Witchboard (1987)

Could have been so much more

This is a supposed 80s classic. An 80s classic that never appeared on my radar until recently. I'm not disappointed with the movie too much but I felt it didn't live up to its full potential. Therefore in my mind, slightly missing classic status.

The main characters threw a party and a Ouija board happens to come into play. They begin by speaking to a spirit and eventually angers him. Several weird occurences take place that lead to a few murders.

I came into this movie very excited to see it. For one, I love ghost stories and anything dealing with evil spirits. They are my second favorite in the horror genre. Second, I use to play the Ouija board. So, my expectations were very high. The first half of the film moved at a creepy pace for me. There were moments I was creeped out, especially when they made contact with the spirit. However, the film takes a turn and becomes more of a slasher. It no longer felt creepy enough to continue delivering a real ghost story. If I explain in more depth, I can easily add in big spoilers. Which I will not do.

Despite my minor gripes of the film. Witchboard does several things right. First the characters, the acting was very good and the main characters played their roles very convincingly. The delivery of the evil spirit was on point. Also, there is a good deal of character development. Something that is non existent in most horror films today. The story and plot is delivered very well with the added bonus of suspense. There's even a bit here for the gorehounds as well. The body count is fairly small with a rather huge impact.

Even though I felt it could have been better. Witchboard definitly has some redeeming qualities. Had Witchboard came out now, it would definitly be a welcomed breath of fresh air. Especially when compared to alot of the dime a dozen garbage constantly hitting the market these days. The biggest problem for me is Witchboard loses some of its punch in the closing rounds. June 18, 2008

A classic

I first saw this in the movie theatre circa 1987, and it has always been one of my favorite movies. Watching it again 20 years later, I can see that it hasn't lost any of its magic. The DVD contains a "making of" feature that's interesting, as well as commentary by the director/writer and producer.

The plot is pretty simple. The opening scene is a party, where someone suggests playing with a Ouija board. Not surprisingly, a spirit is contacted, and strange things began to happen. Tawny Kitaen, the main character, becomes "addicted" to the board and is soon possessed by an evil spirit. The ending is well-done and really cool. The acting from all of the characters is top-notch, and the effects are good. One of the best things about the movie is the actors make it work, making you care about the characters. Also, there are numerous "jumps" or "scares" that keep you on the edge of your seat throughout the movie.

Definitely a must-see for any horror fan, especially of supernatural-themed horror. February 22, 2008

Witchboard

This is a wonderful movie. It came out right when "Patch" was on Days of our lives. It was weird seeing him without the patch. Yum April 5, 2007

Formula time passer

Jack and Jill play spooky with an Ouija Board (that looks creepier as time slowly passes due to the director constantly exchanging boards to see if we notice.) Naturally they conjure up the wrong spirit. The spirit is a Jason want-a-be. We have the dumb cop that figures it out too late.

Of course no one stays in the car. You just have to axe-cept this film for what it is.

A side note is that the DVD has a commentary (10 years later) and the making of; that is if you finished the movie and are still interested.

Burn Witch Burn March 18, 2007

Tawny's ghost story!

Tawny Kitean is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous women ever to grace the big-screen. It is unfortunate that her movie output has not been greater than what it has been. She is a beautiful red-head and there are not TOO many actresses in Hollywood in that mold!

The present movie is about how things go wrong when you tamper with a Ouiji board. Poor Tawny plays a character who becomes obsessed and possessed more & more by the board. For what it is, it is an OK film.

IF it didn't have Tawny, this film would not be worth seeing. She looks fantastic with her late-80s style "big" hair. There is also a brief glimpse of her nude as she steps out of the shower. But, you better have your "pause" button on your DVD player ready as it is a very quick shot. March 10, 2006

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