Las Brujas de Eastwick

Three lonely New England women (Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer) dream of a man to satisfy their every need as they suffer from isolation with their husbands constantly away. That man---Jack Nicholson (always on a lucky streak it seems). Wicked little comedy with Jack going over the top and having great fun with the helter-skelter material. The women (Cher and Sarandon in particular) match his intensity and the star power makes up for the crazed screenplay and unsteady direction by George Miller. Overall I liked "The Witches of Eastwick". I am not quite sure why I did, but once again Nicholson proves that if there is just enough substance available that he can raise mediocre film-making techniques and share the spotlight with his fellow co-stars. 4 stars out of 5.

Yes, one of the best years for movies. 1987. Tons of great movies came out and this was one of the best! A great mix of dark comedy, thrills and the supernatural. To this day I'm wondering where Michelle P. got those bruises on her face like she was beat up when Jack visits her and it is pouring rain out. Maybe there was a scene that they cut out of the movie? Oh well, this is a great movie with great music, great New England scenery, great direction by Mad Max George Miller and a great screenplay. This is one of the rare cases where the movie is BETTER than the book. Have a devilishly good time with The Witches Of Eastwick, daddy-o! Jack Nick is the coolest cat on Earth!!!

From the director who brought us Mad Max comes a modern-day fairy tale of sorts that examines the age-old battle of the sexes. Alex (Cher), Jane (Susan Sarandon) and Sukie (Michelle Pfeiffer) are three single women who live in the sleepy New England town of Eastwick. Since all of them lack a man in their lives, and are dissatisfied with the ones who are in town, they wish for a handsome stranger to visit. Miraculously, their wish is granted when Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) strolls into town and succeeds in turning their lives (and the town's) upside down. For the most part, I thought that the story was very effective in setting up its characters and giving them depth, even Daryl. The three women who are the titular "Witches of Eastwick" were all distinct personalities and had situations that made you care about them. Generally speaking, the performances were all very good, although Jack Nicholson towers above the rest of the cast as he brings his brand of insanity to what is essentially the devil in human form. Even the whole "witch" thing was dealt with rather subtly, as the women only become witches by finding the power within themselves. It is this struggle between male and female power which forms the core conflict of the film, and it is a compelling one even though it has been many times over in various forms. The townspeople are also given some development, although probably not enough to warrant the attention provided them. There are references made to the Salem witch trials, and the wife of the town's newspaper editor (Richard Jenkins...with hair!) acts as the mouthpiece for morality when the the three "witches" start their relationship with Daryl. Despite this interesting aside, I think it detracts a little bit from the main conflict. Moving on, I also thought that John Williams' score was fantastic and had this magical/mysterious quality that really meshed with the story and visuals. It's not his best score, but it was still a very good one. There were also a number of special effects by ILM which I thought were also well-done, especially considering this was made in 1987. Overall, I thought this was a very entertaining and funny movie that presented a well-worn theme in a fresh way. The only detraction, I think, is that there's a bit of a mean streak in regards to the portrayal of the male characters which might turn that half of the audience off. Still, this is a quality film that shows off director George Miller's versatility and the acting talents of its cast.

When I first saw that Cher was staring in this I was curious about it, granted I was only a teenager, but a movie about withes, with three leading ladies and a leading man, I was interested. Sometimes when too many movie stars are in one movie it doesn't work or it comes off too forced, but this one didn't. I love Cher's natural line delivery and it worked well for the character. Michelle Pfeiffer is anything but a shrinking violet, but she did that character well and even came of motherly and compassionate as her character was supposed to. Susan Sarandon did a 180 and went from prude to vixen and convincingly so. Jack Nicolson was magnificent, nothing more needs to be said.

The writing was interesting, the story was interesting, the setting was interesting and every time I have watched this movie since I have been captivated from beginning to end. Three friends are hanging out, a stranger comes into town and seduces them and unlocks some sort of magic in the air. A woman picks up on it, goes crazy and tries to warn everyone, all while breaking bones and puking cherry pits (an iconic scene occurs in the church and I've worked diligently over the year to memorize and recite the whole thing...I find it difficult not to recite when I'm in church with pews.) The friends try and get rid of him but it proves difficult.

See this movie, you may think it's stupid, and maybe it is, but it's a fun kind of stupid you'll want to watch again and again.

What fun Nicholson must have had with this! He really hams it up here. Very good supporting work by Cher, Susan Sarandon, Michelle Pfieffer, and Veronica Cartwright. The plot is a little bit impenetrable. The "witches" are at first unaware of their power. I suppose I should read Updike's novel, but the one book of his I did read sucked. Anyway, I recommend the film, for it seems a bit different than normal Hollywood formula.