“Witchboard”
Movie #10 of the 2020 31-Days of Horror.
For more information follow this link.
At a party at Jim and Linda’s house, Linda’s ex boyfriend, Brandon, who was once Jim’s best friend, brings a Ouija Board which they use to contact the spirit of a child named David. Linda is so intrigued by this, she begins using the board herself, and becomes enthralled by an evil spirit. Jim and Brandon must overcome their adversity to save Linda.
A common theme in eighties movies, a sophisticated woman in a relationship with a “bad boy”/underdog who is far more that what he appears to be and can’t admit or show his feelings. Blah, blah. Some themes are stereotypical for the time, some concepts were original twists that have since become cliché. There are a lot of nice dreamlike sequences with walking around Kitean in very flowy, satiny or sheer gowns/robes, which puts the audience in mind of the old Hammer or gothic style horror films.
Oh, the eighties! Tawny Kitean (Linda Brewster) was such the big thing at the time, starring opposite Tom Hanks in Bachelor Party, in all the Whitesnake music videos, and a reoccurring role in the soap opera Santa Barbara. Co-star Stephen Nichols (Brandon Sinclair) was also on Santa Barbara and has had a long term – still running- reoccurring role on the soap opera Days of our Lives. It explains the better chemistry between the two, their familiarity with working together, and that particular style of the soap opera actor. Nichols performance as Brandon is a little too intense to be believable, but it’s written that way. There are definitely scenes where it is evident he’s trying not to smile or laugh, so, yeah, they knew it was a cheesy flick when they were making it, and worse, wrapping it up with a happy ending. Kathleen Wihoite, as Zarabeth, is simply wonderful. I pretty much love anything she does.
This is always a fun watch.
