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adamwatchesmovies · 21 days

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Warlock (1991)

Warlock isn’t really a good movie. I say this because the writing is wobbly in the first act and there are a couple of clumsy plot points during the middle that someone should’ve ironed out before shooting began. That said, it’s so much fun you don’t even have to call it a guilty pleasure. The picture’s nasty sense of humor, some subtle touches here and there, and a half-dozen great scenes make it the kind of movie that’s a joy despite its flaws.

In 1691, witch-hunter Giles Redferne (Richard E. Grant) has captured a warlock (Julian Sands). The spellcaster is sentenced to death but is saved by Satan, who propels him into the 20th century. In Los Angeles, California, The Warlock prepares to fulfill his devilish mission: reassemble The Grand Grimoire and unmake Creation. Only the time-displaced Redferne (how he time-travels isn't that important) and an ordinary waitress named Kassandra (Lori Singer) can stop him.

I started this review by telling you Warlock isn’t really a good movie and you’ll be able to tell why as soon as The Warlock arrives in Kassandra’s home. She and her roommate, Chas (Kevin O'Brien), are just doing their thing when suddenly, this strange man bursts through their window. The fact that The Warlock is still there in the morning raises an eyebrow. Even if it’s because the police are too busy with the big storm raging outside to come pick him up, it just doesn’t feel right. Don’t worry, it gets a lot better from there. It isn’t long before The Warlock murders Chas and curses Kassandra. Now, she ages 20 years every night. In a couple of days, she’ll crumble to dust, which means the stakes are layered. Redferne needs to stop the evil sorcerer. Like a good Sarah Connor-wannabe, Kassandra is willing to tag along with the time-displaced hero so she can save the world and undo the spell threatening her. There’s a particular scene that showcases this film at its best. The Warlock has been knocked out. It's Kassandra's chance to grab the bracelet he uses to maintain the curse on her. Unfortunately, the villain is in a train wagon that’s slowly picking up speed and the bracelet is just out of reach. Kassandra desperately needs to not only keep up, but move a little bit faster so she can grab it, but she’s not young anymore. She can’t run! You'll be white-knuckled watching her grow increasingly desperate.

Some of the other scenes you can look forward to showcase just how evil the Warlock is. At one point, he encounters a boy playing outside on a Sunday morning. He’s surprised. “Shouldn’t you be in church?” The boy tells him he never goes and that he isn’t baptized either. When you see the gleam of delight in Julian Sands’ eyes, you’re filled with giddy excitement. What follows may be sick but come on. That brat deserved it. In a world where Satan is very real and he grants his followers magical abilities, not bringing your kid to church is bad parenting and the family deserves everything that’s coming to them! There are nice bits of humor here and there, including one in a taxi. The conclusion is what clenches it. That finale so effortlessly amps up the stakes it makes you wonder how the clumsy scenes ever managed to get in there.

While the special effects are dodgy, they’re acceptable for a low-budget film made in 1991. The makeup used to make Lori Singer old less so but even if they were great, they wouldn’t have been the reason to see Warlock. I’m not saying this is a great film. In fact, it’s pretty easy to make an argument for it being lousy but the entertainment factor is high. I suspect the two sequels will essentially be remakes and are unlikely to improve upon it but who knows? The second (or third) time might be the charm! (June 17, 2022)

#Warlock #movies #films #movie reviews #film reviews #steve miner #david twohy #julian sands #lori singer #richard e. grant #1991 movies #1991 films

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motelfullmassage · 7 months

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Movies for Halloween

Warlock (1989)

In 17th century New England, witch hunter Giles Redferne captures an evil warlock, but the conjurer eludes death with supernatural help. Flung into the future, the warlock winds up in the 1980s and plans to bring about the end of the world. Redferne follows the enchanter into the modern era and continues his mission, but runs into trouble in such unfamiliar surroundings. With the help of a young woman, can Redferne finally defeat the warlock? Enjoy! (RIP Julian...you are missed)

#Halloween #Horror #Thriller #Warlock #Julian Sands #Witches #Warlocks #Lori Singer #Richard Grant

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mrsdawg4908 · 1 year

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In 17th-century New England, witch hunter Giles Redferne (Richard E. Grant) captures an evil warlock (Julian Sands), but the conjurer eludes death with supernatural help. Flung into the future, the warlock winds up in the 1980s and plans to bring about the end of the world. Redferne follows the enchanter into the modern era and continues his mission, but runs into trouble in such unfamiliar surroundings. With the help of a young woman (Lori Singer), can Redferne finally defeat the warlock?

https://youtu.be/jrXieml4Mb4

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polhlazy · 2 years

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Spear girl soul calibur

He injected something in his hot body and ass to make 'em bigger and hotter as time passes. Giles Redferne (pronounced "What a fuckin' hunk." or "Ivy/Belmont-fighter wannabe who just wants to fuck up the evil Warlock from the 17th century and ended up in a sword-fighting video game.) That one faggot with the fur coat and the outfit and the whips and a stupid-ass witch compass.The kid who did it was chased around the Namco building for thirteen hours by male employees howling with such furious rage that their faces looked like stop traffic lights. This eventually ended in Soul Calibur 5 where her costume/breast size got reset. Every installment Ivy's breasts grow, and costume shrinks, making some people think that her breasts eat her costume. She competes with Taki in the milk market. Carries a whip to keep the breasts under control. She recently learned a new move - to crush her opponents' head between her gigantic breasts. Ivy (pronounced Ivy) A woman whose breasts grow 20 times faster than her body.She could benefic the world if she just took it all off and let them babies SHWANNNGG! Seriously, how does she fight demons without a sports bra? She’s going to be seriously droopy before she reaches 35 if she’s not careful. Her use in the game was to prove that when a large pair of unsupported breasts are allowed to jiggle freely, women will squirm as much as men do when they view another guy getting hit in the crotch. If you hold still, you'll survive but if you so much as move a hair, she will attack you from eight sides all at once and all attacks will hurt your groin. Taki makes screeching sounds while doing weird things in front of her opponent - things that look suspiciously like a mating dance. Taki is a ninja demon hunter, the inventor of spandex and the world's largest supply of milk.Unknown to many, Taki was also, in fact, the inventor of camel toe. Appeared in the Clock Tower 3 game, as Sledgehammer. Seuss books, but does not like nappy time. Astaroth (pronounced “big bob”) is a bright and cheerful seven year-old in Mrs.However, Maxi is also known as a homosexual.in which he had sex with Kilik, recently and is also some kind of fuckin' hot ass stripper for both men and girls. Also the name of pads used to block.things, I think. Even though he cannot play the guitar but He can certainly bash the shit out of everbody over the head with his nunchucks. Rolling Stone calls Maxi one of the Greatset Elvis Impersonators Of All Time. Maxi was born in New Jersey, doubled for John Travolta in Grease, and eventually became a successful Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas.stick, making him the most cheating character in the game because of his length. He smacks people in the face with a long, hard, cold (or hot). um, Maxi's boyfriend who have revently become emo under Nightmare's dark influences after dumping her because of her dildo fetish. Just kidding! No, I'm not fuckin' kidding.-_-* Now she searches for SoulEgde and SoulCalibur to beat the shit out of Kilik, but instead got her ass handed to her by Spriggangirl. She is Kilik's girlfriend who got dumped after getting caught while filming "Two kids in a Sandbox" with Maxi. She molest people with her sword and the only English phrase she knows is "Just Kidding". Xianghua (pronounced "bob") is the Asian hot chick that proves that martial arts can greatly increase kinky skills with her.

#Spear girl soul calibur

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quasar1967 · 2 years

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Warlock (1989)

SATAN ALSO HAS ONE SON

#horror movies #horror movie posters #fantasy films

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ramblingandwritings · 3 years

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Giles Redferne fluff alphabet

I love this man and if you haven't seen the movie Warlock then go watch it

A = Activities (What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with them?)

This man loves a good nature walk especially if a picnic is involved. He also likes stargazing but he complains about not be able to see the night sky properly. Road trips are nice too

B = Beauty (What do they admire about their s/o? What do they think is beautiful about them?)

Compassion and kindness, he loves it if you do your best to help others. He believes helping others is something that should be done if you can

C = Cuddling (how do they like to cuddle?)

Half spoon or big spoon, he enjoys the intimacy and feeling like he's protecting you

D = Dreams (How do they picture their future with their s/o?)

He wants a simple house somewhere rural just for you two and however many kids you're comfortable with

E= Equal (Are they the dominant one in the relationship, or rather passive?)

He runs a bit more on the dominant side of things because he's a man from the late 1600s. He'll ease up over time and he wants the two of you to make large decisions together

F = Family (do they want one?)

He'd love to have a couple kids when his life calms down and he's not hunting witches. He wanted to have kids with his late wife but that clearly didn't work out

G = Gifts (how do they feel about gift giving? What are their habits when it comes to this?)

He doesn't mind giving gift but he doesn't find it necessary. He gives you a lot of flowers though

H = Holding Hands (when/how do they like to hold hands?)

He likes it when walking around with you but he prefers it in bed when you're laying together. There's something so intimate about holding hands in the dark and talking that he loves

I = Inspiration (Did their s/o change them or the other way around?)

You've certainly helped him adapt better to modern life and he wouldn't have stayed if not for you

J = Jealousy (Do they get jealous easily? How do they deal with it?)

He does and he finds it embarrassing if you call it out. He can be a little bit passive aggressive until he realizes he's behaving like a child and then he apologizes for his behavior because he's an adult

K = Kiss (Are they a good kisser?)

Lord have mercy, yes. His kisses are slow and passionate, he takes his time. He works his way from your forehead down. The downside is that he tastes like salt and cider

L = Love Confession (How would they confess to their s/o?)

He does it late at night when you're in bed and things are relaxed. It's not just that he loves you, he wants to spend the rest of his life with you, fully dedicate himself to you

M = Marriage (Do they want to get married? How do they propose? What would the marriage be like?)

God yes, he's all aboard the marriage train. The thought of being married to you makes him giddy. He pays attention to the way modern proposals work and he goes with that, it was tricky for him to get a good ring but he did it. It's the same relationship but with rings

N = Nicknames (What do they call their s/o?)

Angel and love, mostly he just refers to you by your name though

O = On Cloud Nine (What are they like when they are in love? Is it obvious for others? How do they express their feelings?)

He worries about you, he's afraid you'll die like his last but he's determined to keep that from happening. Redferne practically worships the ground you walk on and it's obvious by how he looks at you, touches you and how he refers to you

P = PDA (Are they upfront about their relationship? Are they rather shy when others are watching?)

He'll let others know he's happily taken but he's mostly reserved in public outside of handholding, hugging and light kissing when he thinks no one is looking

Q = Quirk (Some random ability they have that’s beneficial in a relationship.)

He's incredibly good at foraging in the woods and knowledgeable about plants, it comes in handy more often then you'd think

R = Romance (How romantic are they? Cliché or rather creative?)

He can sweep you off your feet easily when he wants, literally too

S = Secrets (how open are they with you?)

He's very open and he doesn't hold back but he still has a hard time talking about his late wife at times

T = Time (how long did it take you to get together?)

Not that long, about six months. He's aware of how short life is and once he realizes he loves you, he's willing to commit fully

U = Understanding (How good do they know their partner?)

Pretty damn well, he can read you easily but he wants you to talk with him

V = Value (How important is the relationship to them? What is it’s worth in comparison to other things in their life?)

It's super important, he wants to make sure you're safe and happy. He still hunts witches when he needs but he tries to stay home as much as possible

W = Wild Card (A random Fluff Headcanon.)

He wakes up early in the morning usually before sun up, but sometimes he opts to sleep in so he can stay next to you longer

X = XOXO (Are they very affectionate? Do they love to kiss and cuddle?)

Redferne is incredibly affectionate especially in private, he doesn't hide his love for you at all. His arms stay wrapped around you if he doesn't have anything to do

Z = Zeal (Are they willing to go to great lengths for the relationship? If so, what kind of?)

He'll certainly beat the piss out of anyone that tries to hurt you and he'll get into arguments with anyone that insults you. Most people back down when he raises his voice, turns out people really don't like getting yelled at by a tall, angry Scotsman in fur

#Redferne x reader #Giles Redferne #Warlock 1989 #Warlock 1991 #Giles Redferne x reader

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cybersexuality · 4 years

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Giles Redferne - Warlock

#gifs made by me #Horror Movies #80s horror #80s movies #warlock 1989 #fantasy #richard e. grant #Giles Redferne #gifs

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shiftingmuse · 27 days

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This mobile-friendly page is defined by my ability to write as these characters. The characters on the page are subject to change at any time.

The Accountant {Drive Angry}

FACE CLAIM: William Fichtner AGE: Unknown STATUS: Unknown SEXUALITY: Fluent OCCUPATION: Right Hand of the Devil

Q {Star Trek Universe}

FACE CLAIM: John De Lancie AGE: ??? STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Yes? OCCUPATION: Q Continuum

Harry Vanderspeigle {Resident Alien}

FACE CLAIM: Alan Tudyk AGE: ??? STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Complex OCCUPATION: Alien/Doctor/World Ender

Frik {Merlin 1998}

FACE CLAIM: Martin Short AGE: ??? STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Uncertain OCCUPATION: Fae

Morgan Le Fay {Merlin 1998}

FACE CLAIM: Helena Bonham Carter AGE: 20s STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Uncertain OCCUPATION: Former Princess

Oliver Putnam {OMITB}

FACE CLAIM: Martin Short AGE: 70s STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Bisexually-Open OCCUPATION: Theater Director/Murder Mystery Producer

Rupert Giles {Buffy Verse}

FACE CLAIM: Anthony Head AGE: 50s STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Uncertain-Open Minded OCCUPATION: Librarian/Book Store Owner/Watcher

Annalee Call {Alien Resurrection.}

FACE CLAIM: Winona Ryder AGE: 20s STATUS: Active SEXUALITY: Uncertain OCCUPATION: Auton/Alien Killer

Giles Redferne {Warlock}

FACE CLAIM: Richard E. Grant AGE: 31 STATUS: Unknown SEXUALITY: Assumed Straight OCCUPATION: Witch Finder/Hunter

The Vision {Marvel Universe}

FACE CLAIM: Paul Bettany AGE: Uncertain STATUS: MIA SEXUALITY: Unknown OCCUPATION: Avenger

Nathaniel Taylor {Terra Nova}

FACE CLAIM: Stephen Lang AGE: 59 STATUS: Alive SEXUALITY: Straight OCCUPATION: Commander of Terra Nova

Lance Bishop {Aliens}

FACE CLAIM: Lance Henriksen AGE: Unknown STATUS: Presumed Deactivated SEXUALITY: Unknown OCCUPATION: Synthetic Technician

Norman Osborn {Marvel Universe}

FACE CLAIM: Willem Dafoe AGE: 50s STATUS: Presumed Dead SEXUALITY: Unknown OCCUPATION: Industrialist

Waldo {Into The Badlands}

FACE CLAIM: Stephen Lang AGE: 65 STATUS: Alive SEXUALITY: Straight OCCUPATION: Former Regent/Advisor

The Collector {Marvel Universe}

FACE CLAIM: Benicio del Toro AGE: Unknown STATUS: Alive SEXUALITY: Unknown OCCUPATION: Collector of Species

Dr. Issacs {Resident Evil}

FACE CLAIM: Ian Glen AGE: 50s STATUS: Alive SEXUALITY: Unknown OCCUPATION: Umbrella Scientist

Ruby Knowby {Ash vs Evil Dead}

FACE CLAIM: Lucy Lawless AGE: Unknown STATUS: Dead/Alive/It's Complicated SEXUALITY: Bisexual OCCUPATION: Dark One

Johnathan Carnahan {The Mummy}

FACE CLAIM: John Hannah AGE: Uncertain STATUS: Alive SEXUALITY: Straight OCCUPATION: Entrepreneur

Kurt Wagner {X-men/X-2}

FACE CLAIM: Alan Cumming AGE: Unknown STATUS: Alive SEXUALITY: Uncertain OCCUPATION: Mutant/Circus Performer/Child of God

#harry vanderspeigle #ruby knowby #canon characters #character page #resident evil #marvel universe #horror movies #omitb rp #merlin rp #resident alien rp #alien verse #buffy verse #warlock rp #alan cumming #john hannah

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docrotten · 3 years

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Warlock (1989) – Episode 181 – Decades of Horror 1980s

"Our interest lies in finding that damned book, and thwarting a vile beast of a man who shall not rest until God himself is thrown down, and all of creation becomes Satan's black hell-besmeared farting hole!" Okay, but only if it’s hell-besmeared. Join your faithful Grue-Crew - Crystal Cleveland, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr - as they learn the ins and outs of life as a witch-hunter in Warlock (1989).

Decades of Horror 1980s Episode 181 – Warlock (1981)

Join the Crew on the Gruesome Magazine YouTube channel! Subscribe today! And click the alert to get notified of new content! https://youtube.com/gruesomemagazine

A warlock flees from the 17th to the 20th century, with a witch-hunter in hot pursuit.

IMDb

Director: Steve Miner

Writer: David Twohy (as D.T. Twohy)

Music by: Jerry Goldsmith

Special Effects: Ken Pepiot (special effects coordinator)

Visual makeup effects: Carl Fullerton, Neal Martz

Selected Cast

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

Allan Miller as Detective

Anna Thomson as Pastor's Wife (as Anna Levine)

David Carpenter as Pastor

Kay E. Kuter as Proctor

Ian Abercrombie as Magistrate #1

Kenneth Danziger as Magistrate #2

Art Smith as Scribe

Robert Breeze as Jailor

Frank Renzulli as Cabbie

Rob Paulsen as Gas Station attendant

Crystal likes Julian Sands almost as much as she likes a good fog machine, so it came as no surprise that her pick for this episode is Warlock. She also likes the different take that comes from featuring a warlock rather than a witch and still enjoys the film, despite the poor aging makeup effects on Lori Singer’s character. Bill points out that the weak aging effects are not the fault of the makeup effects artists and are the result of the actor’s choice. He also admits he expected a late 80s cheese-fest and his expectations are fulfilled by the cheesy visual special effects necessitated by the budget restrictions. Chad likes Warlock, especially Richard Grant’s and Julian Sands’ performances, but thinks it could be a lot better with a little more money. Jeff liked Warlock when he saw it back in the day and still does, but agrees with the rest of the Grue-Crew that the animated effects are a bit on the cheesy side.

Despite being dated, in particular in terms of animated effects, your Decades of Horror 1970s Grue-Crew is glad to have covered Warlock. Currently, Warlock is available VOD and on Blu-ray as part of the Warlock 1-3 Collection from Lionsgate.

Every two weeks, Gruesome Magazine’s Decades of Horror 1980s podcast will cover another horror film from the 1980s. The next episode’s film, chosen by Chad will be Madman (1981). You won’t want to miss that one!

Please let them know how they’re doing! They want to hear from you – the coolest, grooviest fans: leave them a message or leave a comment on the gruesome Magazine Youtube channel, on the website or email the Decades of Horror 1980s podcast hosts at [email protected]

Check out this episode!

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samreidfan27 · 3 years

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Did my best at making this a light blue / grey .

Blue / grey themed aesthetic of Giles Redferne :) from the first Warlock movie .

Made on : PicsArt .

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the-master-cylinder · 4 years

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SUMMARY The Warlock is taken captive in Boston, Massachusetts in 1691 by the witch-hunter Giles Redferne. He is sentenced to death for his activities, including the death of Redferne’s wife, but before the execution, Satan appears and propels the Warlock forward in time to late 20th century Los Angeles, California. Redferne follows through the portal.

When the Warlock crash lands in the flat of a waitress named Kassandra and her gay roommate, Chas, he is taken in by them. While Kassandra is out, the Warlock attacks Chas, cutting off his finger with a carving knife to acquire his ring, before biting out his tongue, leaving him to die of shock. The Warlock confronts a fake psychic, tricking her into allowing her to be possessed by Satan who tells him to reassemble The Grand Grimoire, a book scattered in three pieces across the world that will reveal the “true” name of God which when spoken backwards will unmake Creation. Satan promises to make the Warlock his second-in-command if he accomplishes this task. Ripping out the psychic’s eyes and using them as a Satanic compass, the Warlock finds the first piece of the Grand Grimoire hidden inside an antique table at Kassandra’s flat. Whilst there, he places an ageing curse upon her and takes her bracelet. Redferne arrives with a “witch compass” with which to track the Warlock. After Redferne explains some basic rules of Witches and Warlocks, such as their weakness to purified salt, Kassandra follows him in order to regain her bracelet which will break the spell and allow her to become young again. Meanwhile the Warlock acquires the power of flight by murdering an unbaptised child and boiling his fat.

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Using Redferne’s witch-compass, Redferne and Kassandra pursue the Warlock to the rural home of a Mennonite family where the Warlock has located the second piece of the Grimoire, increasing his power. After a brief battle with Redferne, the Warlock attempts to fly away but is struck down by a weathervane thrown by Redferne. Redferne, Kassandra and the Mennonite couple hold the Warlock down and attempt to bind his hands and feet with a pair of blessed manacles that will stop him from using his power but the Warlock hexes the Mennonite farmer with the Evil Eye before escaping on foot. Redferne gives Kassandra a blessed hammer with which to hammer nails into the Warlock’s footprints while he and the farmer’s wife carry the ailing farmer back to the house. While the Warlock sheds his shackles, Kassandra follows him and hammers nails into his footprints, causing the Warlock unbearable agony. He manages to escape via a train but not before Kassandra recovers her bracelet from him, restoring her youth. The farmer dies, leaving Redferne even more determined to hunt the Warlock. Kassandra does not wish to go with him but is reluctantly persuaded to when Redferne tells her that the Warlock intends to destroy the universe.

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They take a plane to follow the Warlock to Boston where the third and final piece of the Grand Grimoire is supposed to be buried on sacred earth. There they arrive at the Church where the Grimoire is held and warn the local priest that the Warlock is coming for it. The priest, whose family have protected the Grimoire for generations, reassures Redferne and Kassandra that the book is buried in sacred earth, directing them to the graveyard where it is buried. Upon arriving however, Kassandra realises that due to construction, many coffins have been moved from the graveyard to the other side, which is not consecrated ground. They find Redferne’s coffin and break it open to get the Grimoire when the Warlock arrives, having forced the priest to reveal the location of the book by threatening to give his wife a miscarriage. Redferne quickly carries the book onto hallowed ground but the Warlock grabs Kassandra and threatens to kill her if Redferne does not bring him the book. Redferne challenges the Warlock to a fair fight without weapons or magic and the Warlock agrees. He flings Kassandra into a lake and he and Redferne fight. The Warlock quickly gains the advantage and Redferne is forced to cheat by throwing soil from the sacred ground in the Warlock’s face. With the rules broken, the Warlock uses his magical abilities to subdue Redferne and claim possession of the final third of the Grimore. He assembles it and learns the true name of God.

Before the Warlock can speak the word backwards, however, Kassandra stabs him in the neck with the syringe she normally uses to inject insulin, which she has filled with salt water from the lake. The Warlock’s throat seals shut and he bursts into flames. Redferne and Kassandra bid one another an emotional farewell before Redferne returns to his own time. Kassandra takes the Grimoire and buries it in the middle of the Bonneville Salt Flats.

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DEVELOPMENT The project began in the mind of writer D. T. Twohy, “For a long time I was dabbling with the premise that the warlock would be the good guy,” said Twohy in an interview during filming at a church in the Charlestown neighborhood of Boston. “I spent, if not wasted, a good six to eight weeks trying to make the warlock somebody who was persecuted during the witch craze of the 17th century, and came forward to this time and experienced much the same persecution here for other reasons. It didn’t work that way. Only when I reversed that expectation and made the warlock a bad guy did everything begin to fall into place.”

His script was first discovered in the offices of Inter-Ocean Films, a company that specializes in the sale of movies to foreign territories. After they spent some time developing the script together, a director and another writer were brought in to work on it, but it still wasn’t filmable, according to producer Arnold Kopelson. It was at that point that New World Pictures suggested bringing in director Steve Miner. Recalled Kopelson, “They had been suggesting him right from the beginning. When we finally got together I realized this guy was right.”

Miner returned to Twohy’s earlier draft, and worked with him on fashioning the final screenplay. Such was their relationship that Twohy was accorded the rare privilege for a screenwriter of being present during production. Twohy said that it’s “reflective of the relationship I have with Steve Miner. He and I became creative brethren on this project. We saw no reason to terminate that relationship.”

One thing that meant was that Twohy began to get involved in considering financial limitations on the film. While early on he refused to let such matters “inhibit my imagination,” he found certain practical problems when he and Miner began budgeting out the special effects. The film’s total budget could not exceed $15 million. One such problem arose with one of the warlock’s powers: the ability to create ectoplasm which could then be hurled as a bolt at his helpless victim.

“We feared for a while that we’d have to trim our ectoplasm out,” said Twohy. “We rewrote it, taking it out, but in the rewrite we couldn’t really find a suitable replacement for it. So we wound up switching special effects companies to somebody who could do it more economically and so they say-better.” Dreamquest was originally scheduled to do the special optical effects, including the ectoplasm. They were replaced by Perpetual Motion. Its proprietor, Barry Nolan, became the optical effects supervisor for the film. Such things as whether the budget is too high or too low remains relative, of course. Kopelson noted that WARLOCK will be “the most expensive movie that New World Pictures has ever been involved with.”

Miner also had a large say in the casting. Kopelson had wanted Lori Singer and Julian Sands, but it was Miner who suggested that Sands play the warlock instead of the witchhunter. Kopelson agreed, recalling what Oliver Stone had done casting Willem Dafoe and Tom Berenger against type in PLATOON. Asked about Sands being cast against type, Miner laughed, “You don’t know Julian, obviously. To me, he’s always been a perfect warlock.”

For his part Sands said he “liked doing something a little different” since this is the “first malevolently sinister role” he has gotten to play. Sands also enjoyed playing with some of the humorous elements of the script, “If you can make a cocktail of BEWITCHED and THE ÉXORCIST you’ll get an idea of what the warlock is capable of.”

Miner insisted that both the warlock and Redferne the witchhunter be cast with English actors. Richard E. Grant, who makes his American film debut as Redferne. “I thought it was very important to cast the two males with English actors,” said Miner. “It starts in colonial United States which was an extension of England. They’d been off the boat for five years, ten years at the most. They’re English.”

That desire to at least make a stab at realism in the midst of a story about a warlock is what brought the production to Copps’ Hill cemetery in Boston’s historic North End-a short walk from Paul Revere’s house. The production built its own version of Boston Harbor, including the city’s skyline, on a Los Angeles soundstage.

While Miner’s credentials both inside and outside the horror genre are secure, for most filmmakers such films are used as a stepping stone to what are perceived as more prestigious projects. Why, then, would a producer who has an Oscar on his mantelpiece for one of the most successful Vietnam films want to make a film about witchcraft and the supernatural?

As Sands noted. screenwriter Twohy has invested the dialogue with a great deal of humor and put a fresh spin on conventional horror flick wisdom. Miner has done all he can to bring it convincingly to the screen. eliciting solid performances from everyone but Singer who, apparently, was difficult on the set. Worse. the people holding the purse strings at the late, lamented New World handcuffed Miner. whose FX ambitions exceeded his cash flow.

Sands understands Miner’s dilemma. “The thing about a limited, budget is it means people really have to think very hard and the preparation has to be very good. They have to be alert and inventive. Despite the limited millions, you have to put every dollar on the screen. Steve did just that. He’s a very balanced director.

The budget crunch forced Miner to create atmosphere and to suggest, more than he shows. Still, Warlock boasts its share of gruesome moments, such as the chopping off of fingers and the aforementioned tongue-biting and eye-gouging. Sands didn’t hesitate to go all out for the nastier scenes. “You’ve got to go for those.” Sands maintains. “That’s the fun for me. I enjoyed playing those scenes for just whoever was in the room, one or two dozen people. That was an audience and it was a performance. Now, it’s there for whoever sees the film.

“That was the appeal of the Warlock for me, that sort of heightened, almost stylized fun to be had with this malevolent creature. A lot of my friends said. Oh, you shouldn’t do a horror film, blah, blah, blah. But I just do what I feel I’ll enjoy.”

The tongue-bite scene, however, nearly made the actor ill. “It’s a hell of a French kiss. I did feel like throwing up after I bit it out of the actor’s mouth and it was sitting in mine. I was just happy to spit it into the frying pan,” he jokes.

SPECIAL EFFECTS A scene that proved too unpleasant for some people was Warlock’s breaking lady” sequence. In it. Sands freezes the body of the topless channeler (Woronov), knocks it to the ground and proceeds to stomp on her chest until he frees Satan’s eyes from her breasts. Now. Sands merely plucks out Woronov’s eyes, not exactly something we haven’t seen before, “That first sequence was shot. and I don’t know why it was cut: I think audiences at test screenings found it just too much.” Sands muses. “I don’t know who was in the audience, whether it was executives or people’s wives or brothers. But yes, the eyeballs used to be in the breasts. I see them.” details Sands in a most happy voice, “and I freeze her up and she falls over. I stomp all over her breasts to get to the eyes balls. People just found that too politically offensive, too humanitarianly offensive. There was something too brutal about the Warlock’s boots stomping on her.

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Woronov was outfitted in the scene with latex appliance breasts devised by Oscar nominee Carl Fullerton, the film’s makeup supervisor, who was assisted by Neal Martz. The building of the breakable glass body was largely the work of Neal Martz, experimenting with candy glass. “The actual manufacturing was done by myself and Vinnie Altamore,” Martz states. “We had to paint in a layer of skin first inside the negative mold.

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Underneath that, you’d have fascia or fat, and next to the fat come the muscle groups. Then you have bones and organs. It was all made of candy glass. Most of the candy glass people said you couldn’t mold it. We went the route of painting it in and letting it dry. You’d get a few cracks, and then you’d paint another layer, and that would seal those cracks. We did it for a test, and it worked so well that we decided this is the way we’d have to go because the look of it was exactly what they wanted.”

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The transformation sequence was achieved through a combination of picturization and lap-dissolving. “We put her in a chair that would lock off her head,” Fullerton says. “We colored her a little. The important thing is that the subject does not move. We had to shoot three different stages of her in the freezing-up process, which we did with complicated coloration and also an ice material that we added to her. That worked beautifully.”

Miner reportedly reshot the scene with a demonic makeup to suggest the eyes are ripped from the psychic’s face instead.

Another effect in the film that did not come off as planned was Fullerton’s elaborate old-age prosthetic makeup for Lori Singer, who plays a hip waitress who befriends the witchhunter and gets caught up in the battle of good vs. evil. For a sequence where Singer is aged prematurely by the warlock, Fullerton came up with a series of makeups to progressively age the young actress. Although the elaborate prosthetics had been tested and okayed, Singer nixed them on the day of shooting. The first stage of the makeup was to suggest an age of 40 years. Singer refused to wear any prosthetics for this stage at all, forcing Fullerton to resort to such techniques as stippling, shadow, and a grey wig.

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For the more advanced makeup, intended to suggest an age of 60, Singer agreed to wear appliances on her cheeks and chin but not on her nose or eyes. This was a considerable frustration for Fullerton, who found it difficult to blend the prosthetics on Singer’s face. “She has all the classic signs of youthful beauty: smooth skin, long neck, blonde hair,” said Fullerton. “It’s my feeling that she designed the makeup. That’s a personal defeat for me, but will that ruin the film? No: if the scene plays well, it will still work.”

The optical effects for WARLOCK are the work of Perpetual Motion, a small effects company brought onto the production when the original effects supplier failed to submit an acceptable budget. Visual effects supervisor Patrick Reed Johnson gave the work to Perpetual Motion because “Most of the places we talked to had staffs of 40 or 50. Perpetual Motion has a grand total of six-a small efficient crew.”

With almost no time for preparation, such as steady-testing cameras for plate photography, and no one from Perpetual Motion available to be on the set, Johnson underwent a promotion to Visual Effects Supervisor and went to Boston to supervise the shooting of background plates for later optical work.

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“We’ve done a few unorthodox things in terms of shooting plate shots,” said Johnson. One composite scene that required effective miming from Grant involved the witchhunter throwing a weather vane like a javelin at the flying warlock and impaling him in the back. Johnson suggested shooting it optically instead of the physical effect that was planned. “So we filmed Grant as though he had the vane in his hand and then the warlock Sand’s stunt double reacting with the proper timing.” said Johnson. “We’re going to blue-screen in the miniature weather vane and shadow, and have it sail a distance of 100 feet.”

POST PRODUCTION

Another deleted scene shows the Warlock using a spell involving a chicken to track Redferne and Kassandra. A version of the scene remains in the novelization.

SCORE/SOUNDTRACK

Warlock (1989) Jerry Goldsmith

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CAST/CREW Directed Steve Miner

Produced Steve Miner

Written David Twohy

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

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY Cinefantastique v19n03 Cinefantastique v19n04 Fangoria#80 Fangoria#84 Fangoria#101

Warlock (1989) Retrospective SUMMARY The Warlock is taken captive in Boston, Massachusetts in 1691 by the witch-hunter Giles Redferne. He is sentenced to death for his activities, including the death of Redferne's wife, but before the execution, Satan appears and propels the Warlock forward in time to late 20th century Los Angeles, California.

#80sFilms #80sHORROR #NewWorld

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