Les sorcières de la nuit

Melissa Sue Anderson is surprisingly menacing as a California high school senior whose peers and teachers have a way of falling ill around her--or dying! Seems Anderson practices witchcraft and worships the Devil (or is that redundant?); she has plans to use her powers to get everything she wants, but another student (Mary Beth McDonough as the good girl) may stand in her way. TV thriller featuring television stars out of their usual element (Anderson on leave from "Little House on the Prairie" and McDonough temporarily leaving Walton's Mountain behind). Director Rod Holcomb mounts the story well, and he handles Anderson's continual slow-burn without an overlay of the expected camp, but Juanita Bartlett's teleplay runs out of ideas too soon, leaving the third act riddled with "Bewitched"-like special effects. Bartlett confuses telekinesis with witchcraft, turning her lead characters in Carrie-wannabes.

A very middling TV movie from a genre which is usually fantastic. MIDNIGHT OFFERINGS just feels rather weak and tame in terms of its plotting and ideas, and Wes Craven's SUMMER OF FEAR, a similarly-themed TV movie from the 1970s which predates it, was a lot, lot, better.

The storyline involves a couple of teenage witch rivals fighting over a jock in your typical American high school. Some of the fun comes from the fact that both girls come from long-running American soaps: evil witch Melissa Sue Anderson is off the back of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, while good witch Mary Beth McDonough comes from THE WALTONS. Watching these two actresses squaring up is kind of fun, but there isn't much fun overall.

Too much of the running time is dragged out with discussions involving disbelieving characters and the supernatural action, when it hits, is over and done with too quickly. It's not that MIDNIGHT OFFERINGS is a particularly bad film per se - the climax is effective and there are some genuinely spooky moments handled well on the low budget - it's just that American TV movies from this era are often much, much better (like DARK NIGHT OF THE SCARECROW for instance).

What impressed me the most about the script writer Jaunita Bartlett (who also wrote episodes for the Greatest American Hero) was her in-depth research into the darker side of witch craft. The Demonic charges that Vivian Sutherland summons to do her bidding actually came from various text of witch craft. Star packed actors like Melisa Sue Anderson (Little House On The Praire) and Mary McDonough (The Waltons) Patrick Cassidy and Marion Ros (Happy Days) the movie was shocking for it's time. Vivian's complete lack of concern for the welfare of others is disturbing! However, in retrospect the magical show downs between Vivian and Robin are anti-climatic and appear weak and awkward by standards expected by the audiences of today. Yet it still remains a favorite of mine. I keep waiting for this movie to be released on DVD. Two other movies around this period come to mind. The original 1978 "Initiation of Sarah" similar to "Carie" and "Stranger In Our House" (also known as Summer Of Fear) staring Linda Blair. Both are recommended if you like "Witchy" movies.

I saw this when it first came out, probably because I had a big crush on Mary McDonough (that hasn't changed). I was amazed how many of the lines I remembered, particularly in the classic kitchen confrontation between Vivien and her mother (a superb Cathryn Damon). Seeing it again, I was startled 40 minutes into it to realize that there were virtually no special effects at all. Everything was done by suggestion, and by showing Vivien's malice and its effects on others. It took itself completely seriously -- no effort to be hip, no constant pop culture references, no embarrassment at being a witch movie -- and that is the ONLY way to do a good scary movie. A lot of people have mentioned Melissa Sue Anderson's portrayal of Vivien, and she was great, but I think some people miss how perfect Mary McDonough was as Robin. Her beauty has a kind of introspective, far-away quality that perfectly suits the shy new girl in school, who is nonetheless hiding a troubling secret. Now I just have to find Stranger in Our House (Lee Purcell and Linda Blair) and wait for the first installment of Friday the 13th the Series (Robey, John Le May, Chris Wiggins) to come out and I'm set!

It's the Waltons vs. Little House On The Devil Worshipping Prairie. In other words... fun.

The ravishing, outgoing & confident Vivian rules the school. She's pretty, popular and dating the school stud. It's all about her and she aims to keep it that way. Did I mention that she can morph into a crow or a cat and she has a shrine to Satan set up in her bedroom? Enter Robin Prentiss: New girl in town. She's mousey, she's shy, and Vivian's boyfriend takes an immediate liking to her. You know what that means...Meow! Black cat-fight!

If you've seen "The Craft" then you've seen this. There are numerous similiarities, right down to the physical resemblances of the lead actresses. You know the drill: Good witch vs. Big Bad Bitch Witch. Good witch seeks out mentoring from old, dried-up, brittle witch (played here by Marion Ross, "Mrs. C." from Happy Days). They engage in supernatural combat by magically hurling household appliances at each other (the battle in the high-school shop class is priceless and lame, but mostly fun. Think: Attack of the killer paint-sprayer!)

Melissa Sue Anderson is a pure diva riot as Vivian, biggest witch in town, and she plays it to the hilt. Three cheers to Melissa Sue for a truly memorable screen villianess who's not afraid to apply her eye makeup with a butter-knife. Mary McDonough is less fun to watch, and her performance is perhaps a whisker above the realm of bad acting...but hey, the good girls in these kinds of movies are never that interesting to watch anyways.

Look for Vanna White and Dana Kimmel ("Friday The 13th Part 3") in sub-minor roles and pearl-clutching 80's mall fashions.

So bad it's good, accept the offer and have a laugh. Rent it. Then cast a cleansing spell on yourself to help you forget that you did.