays out like a film noir set in an alternative 1950s Hollywood filled with magic, paving the way to an old-fashioned Witch Hunt instead of the McCarthy-led one that happened in real life. Being a noir with all these things going on just feels like a parody that is not really funny for most of the runtime. But more than simply being funny it does manage to criticize a lot of the American way of stuff even though it's very very obvious anyway. But the movie made it believable that if the world was like that, the events in this movie could very well occur. Along with that, a lot of very weird choices that really don't lead to anything in the film actually kept my interest throughout the film even though the central plot itself was kind of boring to me. So, in a contrived way, they did manage to engage me and convey some messages, even with all the intentional weirdness and the noir parody tone and acting of the movie.

Fun little detective story mixed with magic.

[Kai-18 · 16 January 2000]

Dennis Hopper is good in this decent murder mystery with an interesting twist and yet another shot at McCarthey-ism (not enough films like that, I just don't like that McCarthy guy). Anyway the characters are good and though the FX aren't big budget they are used with originality. Fun movie with some good moments (like the zombie, lateral movement thing). And it's a nice time killer too.

Good Movie

[mckinney129 · 8/10 · 13 June 2006]

All ways thought that it was an entertaining movie, kind of odd to see Denis hopper in it, but then again, that is what made me watch it in the first place. Cool little noir and magic story set against the 50's Hollywood back drop.

So if you want to enjoy a different little movie staring Denis Hopper, check this movie out. It really is decent, nothing to spectacular, and certainly nothing to write home about. Perhaps, just turn to the person next to ya, and tell them about it, maybe you'll all like it?

If not, sorry bout' ya, cause ya should, its kind of a decent movie. Denis Hoppers self proclaimed "Strangest role."

Disappointing and dull.

[Infofreak · 1 July 2003]

I loved 'Cast A Deadly Spell' but this sequel is a stinker. Same writer so it's difficult to say what went wrong this time around but 'Witch Hunt' has none of the wit or fun of the original, and the parallels with McCarthyism are trite and obvious. As a horror movie it fails, as a film noir it fails and as a comedy it fails. I watched again recently in case I had unfairly dismissed it and I found it so dull and unentertaining I could hardly be bothered watching it til the end. How Paul Schrader of all people ended up directing this is beyond me! Maybe he just needed the money... Anyway, I'm sure he tries to forget it ever happened. It's easily his least interesting movie. I'm a big Dennis Hopper fan but he is miscast and looks very uncomfortable. Maybe Fred Ward might have been able to save this one, I don't know. The supporting cast is below par too - Penelope Anne Miller instead of Julianne Moore and Julian Sands instead of David Warner - there's no contest. I would suggest you forget about watching this and rent 'Cast A Deadly Spell' instead.

Lovecraft has spoken!

[ddukart · 8/10 · 12 January 2007]

This one didn't rate as high as the first one (Cast a Deadly Spell), but it was still a great film. Dennis Hopper is always a great actor and does the lead role, very well in this movie.

A comedy version of the Lovecraftian mythos, this film really delivers what fans of this genre and fans of HPL are looking for.

The guys who have made (cough cough)screen plays of HPL's works should take lessons from this film and the first one (HIRE REAL ACTORS DUMMIES!) If you like horror/comedy, are a HPL fan. or just want to rent something, but all the new releases you wanted to see are already out, get this film and the first one.

It gets 5 tentacles and two pincers up WITH a bit of insane piping on the elder god-o-meter

Brilliant, Under-Rated, Under-Appreciated, Fantasy...

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 12 November 2013]

Looking at the votes, one has to wonder not only whether those that saw this film actually understood it, and whether the distributor made an effort to encourage viewers in the first place. Not every "high concept" or fantasy film will turn into a classic, but, to this reviewer's tired eyes, this one did. Set in some sort of parallel universe where magic is possible (the viewer becomes comfortable with the premise, painlessly, seamlessly and within moments) this is a clever riff on the Bogie/Marlowe detective story, complete with voice-over, with a cherry-and-sprinkles sci-fi topper. The performances are nothing less than brilliant and you have to wonder, if this had been a mainstream production, whether they would still have been so badly ignored? Hopper does what might be the best job in his career, actually carrying the film, in a role similar to Jack Nicholson in Chinatown. Bogosian -- he of the distinctive voice -- left us a very small film legacy, but this one portrayal alone should live on in the film archive for some time to come. Julian Sands arrives late in the film but makes the most of his screen time, presenting one of the most pleasant villains since the Bond days. And, like Hopper, Penelope Ann Miller delivers what could be the best role of her career as a larger-than-life individual who made hard sacrifices to get that way. Recommended, and tell your friends. This film deserves more than it got.

Excellent movie!

[FiendishDramaturgy · 8/10 · 27 October 2003]

This is not just an entertaining little movie. This also serves as a warning not to let any government become involved in the religious choices of its citizens. On that front, this is a very aesthetic approach.

But on with the movie review.

Dennis Hopper and Julian Sands. What more could you ask?

In a world where magick is mundane; a normal, every day, common joe detective (Hopper) attempts to solve a murder mystery without the use of magick. With the assistance of a clairvoyant and her associates, our hero faces the dark use of magick, zombies, intrigue, and outright treachery; head on.

I love this movie. It's fun, intelligently witty, and even gritty at times. Sands is the perfect weasel, and Hopper is a seriously gifted talent.

Somehow, this movie kind of reminded me of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," although there were no "toons." See it for yourself and maybe *you* can explain that.

It rates an 8/10 from...

the Fiend :.

I liked it

[fsronce · 8/10 · 20 March 2000]

The style is very different from the original movie, "Cast a Deadly Spell", but I liked it better. The magic is stylish and the plot's not as predictable as the original. It's somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but still very entertaining.

Fun

[sadie_m_lady · 10/10 · 29 October 2021]

Most excellent witchcraft and voodoo fun quite a good Dennis Hopper movie love it.

Penelope is fun and twisted it's a great story that again is not available to rent or buy.

Brilliant

[xwagner-26993 · 10/10 · 28 May 2019]

Smart, funny, original. Dennis Hopper is sensational as a 50s gumshoe. This movie is a treasure.

Genuine horror missing from this effort

[CurtM · 5 April 1999]

Viewer beware of Witch Hunt. This movie begins as an oddball story about Hollywood types practising magic as a hobby in the mid-50's. Then the Eric Bogosian character shows up and we have, ta-da, an allegory of the 1950's hunt for Communist Party members in Tinseltown! Under the name of Sen. Larson Crockett, he convenes the House Unnatural Activities Committee and proceeds to root out magicians who have infiltrated Hollywood. (Query: Exactly how does a US Senator end up chairing a House Subcommittee hearing?) This sorry story line dominates the whole movie leaving little time (or reason) for genuine horror. I was thoroughly annoyed with this subterfuge because it is a political drama, not a horror story. As I said, viewer beware.