Product Details

• Actors: Julian Sands, Lori Singer, Richard E. Grant, Mary Woronov, Kevin O'Brien
• Directors: Steve Miner
• Writers: David Twohy
• Producers: Steve Miner, Arnold Kopelson, Brian Yuzna, Michael Fottrell
• Format: Closed-captioned, Color, EP, NTSC
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Vidmark / Trimark
• VHS Release Date: April 22, 1997
• Run Time: 103 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (49 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6304407092
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #305,170 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Clever and original, this horror film directed by Steve Miner (Forever Young) stars Julian Sands as a 17th century warlock who escapes the gallows and is transported--along with the witch hunter who brought him to trial (Richard E. Grant)--300 years into the future. Running loose in contemporary Los Angeles, Sands's supernatural monster sets about reuniting the scattered portions of a Devil's Book that will reveal the true name of God and thus destroy mankind. In a great twist, the last bit of the book is in a very interesting place: the grave of Grant's character, who has enlisted the aid of a woman (Lori Singer) in a hurried effort to stop imminent disaster. Genuinely involving, Warlock is aided immeasurably by sharp performances from the equally eccentric Grant (Withnail and I) and Sands (Naked Lunch). Miner invents his way through a kind of simultaneously new and old horror tale, and the results are taut, fun, and surprising. The DVD release features Spanish and French subtitles, cast and crew information, and 2.0 Dolby surround sound. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 16th century visions of witchcraft brought to life, February 8, 2004

By 

Bradford Daniels (Redmond, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Warlock (DVD)

First, this is a really fun movie. It's not too horribly gross, (except maybe for the scene with the tongue), and it's not very creepy, or too scary, It's also not at all a comedy, though it is a bit tongue-in-cheek (in more ways than one). It's just, well... Fun!

If you've ever read any books about witchcraft, or seen old woodcuts of people's visions of witchcraft during the 16th century, you'll recognize the themes and images in this film. You'll get the witch hunter holding onto the flying warlock with a rope, nails being driven into footprints, the whole bit... And you really should look up the traditional main ingredient of the infamous flying ointment before watching.

This film works from the premise that everything in the old witchcraft books is literally true, and it plays out in a very entertaining, visually distinctive way. It was well-researched enough to really make the premise work, without being so slavish as to detract from the plot. The warlock is every bit as evil as the old books would have it, and is most definitely in league with The Devil Himself.

And I've got to say it: Julian Sands is just plain COOL.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good, very twisted, February 10, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Warlock [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Julian Sands plays an evil warlock, who has been supernaturally flung into the future from his home in Boston of 1691. His "future" is modern Los Angeles, about the year 1987. He is searching, with demonic guidance, for the Grand Grimoire, an unholy old book that he hopes will help him attain the Satanic power necessary to destroy the world. In Los Angeles, out of pure random malice, he puts a rapid-aging hex on Lori Singer, who plays the carefree, twenty year old Kassandra. This hex causes her to age twenty years a day, and provides personal motivation for her to find and stop Sands... Richard E. Grant plays the godly witch-hunter, Redfern, who is sworn to stop Sands, and has followed him to modern times. Grant and Singer team up, and must track Sands all the way back across the country, from L.A. to Boston.

For all I know, Julian Sands could be a warm, humane kindergarten teacher or faith healer in the real world, but in this movie he just exudes evil. In a lot of movies, the bad guy, while clearly being BAD, at least has a certain personal style that makes him fun to watch. Think of Jack Nicholson in "The Shining," or the way audiences cheer for Freddy Krueger. In this movie, the warlock is never exactly "fun" to watch, he's just pure, sick evil. Perhaps this reflects a decision on the part of the director, writer, or maybe Sands himself, for some artistic reason. It does have the effect of intensifying the viewers' sympathy for Singer and Grant. It also, I suspect, makes a viewer actually understand how real people thought about witches, and feared them, hundreds of years ago... All you can think is "this sicko must be stopped."

That said, this is an interesting, well-shot film, with a lot of cool old settings. I just want to ask -- what is the deal with all these time travellers from the past and future converging on L.A.? "Warlock," "The Terminator," "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," "Encino Man"... they should all get together in some cheapo Roger Corman movie and form a rock band, like Tonto, Tarzan and Frankenstein on "Staurday Night Live."

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic is a classic! and this is CLASSic, February 18, 2007

By 

That Review Guy (Earth.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Warlock (DVD)

when you have Ricahrd E. Grant as the Good Guy Hunting Julian Sands (as of course the Warlock) to which he plays the part as if it was Made For Him. I am Not Kidding i believed he belonged in all of the warlock movies but sadly someone in casting always has a "better idea" NOT! anyway this flic is about grant as the hunter after the warlock for a multitude of reasons including the loss of his sweet marion. well the hunter (grant) meets a modern day gal (think 80"s skate chick) and wham perfect mix for horror comedy and even some really interesting special effects such as the 3 parts of the Grand Grimoire that all Warlocks Covet for it is the book that can render the weilder almost unkillable and able to undo creation itself! so watch this (lil slow in the early parts- Not the beginning) action packed thriller and enjoy it like you would have in the times when you believed in magic and go for another magical ride mainly for adults. no nudity thankfully little gore and quite a bit of "evil" in the movie. id rate it tv- 13 by todays standings. its ok to say satan in church but not movies? cmon n lighten up hehe.