Sammy-Jo Cervantes
There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.
Paul Magne Haakonsen
I didn't find this movie particularly scary. And it wasn't because it was from 1986. It simply was because there were no scary moments in the entire movie, and no surprises to the storyline either.For a movie from the mid-Eighties then "Witchboard" was fairly mediocre and there were some more memorably and scary horror movies available from the Eighties.I will say that the acting in "Witchboard" was good, and director Kevin Tenney did a fair job in directing the movie. There was a good build up moments in the movie, but unfortunately they just didn't end in anything thrilling, overly impressive or climatic.The lack of scary moments in "Witchboard" is what ultimately caused it to land on a mediocre shelf. It is adequate for what it turned out to be, just don't expect anything groundbreaking or particularly scary.
begob
Engaged babe summons up a malevolent ouija spirit, and her duelling suitors ride to the rescue. But with consequences ...From the era when actors styled their hair with molten cheese, and every second line was, "Goddammit, don't sneak up on me like that!" An earlier reviewer said this held up well over time - yeah, in the sense that today's ouija films are just as cr*p. Goddamm you, IMDb! I understand it was an inexperienced production, and it does have a good heart. But it shows a complete misunderstanding of horror, with unintended laughs. The final conflict is decent - but then the hilarious neck brace.Overall, no. Just no.
manchester_england2004
WITCHBOARD is a 1980s horror movie about a Ouija Board.The 1980s were a decade where horror was dominated by the slasher genre. I love these movies. They were entertaining and usually tense even if rarely scary. Whether it be Freddy, Jason or Michael, or other works such as THE HOUSE ON SORORITY ROW, SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE, SORORITY HOUSE MASSACRE, VISITING HOURS, SLAUGHTER HIGH, MADMAN or MANIAC, I am definitely a fan of 1980s slasher horror.Non-slasher horrors from the 1980s resulted in a mixed set of works. I love movies like THE CHANGELING, SCANNERS, AFTER MIDNIGHT, CREEPSHOW, DEMONS and DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE. But for each one of these there were plenty I consider sub-par. I thought THE ENTITY, SUPERSTITION, PUPPET MASTER, MAUSOLEUM, SKINNED ALIVE, THE BEAST WITHIN, VIDEODROME, American Gothic, CUJO, ZOMBIE NOSH, MIDNIGHT, PUMPKINHEAD, THE UNSEEN amongst many others were dull, uninspiring works.Before seeing WITCHBOARD, I saw the director's other well-known movie, NIGHT OF THE DEMONS. I can understand the appeal of that movie to fans of 1980s movies. It has all the clichés from the era. But I couldn't get into it at all. I didn't find it effective, scary or particularly entertaining either to be honest. I was very hesitant about seeing WITCHBOARD because of this.But I was wrong because WITCHBOARD is absolutely nothing like NIGHT OF THE DEMONS. There are no teenagers, no silly masks and make-up effects, cheesy sex scenes or gallons of fake blood to be found here. It may have the 1980s costumes and hairstyles but it is different in every other way to a typical 1980s movie.The story sees the spirit of a 10-year old boy, David, who died more than 2000 years ago, released via a Ouija board during a party. Linda Brewster uses the board more and more to the point of obsession. The kindly spirit starts to turn nasty and supernatural occurrences begin.But the story takes many twists and turns. Its strength lays within its solid script and excellent characterisation. This is very much a character-driven affair and the story develops effectively because of it. There was never a dull moment here. The story keeps the viewer guessing as the twists and turns take hold.The two leading male characters - Jim and Brandon - are well fleshed out. The conflict between them in the first half of the movie and how they re-kindle their former strong friendship in the second half was truly compelling, emotionally touching and very realistic.Kevin Tenney's direction is first rate and nothing like his work on NIGHT OF THE DEMONS. Superb camera angles, well-timed sound effects and excellent use of high-pitched chords keep the suspense and tension going in WITCHBOARD.The menacing force is rarely seen but is implied so effectively by the script and the direction. Many of the most horrific and suspenseful scenes actually take place in DAYTIME but this does not do anything to undermine their effectiveness. This is how well-made WITCHBOARD is.The acting is first rate as well. Todd Allen, Tawney Kitaen and Stephen Nichols truly bring their characters to life. There is no overacting here. These actors are nothing like the bland, annoying youngsters you find in a typical 1980s movie. There are thankfully no moronic guys or hysterical young girls to be found.And special mention should be given to Kathleen Wilhoite, whose punk spiritual medium character was one of the most interesting eccentric characters to appear in a horror movie.For those interested, there is one scene of full-frontal female nudity to be found. But it is done in a non-sexual context and in a surprisingly non-gratuitous manner. Again, this is very different from the usual manner nudity features in a typical 1980s movie. I am very fussy in this respect. So if the nudity appeals to me, other guys should be delighted! The only complaint I have is the song over the ending credits. I would rather have had a creepy orchestral score. But this is a minor flaw in an otherwise perfect piece of work.Overall, WITCHBOARD is a truly excellent underrated horror gem from a bygone era. It ranks up high with the best 1980s movies like THE EVIL DEAD and EVILSPEAK in its effectiveness. The low rating on IMDb really is a mystery. I wholeheartedly recommend any horror fan to view it at least once.
lastliberal
The suspense never stopped in this film. I sat the whole time on the edge of my seat wondering just what was going to happen next.Two guys, Jim (Todd Allen) and Brandon (Stephen Nichols) were lifelong friends. Did they have a falling out over Linda (Tawny Kitaen)? They seem to hate each other now, and you always had it in the back of your mind that this had something to do with what was going on.Was there really some evil spirit trying to get out, or was it simply evil in the form of jealousy and hate. The fact that a police detective (Burke Byrnes) was always hanging around added to the suspense.There isn't a lot of gore in the film; it was just eerie suspense that rose to a climax that was really great.As an added bonus we got to see a whole lot of Ms. Kitaen as she was attacked in the shower. Yum.
