Something Wicked This Way Comes

USA 1983
produced by
Peter Douglas for Bryna Productions, Walt Disney Productions
directed by Jack Clayton
starring Vidal Peterson, Shawn Carson, Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, Royal Dano, Mary Grace Canfield, Richard Davalos, Jake Dengel, Jack Dodson, Bruce M. Fisher, Ellen Geer, Pam Grier, Brendan Klinger, James Stacy, Angelo Rossitto, Peter Risch, Tim T. Clark, Jill Carroll, Tony Christopher, Sharan Lea, Scott De Roy, Sharon Ashe, Arthur Hill (voice)
screenplay by Ray Bradbury, based on his novel, music by James Horner, special effects by Stan Winston Studio, Harrison Ellenshaw (consultant)

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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In one of these unreal American villages out of a simpler and more innocent time that never was, where everybody knows (and loves) everybody, it's late summer all the time (and this film is set in October), and there is no problem that doesn't have a simple solution ... One day, Mr Dark's (Jonathan Pryce) carnival comes to town, and two nosey boys (Vidal Peterson, Shawn Carson) are especially fascinated by an out-of-order merry-go-round, but are chased away from it repeatedly. At the same time, people in town start disappearing, and somehow the boys find out that it has to do with the merry-go-round that has magical powers, apparently - and suddenly they find themselves on the run from Dark and company. What makes matters harder for the boys though is that none of the grown-ups believe the boys' stories about the magical merry-go-round, nobody but the old father (Jason Robards) of one of them, who soon figures the merry-go-round feeds on the guilt and deepest unfulfilled desires of those it gets hold of - and now dad has become a potential victim of the round-about himself, since he failed to save his son from drowning due to his age when the boy was little. Sure, the boy was saved by someone else, but ... anyways, eventually, it's the boys and dad versus Dark and his army of freaks - and guess who wins, saves his son's life and is thus able to overcome his guilt ... oops, have I given away too much? And do you even care?

Pam Grier is wasted in the role of as witch who has no influence on the film's narrative.

A very dull celebration of traditional American values, and the film's old-fashioned directorial style seems to perfectly mirror its conservative message. What's worse than all of this though is that the film is dead-boring, it takes simply forever to set up its feeble story while exposing us to all kinds of kitschy Americana, and when the story finally starts to move a bit, it never manages to build up enough tension to really keep one interested. And the finale seems to be nothing than a lifeless succession of special effects with no narrative value.

Really, nothing worth wasting more than 90 minutes with.

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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