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The Witches (1990)

6.7
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Ratings: 6.7/10 from 15,272 users  
Reviews: 73 user | 32 critic

A young boy stumbles onto a witch convention and must stop them, even after he has been turned into a mouse.

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Title: The Witches (1990)

The Witches (1990) on IMDb 6.7/10

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Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Charlie Potter ...
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Sukie Smith ...
Rose English ...
Jenny Runacre ...
Annabel Brooks ...
Emma Relph ...
Nora Connolly ...
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Storyline

A young boy, recently orphaned, is taken to England by his grandmother. At a hotel in which they are staying, a group of witches have gathered to prepare a plot to rid the world of all children. Written by Rob Hartill

Plot Summary | Add Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

boy | grandmother | witch | hotel | convention | See more »

Taglines:

Saving the world from witches is a tall order for a boy they've turned into a mouse!

Genres:

Fantasy | Family | Horror

Certificate:

PG | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

|

Language:

Release Date:

24 August 1990 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

La maldición de las brujas  »

Filming Locations:

 »

Box Office

Gross:

$10,360,553 (USA)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

Color:

(Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The German title is "Hexen hexen", which literally means "Witches practice witchcraft". See more »

Goofs

When Luke is playing in his tree house, the witch in black catches his fallen toy airplane. When she throws the plane back up to the tree house, a string is attached to the front of the plane, pulling it into the branches. See more »

Quotes

[first lines]
Helga: When your father was a boy like you, and living with me here in Norway, I told him about witches too, so that he would always be aware. Now, the most important thing you should know about real witches is this - now listen very carefully! Real witches dress in ordinary clothes, and look very much like ordinary women. They live in ordinary houses, and they work in ordinary jobs.
See more »

Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theatre 3000: Master Ninja I (1992) See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Unjustly forgotten fantasy
29 April 2002 | by (United States) – See all my reviews

Very strange fantasy in which a young boy Luke (Jasen Fisher) and his friend Bruno (Charles Potter) get in trouble with some witches (led by Anjelicia Huston). Luke's Norwegian aunt (Mai Zetterling), a former witch, helps him battle the others.

When this came out in 1990 critics loved it, but audiences stayed away. Real witches attacked the film because it portrayed witches as evil, ugly and wanting to kill all children. They overreacted--it's just a FANTASY, not reality. Also it was way too strong (and strange) to attract a family audience...too scary for kids and adults assumed it was a kids movie. But it is a good fantasy for high schoolers and adults.

Nicholas Roegs' direction is off-putting (he directs it like it's high art), but the special effects are truly incredible (especially the mice) and there are wonderful performances by Zetterling and Huston (going WAY over the top in her acting).

It's a very strange movie--definitely a one of a kind. It's worth a look.


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