Product Details

• Actors: Fred Ward, David Warner, Julianne Moore, Clancy Brown, Alexandra Powers
• Directors: Martin Campbell
• Writers: Joseph Dougherty
• Producers: Gale Anne Hurd, Ginny Nugent
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Hbo Home Video
• VHS Release Date: August 21, 2001
• Run Time: 92 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302233941
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #101,860 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

A noir thriller set in 1948 L.A., pits Detective Harry Lovecraft against a cast of horrors in his search for a stolen book of ultimate mystical power. ' 'Imagine ?Who Framed Roger Rabbit?? with witches and zombies instead of toons.' ' (USA Today.) ' 'A great way to spend an evening.' ' (Entertainment Weekly)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars BRILLIANT AND HILARIOUS LOVECRAFT SPOOF, June 14, 2000

By 

no longer a customer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast a Deadly Spell [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Whether you are an "in the closet/out of the closet" Occultist, you'll love this film spoof of the occult in general, and HP Lovecraft in particular. The scene where Fred Ward has a conversation with a real estate agent who praises the fact that her homes are made with "the finest Thaumaturgy" and builder zombies falling in the background will split your gut...no pun intended. Anyone will enjoy this film; but Occultists will howl. Plus, Old Cthulhu never looked so good...

20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great way to blow an hour and a half, March 2, 2000

By 

Janis Cortese (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast a Deadly Spell [VHS] (VHS Tape)

It's not incisive or heavy and it won't inspire debate, but this movie is an absolute blast nonetheless, and a nice illustration of the fact that a movie doesn't have to be vapid pablum to work as light, fun, happy entertainment. Even the violence isn't anywhere near as gory as it could have been. In general, you'll hit the rewind button 90 minutes after starting the film and be pretty pleased at the way you just spent those 90 minutes.

The story is engaging and fun, Fred Ward (who I've had a soft spot for ever since "The Right Stuff") is perfect as the inexplicably sexy roadworn gumshoe, perfect casting. David Warner plays his standard "Hi, I'm Bob Evil" type of role and does a lovely job at it.

This could have been a lot schlockier than it was if it hadn't been played so straight, but as it is, with the actors playing it *absolutely* straight, you get to enjoy the movie on a variety of levels: just suspending your disbelief and letting yourself fall into the story, and enjoying the general fun of watching it all played so straight. One little wink at the camera would have ruined it.

It's called a comedy, but I'm not sure it is -- it's just that the way the film comes together just has you chuckling out of delight more than laughter.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Marvelous Mystic Film Noir, June 15, 2006

By 

Spikewriter (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cast a Deadly Spell [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is definitely a parody of both the paranormal genre and classic hardboiled detectives, but it is done with tremendous style and grace. From the landlady who puts a spell on the cards she gives Fred Ward so they always come up first when he reaches for one of his own to the casual assumption that everyone in Hollywood uses magic, this an entertaining film worth seeing if you catch it on TV.

It'd be better if the geniuses at HBO would release it on DVD because I'd snatch it up in a minute.