Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)

Director:

Jack Clayton

Writers:

Ray Bradbury (screenplay)
Ray Bradbury (novel)

Release Date:

29 April 1983 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

After he fulfills your deepest, lifelong dream...he'll tell you the price you have to pay.

Plot:

In a small American town, a diabolical circus and its demonic proprietor prey on the townsfolk.

Plot Keywords:

Boy | Carnival | Circus | Mirror | Devil

Awards:

2 wins & 7 nominations

Cast

Jason Robards	...	Charles Halloway
Jonathan Pryce	...	Mr. Dark
Diane Ladd	...	Mrs. Nightshade
Royal Dano	...	Tom Fury
Vidal Peterson	...	Will Halloway
Shawn Carson	...	Jim Nightshade
Mary Grace Canfield	...	Miss Foley
Richard Davalos	...	Mr. Crosetti
Jake Dengel	...	Mr. Tetley
Jack Dodson	...	Dr. Douglas
Bruce M. Fischer	...	Mr. Cooger
Ellen Geer	...	Mrs. Halloway
Pam Grier	...	Dust Witch
Brendan Klinger	...	Cooger as a Child
James Stacy	...	Ed, The Bartender
Angelo Rossitto	...	Little Person #1
Peter Risch	...	Little Person #2 (as Peter D. Risch)
Tim T. Clark	...	Teenage Boy
Jill Carroll	...	Teenage Girl
Tony Christopher	...	Young Ed
Sharan Lea	...	Young Miss Foley
Scott De Roy	...	Cooger as a Young Man
Sharon Ashe	...	Townswoman
Arthur Hill	...	Narrator (voice)
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Fondacaro	...	Demon Clown (uncredited)
Jerry Maren	...	(uncredited)

Directed by
Jack Clayton

Writing credits
Ray Bradbury		(screenplay)
Ray Bradbury		(novel)

Produced by
Peter Douglas	....	producer (as Peter Vincent Douglas)
Dan Kolsrud	....	associate producer

Original Music by
James Horner

Cinematography by
Stephen H. Burum

Film Editing by
Barry Mark Gordon
Argyle Nelson Jr.		(as Argyle Nelson)

Casting by
Virginia Higgins
Pam Polifroni

Production Design by
Richard Macdonald		(as Richard MacDonald)

Art Direction by
Richard Lawrence		(as Richard James Lawrence)
John B. Mansbridge

Set Decoration by
Rick Simpson

Costume Design by
Ruth Myers

Makeup Department
Gary Liddiard	....	makeup artist
Edie Panda	....	hair stylist
Robert J. Schiffer	....	creative makeup
James R. Scribner	....	makeup artist (as Jim Scribner)
Stan Winston	....	special makeup effects (uncredited)

Production Management
Richard Learman	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Scott Cameron	....	additional second assistant director
Christopher Disney Miller	....	additional second assistant director (as Christopher D. Miller)
Dan Kolsrud	....	first assistant director
Lisa Marmon	....	second assistant director
Stephen McEveety	....	first assistant director: special effects (as Steve McEveety)

Art Department
Dennis DeWaay	....	construction coordinator
Joseph Hurley	....	production illustrator (as Joe Hurley)
Mark Sparks	....	propmaker
Yarek Alfer	....	sculptor (uncredited)
Jesse Silver	....	production illustrator (uncredited)
Alan Sims	....	assistant property master (uncredited)
Daniel Turk	....	foreman (uncredited)

Sound Department
Nick Alphin	....	sound re-recording mixer
Bruce Bisenz	....	production sound mixer
Robert Hathaway	....	sound supervisor (as Bob Hathaway)
David M. Horton	....	special sound effects creator
Al Maguire	....	dialogue editor
Joseph A. Parker	....	supervising sound effects editor
Richard Portman	....	sound re-recording supervisor (as Richard R. Portman)
Richard Portman	....	special sound effects creator (as Richard R. Portman)
Frank Regula	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Frank C. Regula)
Wayne Allwine	....	sound editor (uncredited)
George Fredrick	....	sound editor (uncredited)
Allen Hurd	....	sound (uncredited)
Al Maguire	....	adr editor (uncredited)
George Probert	....	sound editor (uncredited)
John Roesch	....	foley artist (uncredited)
Douglas J. Schulman	....	cable person (uncredited)
Roger Sword	....	sound editor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
Allen Hall	....	mechanical special effects
Willard Livingston	....	mechanical special effects
Hans Metz	....	mechanical special effects
Isidoro Raponi	....	mechanical special effects
Roland Tantin	....	mechanical special effects supervisor
Tom von Badinski	....	welder
Gary D'Amico	....	special effects (uncredited)
George Paine	....	miniatures (uncredited)
John Palmer	....	special effects: WonderWorks (uncredited)
Robert G. Willard	....	special effects technician (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
Peter Anderson	....	special photographic effects
William L. Arance	....	airbrush artist (as W.L. Arance)
Allen Blyth	....	animator (as Wm. Allen Blyth)
Ed Coffey	....	animator
Clint Colver	....	composite supervisor
Art Cruickshank	....	special photographic effects
Lee Dyer	....	special visual effects
Harrison Ellenshaw	....	special effects consultant
Gail Fox	....	animator
Allen Gonzales	....	animator
Bill Kilduff	....	opticals supervisor
Michael Lloyd	....	matte artist
Phil Meador	....	special photographic effects
John Norton	....	animator
Darrell Rooney	....	animator
Scott Santoro	....	animator
Jesse Silver	....	matte artist
Ron Stangl	....	animation production coordinator
Richard Sullivan	....	scene planner (as Richard T. Sullivan)
Michael Wolf	....	effects animation supervisor
David Halver	....	rotoscope artist (uncredited)
George Muhs	....	visual effects (uncredited)
Lynda Thompson	....	visual effects assistant scene coordinator (uncredited)
Susan Turner	....	visual effects (uncredited)

Stunts
Gary Combs	....	stunts
Bobby Porter	....	stunts
George Robotham	....	stunts
Pat Romano	....	stunts (as Patrick Romano)
Charles A. Tamburro	....	stunts (as Charles Tamburro)
Jeff Viola	....	stunts
Scott Land	....	stilt walker (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Elliot Davis	....	camera operator
Jan Kiesser	....	additional photography
Carl Boles	....	gaffer (uncredited)
Michael R. Marquette	....	first assistant camera (uncredited)
Peter McEvoy	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Tony Faso	....	costumer: men
Jennifer L. Parsons	....	costumer: women (as Jennifer Parsons)
Jack Sandeen	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Axel Hubert	....	assistant film editor (as Axel Anton Hubert)

Music Department
Dennis Ricotta	....	music editor
Jack Wadsworth	....	supervising music editor
James Horner	....	conductor (uncredited)
Greig McRitchie	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Greig McRitchie	....	music arranger: Beethoven (uncredited)
Greig McRitchie	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Shawn Murphy	....	score mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Edle Bakke	....	script supervisor
Susan Becton	....	production coordinator
Jeanie Sims	....	creative consultant
Bayard Veiller	....	production coordinator
Cardon Walker	....	production coordinator
Mark Harden	....	animal trainer (uncredited)
Charles A. Tamburro	....	aerial coordinator/pilot (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Walt Disney Productions
• Bryna Productions

Distributors

• Buena Vista Distribution Company (1983) (USA) (theatrical)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Anchor Bay Entertainment (USA) (VHS)
• Buena Vista International

Special Effects

• Symmetricon (special kaleidoscopic effect)
• Van der Veer Photo Effects (additional visual effects)
• Visual Concept Engineering (VCE) (additional visual effects) (as Visual Concepts Engineering)

Other Companies

• Animal Actors of Hollywood  tarantulas supplied by
• People of Vermont  special thanks for their help and cooperation

Also Known As:

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Australia:PG | France:-12 | UK:PG | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Morrisville, Vermont, USA

Company:

Walt Disney Productions

Trivia:

A special-effects sequence that took place at the beginning of the film was cut shortly before the movie hit the theaters. In this sequence, the carnival materializes from the smoke of the train - the smoke from the engine "becomes ropes and canvas tents. Tree limbs grow together to form a ferris wheel and a spider web mutates into a wheel of fortune." This sequence was the first time that computer animation was used to animate organic material, and it was combined with traditional animation. The scene was deemed not convincing enough and was cut from the film at the very last minute (according to an issue of "Twilight Zone Magazine" that was released the same month as the film, the scene was going to be in the final print).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Jim Nightshade buys the lightning rod with cash and coin, he has a Lincoln Memorial penny, which wasn't minted until 1959. The story is set earlier.

Quotes:

Charles Halloway:[to Mr. Dark] Where do you come from? The dust. Where do you go to? The grave.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Crew: The New Pilot, Literally (#1.1)" (1995)

a Disney movie for adults

I try not to watch Disney movies as they invariably are very schmaltzy, preachy and basic for my taste. This film as others have noted is about as dark as Disney has ever got. But most importantly, its entertaining, this is an old-fashioned good versus evil tale set in pre-war small town America. Carnivals were always big deals in the pre-TV era and Disney spent some good money on production to bring it all to life. Johnathon Pryce has always played the part of the villain well and he doesn't disappoint here. The special effects by 80's standards were good enough, veteran director jack clayton made this very watchable, keeping up a level of suspense throughout and while not terrifying, there were some very creepy scenes that made this a bona fide horror movie.