Spellbinder: Ein teuflischer Plan

I really enjoyed Spellbinder! It's a good mix of Thriller, Suspense, Horror, Witchcraft with a plot twist at the end that was unexpected the first time I viewed it. Spellbinder has a great cast, including Timothy Daly (Wings), Kelly Preston (Mrs. John Travolta), Rick Rossovich (Top Gun), and Audra Lindley (Mrs. Roper from 3's Company). It's definitely worth the rental price if you like horror and thriller movies. :) As of today (May 7, 2001) it looks like this title is not currently available on VHS or DVD (what a shame!)

If you liked "The Wicker Man", you'll love this tale of attraction, seduction and ultimate deception. By now, the "twist" ending won't even seem new to most horror/suspense fans, having seen something similar so many times before. It is nicely done, however, and there may still be a few people who are knocked off the couch when it happens. The old cliché "be careful what you wish for" has never been more apropos than in this story's case, and SPELLBINDER for its time was a lot better than most DTV movies had a right to be. Solid performances by all definitely help along a better-than-average script, and watch for that truly frightening performance by, of all people, AUDRA LINDLEY, (Mrs. Roper from THREE'S COMPANY and its spin off, THE ROPERS, for those of you too young to know or remember.) This one is long overdue for a nice, crisp DVD release, or even a remake!

Around the late 1980s, the ailing MGM studios made or acquired a number of movies that they didn't give much of (if any) a theatrical release. This pickup is one of them, and it's pretty easy to see why for several reasons. It's a pretty flat-looking movie for one thing - while it has elements that got it an "R" rating, aside from those elements the movie feels like it was made for television. The script has a number of problems as well. It does have an ending that is somewhat expected (though is somewhat hard to swallow when you think back of every event that happened before it), but most of the movie is a bunch of boring chat. Worse of all, actor Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa is wasted, given only three or so brief scenes. A movie so unremarkable for the most part, one has to wonder why it was thought to be worth making.

Just seeing a 25-year-old Kelly Preston makes this movie worth watching, and, boy, do we get to see her.

Jeff (Tim Daly) apparently finds the girl of his dreams (Preston), and things are going great until her friends show up looking for her. She has a past that she hasn't explained.

Soon, they are battling a coven of witches that want her back. It all builds up to the night of the Winter Solstice.

The twist at the end caught me by surprise, and really made the movie.

You have to give props to writer Tracy Tormé, who really stacked some surprises in this film.

Jeff Mills, is an Los Angeles lawyer who one night encounters a young woman who gets in a very heated argument with one very creepy man. But Jeff rescues her, and offers her a lift home, but she ends staying with him at his house and romantic bliss, blossoms between Miranda and Jeff. Although the man did warned him about crossing his path and he finds out the hard way, that there's a murderous cult who want Miranda back and they will do anything in doing so.

Where have you been hiding?! Now I didn't really know anything at all about this feature. The actual title simply caught my eye and I was up for something new, and the gamble definitely worked out for the best. I'm just really surprised that this gem of a occult thriller is very under-appreciated and got a somewhat below-average rating on here. Sure, the story's structure is far from original, but I couldn't help but be fascinated by this mysteriously, well-drawn up and tightly knitted premise. Tracy Torme's cracking story plays it's the audience like a yo-yo and we are kept intrigued by it's real dreariness, supernatural currents and sinister happenings. The way the stimulating script unravels just leaves you hanging there, until it reaches its very familiar, but unsettling climax that still packs a sting. But what happens after that, makes it even more cunningly cold and compelling. Director Janet Greek paints a slow-burn and highly atmospheric tone with a great touch of finesse and gripping suspense. Fluently lush cinematography and a swirlingly moody score really adds to the elegantly mysterious and damn right eerie outset. The acting is way above-average and how can you go pass the sensually luscious Kelly Preston, who is quite bewitching as the very enigmatic young woman, Miranda. Timothy Daly is convincingly likable as the yuppie lawyer Jeff. While, there are strong support roles by Rick Rossovich, Anthony Crivello, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa and Diana Bellamy. It doesn't seem to be moving at a great pace, but with the constant surprises and unsteady developments within this satanic set-up, it really knows how to keep you alert to the possible hints.

A well-conceived, bleak thriller that has a certain, spellbinding appeal about it. Recommended.