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.

---

Plot Keywords:

witch | little boy | hotel | mouse | metamorphosis | 

---

Taglines:

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

---

Genres:

Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy | Horror | Mystery

---

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

After a test screening, Roald Dahl angrily expressed to the producers how "appalled" he was at "the vulgarity, the bad taste" and "actual terror" in certain parts of the film. Dahl demanded his name and the title be removed from the film prior to release, but after receiving an apologetic, complimentary letter from Jim Henson, Dahl grudgingly withdrew his threat.

---

Goofs

Some of the witches in the convention are clearly men in women's clothing.

---

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.

---

Crazy Credits

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

---

Connections

References Pandora's Box (1929)

User Reviews

One my favorite childhood ... and present.. movies!

This is a movie which is highly underrated. It is a fantastic adventure about a young boy and his wise grandma who go on vacation along the English coast. Unknowlingly running into Grandma's most feared enemy- the Grand High Witch. When Luke accidentally crosses paths with the Grand High Witch and her Witch minions, it is up to him, Bruno Jenkins, and Grandma to save all the children of England!

Anjelica Huston does a marvelous job at portraying the snobbishly aristocratic Eva Ernst as well as her unmasked counterpart, the evil Grand High Witch. She definitely steals the show in this one, although Mai Zetterling does give one that warm nurturing feeling as the wise but kind grandma. And Jasen Fisher did a good job as well.

Not only is the acting good, but the special effects.. or should i see puppets and makeup.. are marvelous! The grand high witch without her face mask is really a terrible sight! And the little mice, really puppets opposed to the technological computer created special effects, really work out great and give a more earthy feel non animated animal movies.

If your an adult and your looking for a nail biting psychological thriller your looking in a very wrong direction. But if you are looking for a classic, fun, adventure for all ages- I suggest you watch this. I give it an A+!!!!!!!!