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Witches' Brew

  • 1980
  • PG
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
4.4/10
276
YOUR RATING
Lana Turner in Witches' Brew (1980)
Body Swap ComedyComedyHorror

Three women use witchcraft to aid their professor husbands' careers. When a promotion opens, they turn against each other. Satirical horror about academic ambition and jealousy.Three women use witchcraft to aid their professor husbands' careers. When a promotion opens, they turn against each other. Satirical horror about academic ambition and jealousy.Three women use witchcraft to aid their professor husbands' careers. When a promotion opens, they turn against each other. Satirical horror about academic ambition and jealousy.

  • Directors
    • Richard Shorr
    • Herbert L. Strock
  • Writers
    • Syd Dutton
    • Richard Shorr
    • Fritz Leiber Jr.
  • Stars
    • Teri Garr
    • Richard Benjamin
    • Lana Turner
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    4.4/10
    276
    YOUR RATING
    • Directors
      • Richard Shorr
      • Herbert L. Strock
    • Writers
      • Syd Dutton
      • Richard Shorr
      • Fritz Leiber Jr.
    • Stars
      • Teri Garr
      • Richard Benjamin
      • Lana Turner
    • 9User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Photos34

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    Top cast32

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    Teri Garr
    Teri Garr
    • Margaret Lightman
    Richard Benjamin
    Richard Benjamin
    • Joshua Lightman
    Lana Turner
    Lana Turner
    • Vivian Cross
    James Winkler
    • Linus Cross
    • (as James R. Winker, James Winker)
    Kathryn Leigh Scott
    Kathryn Leigh Scott
    • Susan Carey
    Bill Sorrells
    • Nick Carey
    Kelly Jean Peters
    Kelly Jean Peters
    • Linda Reynolds
    Jordan Charney
    Jordan Charney
    • Charlie Reynolds
    Nathan Roth
    • Ben Cohn
    Barbara Minkus
    • Saleswoman
    • (as Barbara Minkus-Barron)
    Bonnie Gondell
    • Marcia Groton
    Angus Scrimm
    Angus Scrimm
    • Carl Groton
    • (as Lawrence Guy)
    Carlos Royval
    • Patrol Officer #1
    Tony Kulik
    • Patrol Officer #2
    Gerald Ray
    • Meter Officer #1
    Corky Behrle
    • Meter Officer #2
    • (as Charles 'Corky' Behrle)
    Leonard Chichester
    • Meter Officer #3
    Richard Stobie
    • Security Officer
    • Directors
      • Richard Shorr
      • Herbert L. Strock
    • Writers
      • Syd Dutton
      • Richard Shorr
      • Fritz Leiber Jr.
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews9

    4.4276
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    Featured reviews

    lor_

    Failed fantasy sitcom

    My review was written in January 1985 after watching the film on Showtime.

    "Witches' Brew", a/k/a "Which Witch is Which?" is a comedy about witchcraft filmed in 1978, revamped years later by film doctor Herbert L. Strock and finally surfacing on pay-cable after having been shelved for theatrical release and subjected to litigation. Review here is for the record.

    An impressive toplined cast is trapped in this amateurish production, revolving around the sitcom premise (in the vein of the "Bewitched" tv series) of housewife Margaret (Teri Garr) helping her college psychology prof hubby Joshua (Richard Benjamin) get ahead via witchcraft. His luck changes for the worse when she lifts all her benevolent spells, after Joshua marks her aid.

    Key point of historical interest is that "Brew" relies upon exactly the same premise employed years later in Carl Reiner's Steve Martin hit "All of Me": wicked witch Vivian (Lana Turner) is ailing, but contrives to shift her soul into pupil Margaret's body having willed her fortune to "Margaret". Even the differing mirror image gimmick is trotted out here.

    Garr and Benjamin make a comfortable team, but entire cast is hurt by poor sound recording, unfunny dialog ("Bat jowls" is frequently repeated for supposed sure-fire laughs) and terrible continuity.
    1moonspinner55

    "I'm turning in my bat guano!".. final film for Lana Turner is a slapdash affair

    Three modern-day housewives casually use witchcraft to further their husbands' careers. Only one of the couples, Teri Garr and Richard Benjamin, are nicely-matched (brightly-zonked Garr can make any screen-partner look good), but this sloppy comedic rendering of 1944's "Weird Woman" (and its popular remake, 1962's "Burn, Witch, Burn") had a troubled production that shows its seams on-screen. Poorly written, directed, photographed and edited, the film served as the final bow for actress Lana Turner (in a throwaway role as sort of a matriarch witch) and should be justly forgotten. NO STARS from ****
    1jclark-29

    Groaner based on an excellent if dated horror story

    I stumbled across this movie on cable and watched for a while, thinking with Benjamin and Garr it wouldn't be a complete waste of time. Wrong! To compound the disappointment of wooden performances, I eventually realized the plot was lifted right out of Fritz Leiber's "Conjure Wife" -- a wonderful horror tale set in academia. If you go for horror and/or "weird tales", find the book (and read Leiber's "Our Lady of Darkness" while you're at it -- it's better). But forget this movie. Closest video approximation to the tone of Leiber's work is the Night Gallery episode, "The Dead Man". A student of Lovecraft, Leiber is one of the true greats in weird fiction.
    6Uriah43

    The Perils of Dabbling in Witchcraft

    "Joshua Lightman" (Richard Benjamin) is a college professor who seems to have everything going for him which includes an attractive and loving wife named "Margaret" (Teri Garr) and an extremely rewarding career in which all kinds of good things just happen to come his way. What he doesn't fully realize is that the reason for much of this is because his wife dabbles in witchcraft and has placed multiple spells upon him which ensures his good luck at every opportunity. Unfortunately, during the course of one of these spells, he and Margaret have a disagreement and because of that she decides to revoke all of them to teach him a lesson. This, in turn, creates all kinds of trouble for him which even Margaret did not foresee. To matter matters even worse, because of his recent success, one of Margaret's friends by the name of "Susan Carey" (Kathryn Leigh Scott) becomes so concerned that Joshua's upward mobility will impact her own husband's career that she puts a curse on him to slow his progress down as well. But as bad as that is it is nothing compared to what a woman named "Vivian Cross" (Lana Turner) has in mind for the two of them. Now, rather than reveal any more, I will just say that this was a pretty good low-budget film which benefitted from the presence of two attractive actresses like Teri Garr and Kathryn Leigh Scott. That being said, however, it still suffered somewhat from its rather limited financial resources and for that reason I have rated it accordingly. Slightly above average.
    6mosesgthre

    A fun kid flick

    This was a successful scary but funny flick for kids between 8 and 14 years of age. Teri Garr is an excellent actress. If there was ever a Bewitched character to replace Montgomery, Garr would have been perfect. This film is something to remember, is funny, and in its time, it was fun to watch. Today's movies, sure, somebody rents it and of course it's cheesy. Check out Rocky 1. Check out Star Wars 1. Great movies then, but today, they play like a radio on while you focus on fixing the car out in the garage or cutting the lawn. This movie is fun and I give it 6 out of 10. It is a classic to slapstick horror. The other characters in the movie are interesting.

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    Related interests

    Jennifer Garner in 13 Going on 30 (2004)
    Body Swap Comedy
    Will Ferrell in Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (2004)
    Comedy
    Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby (1968)
    Horror

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Final theatrical film role of Lana Turner.
    • Connections
      Featured in Vintage Video: A Chronological 80's Film Rewatch Podcast: Witches' Brew (1980) (2020)
    • Soundtracks
      Witches' Brew
      Sung by Joyce Vincent Wilson

      Lyrics by Lennie Bleecher

      Music by John Carl Parker (as John Parker)

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    FAQ15

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 31, 1980 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • French
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Weird Woman
    • Filming locations
      • Southern California, California, USA(Location)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $700,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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    • Runtime
      • 1h 38m(98 min)
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Mono

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