Waste of time

Most undeservingly overhyped movie of all time??

Best movie ever!

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

They don't come any more chewy and fun than HBO's made for TV presentation "Cast a Deadly Spell", which sees a gruffly amusing Fred Ward playing Philip Lovecraft… a crusty private eye within the 1940s, which sees everybody using magic in their daily lives but Lovecraft is the only one not to take advantage of it. A job pops up for Lovecraft when he's hired to track down a stolen book; the Necronomicon - Book of the dead.A colourful, rich blend of homage's to H.P Lovecraft's horror work (in-jokes abound), Hollywood monsters and that of 1940s film-noir, hard-boiled crime fills every inch of space. The old-fashion material manages to blend them rather well. Zombies, gargoyles and witches… oh my. That's only a few of the monsters too. But then chuck in the traditional; dames, gangsters and cops. Magic is the key ingredient for all of this to work. Well Fred Ward is picture-perfect for the role, making it hard to resist. He's grounded no-bull approach always remained amusing, while everyone else was dabbling with the supernatural in some way. There's a real goofy charm to it all, as never does it takes itself seriously. For a made to TV production, it's lavished with perfect period details and appealingly crafty visual effects / monster make-up. Some visuals had that deliciously illustrative oil-like painting quality. As for being made for TV, don't let that turn your off. Surprisingly it can get quite violent --- where it's not afraid to be bloody, wicked and nasty. Hey we are talking about Lovecraft here! While I didn't find it to be a laugh out loud experience, yet alone all that much snickering --- it's wonderfully enjoyable with its offbeat tone, witty dialogues and imaginative narration. The cast has strong players in David Warner, Clancy Brown, Julianne Moore (simply looking right home in the part), Alexandra Powers (a peachy delight) and Raymond O'Connor.Later on came a sequel "Witch Hunt" (1994) which starred Dennis Hopper in the title role.Gimmicky, but expertly pulled off.

You hear before you realize the magic is really there.. The rendition of "Danny Boy" by the vagrant/tenor remains the most pure of all I have heard, and it has taken 16 years to rediscover this gem of a movie. If Fred don't mind I'll claim him as a local boy since my sister-in-law worked with him in a small theatre production years ago in S.F. I digress. Can we canvass HBO to release it in DVD? What would it take? It sits in their archives, we all know it., so anybody willing to cobble together a battle plan or offer some sage advice? It is a shame that this work is not able to be enjoyed by any audience since it is withheld from circulation. HHHHHMMMMM< (public domain?)

This movie was excellent! The combination of old gangster, comedy, and horror was a great idea. The acting was excellent (Fred Ward rocks, as usual), and for an 80s film, it was really good (I'm not a big fan of the mall hair, brat pack, and Modonna crap that was hashed out in the big 80s).This film, quite the opposite was very entertaining and an absolute MUST HAVE for HPL fans.The entire movie was Lovecraft inspired and not a murder of his writings, like most of them are.Most definitely, check it out. You won't regret it. it's a great tongue-in-cheeck, campy horror schlock that is actually well done.If you like it, there's a sequel called "With Hunt" with Dennis Hopper as the lead. Not as good, but still entertaining.This film rates 7 tentacles and a star shaped protrusion all the way up, on the elder god-o-meter

I wonder why this isn't a movie that people know? After all, it is definitely unique and fun to watch, and how many films do you know that are a combination 1940s film noir and horror? Man, this is a real "curiosity piece."It's Los Angeles and 1948 and everyone, except the hero (Fred Ward) is using magic, occult witchcraft-type stuff (which this reviewer hardly endorses). Ludicrous, yes, but fascinating and funny in parts.Too bad this isn't out on DVD because the colors and atmosphere just ooze 1940s. It's also simply great entertainment. Juliane Moore looks gorgeous and Ward is likable in the lead role. He has the authentic look of a private eye, and I like the idea that he has more morals than all the other characters in the movie combined.If any story can be called truly "unique," this is one of them.