Warlock **** (1989, Julian Sands, Lori Singer, Richard E Grant) – Classic Movie Review 4412

Julian Sands stars as the pure evil Warlock, hotly pursued by witchfinder Giles Redferne (Richard E Grant), in the often thrilling and sometimes terrifying 1989 supernatural horror movie Warlock.

Julian Sands stars as the pure evil Warlock who, thanks to Satan, escapes from Boston in medieval times of the 17th century to Los Angeles in the present day, hotly pursued by nice and creepy, world-weary witchfinder Giles Redferne (Richard E Grant) who follows him through the same portal, in director Steve Miner’s always entertaining, often thrilling and sometimes terrifying 1989 American supernatural horror fantasy movie Warlock.

In a reversal of the plot of The Terminator (1984), ‘He’s come from the past to destroy the future’. The Warlock crash lands in the flat of a young waitress named Kassandra (Lori Singer). After Satan tells the Warlock to re-assemble The Grand Grimoire, a book separated into three pieces that can unmake Creation, the Warlock places an ageing curse on Kassandra and takes her bracelet. Redferne, who arrives with a witch compass to track the Warlock, joins forces with Kassandra to pursue the Warlock. Kassandra wants back her bracelet, which will allow her to become young again, Redferne just wants to stop the Warlock, which has become even more tricky after he acquires the power of flight by murdering an unbaptised child.

The two British stars give spectacular, exciting performances that are really the making of the movie, though Lori Singer helps to keep it bright and lively. There is a very strong screenplay by David Twohy, rousing direction by Miner and a satisfying array of pre-CGI special effects. It looks really good on a $15 million budget, with Steve Miner and cinematographer David Eggby showing a real flair for good compositions and a great shot. The first 20 minutes set in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1691 when the Warlock is sentenced to death for his activities, including killing Redferne’s wife, are the best, but the modern-day rest of the movie is a lot of fun too, with its  black comedy tone working nicely.

Also in the cast are Kevin O’Brien, Mary Woronov, David Carpenter, Richard Kuss, Allan Miller and Anna Levine.

Warlock cost $15 million and earned a modest $9 million at US box offices, but gained strongly on video and turned into a modest success for its eventual owners Trimark Pictures.

Most of the movie was shot on location around the US. The opening 17th century sequence was filmed at Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, and later scenes were shot in the Boston area. Parts of the film were also shot at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The farmhouse with the red barn is the George Washington Faulkner House. A graveyard was built on an LA soundstage for the finale.

The post-production optical effects are by Perpetual Motion. Jerry Goldsmith’s offbeat score is an attention grabber.

Alas its production company New World Pictures went bankrupt, but the newly founded Trimark Pictures bought the distribution rights in 1990 as well as the rights for potential sequels. And indeed a sequel followed, Warlock: The Armageddon, also with Julian Sands, directed by Anthony Hickox in 1993. It made a trilogy when a second sequel, Warlock III: The End of Innocence, starring Bruce Payne and Ashley Laurence, appeared in 1999, directed by Eric Freiser.

The cast are Julian Sands as Warlock, Lori Singer as Kassandra, Richard E Grant as Giles Redferne, Mary Woronov as Channeler, Kevin O’Brien as Chas, Richard Kuss as Mennonite, Rob Paulsen as Gas Station attendant, David Carpenter, Allan Miller and Anna Levine, and Brandon Call as unbaptised young boy.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4412

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