The Witches (1990)

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

Director:

Nicolas Roeg

Writers:

Roald Dahl (book), Allan Scott (screenplay)

Stars:

Anjelica Huston, Mai Zetterling, Jasen Fisher

Nominated for 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 3 wins & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anjelica Huston	...	Miss Ernst / Grand High Witch
Mai Zetterling	...	Helga
Jasen Fisher	...	Luke
Rowan Atkinson	...	Mr. Stringer
Bill Paterson	...	Mr. Jenkins
Brenda Blethyn	...	Mrs. Jenkins
Charlie Potter	...	Bruno Jenkins
Anne Lambton	...	Woman in Black
Jane Horrocks	...	Miss Irvine
Sukie Smith	...	Marlene
Rose English	...	Dora
Jenny Runacre	...	Elsie
Annabel Brooks	...	Nicola
Emma Relph	...	Millie
Nora Connolly	...	Beatrice

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 England of all children.

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Plot Keywords:

witch | little boy | hotel | mouse | metamorphosis | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

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Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 August 1990 (USA)

Also Known As:

La maldición de las brujas

Filming Locations:

Cookham Dean, Berkshire, England, UK

Box Office

Gross USA:

$10,360,553

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Film Entertainment, Jim Henson Productions, The Jim Henson Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Stereo

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film debuted in England in May 25, 1990 and was initially scheduled to open in the United States on the same day. Following positive test screenings in Florida earlier that year, WB bumped the American release to August and gave it a hefty promotional push in hopes of attracting a large audience of youngsters on vacation from school.

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Goofs

When the Grand High Witch and her assistant enter her room while Luke gets the formula, they're wearing pointy shoes. Earlier, it was mentioned that witches never wear pointy shoes. However, the original book suggest the Grand High Witch does wear pointed shoes to great discomfort and hates wearing them, this fact is not mentioned in the movie to explain the shoes.

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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.

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Crazy Credits

The opening credits zooms towards the camera above an unknown snow landscape.

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Connections

References The Real Ghostbusters (1986)

User Reviews

The Witches Convention

The boy Luke (Jasen Fisher) is spending vacation in Norway at the house of his grandmother Helga Eveshim (Mai Zetterling) house with his parents. She tells stories of evil witches and how her best childhood friend was kidnapped by a witch. Out of the blue, Luke's parents have a car accident and die and Helga becomes Luke's guardian. They move to England and one day, a woman approaches and speaks to Luke, but he identifies that she is a witch. One day, Helga falls ill and her doctor tells that it is her diabetes. She decides to travel to a seaside hotel to recover from her diabetes. On the arrival, Luke befriends the fat boy Bruno Jenkins (Charlie Potter) and has problems with the manager Mr. Stringer (Rowan Atkinson) because of his pet white mice. Meanwhile a group of women from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children arrive for a convention with their leader Miss Eva Ernst (Anjelica Huston). But soon Luke learns that Eva is indeed the Grand High Witch and their convention is to distribute a magic potion to turn boys into mice in England. When the Grand High Witch sees Luke, she turns him into a mouse. What will the boy do?

"The Witches" is one of the most delightful movies from the 90's. This film has not aged and the timeless story is wonderful no matter the age of the viewer. That cast is perfect and Anjelica Huston is fantastic in the role of a powerful witch. The make-up and special effects are magnificent and still impressive twenty-seven years later. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Convenção das Bruxas" ("Witches Convention")