Let’s discuss “The Witches” (1990)

Vitches of Inkland, you’re a disgrace.

Anjelica Huston (happy birthday) deserved an Oscar for this role.

Roald Dahl hated it but like Stephen King, he doesn’t know what makes a good film. It was the perfect balance of actual horror and camp as I dare say no other children’s film would be made that scary intentionally in today’s time. The remake was utter shit.

Dahl hated children and his entire beef was the change to the ending at the last minute. He wanted Luke to stay a mouse. lol. Dhal loved the casting of Huston though. The Witches is one of the creepiest kids films ever made.

“I was playing Hitler for children.”

I loved how Jane Horrocks turned out to be a good witch.

That’s because he does stay a mouse in the book.

But in the movie, Bubble has to save the day.

I only saw the film as an adult. While I can see how the transformation scene would scare little kids, what got me is the story of the little girl in the beginning who is abducted and slowly fades from the painting.

Dahl wrote some great nasty stuff.

One of my favorite scenes in the film. The cracking bones and shrinking skin sound extremely painful.

Also, anyone else notice the goofs of Nicola and the other witches in the background transforming into mice out of order?

Between this and The Grifters, Anjelica Huston was the best actress of 1990.

One of my favorites. Mai Zetterling and Jasen Fisher were perfect. Everyone was.

The story in film form benefited from the change to a happier ending. They did show Luke's and Grandma's resignation at his mouse form, so a bit of the sense of Dahl's point (Witches are bad. Harm can be permanent. If you endure you can accept your lot. That's life.) remained.

Among Huston's greatest performance, along with her work in "Prizzi's Honor" and "The Grifters."

The film has such a unique Scandinavian feel to it. This movie, Return to Oz, and The Neverending Story have a similar vibe. They’re kids films but very, very mature and quite un-Hollywood.