Cast a Deadly Spell

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Total Count: N/A

59%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 895

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Movie Info

In a 1940s Los Angeles from another dimension, the entire population has supernatural abilities, save for sleuth Harry Philip Lovecraft (Fred Ward). The strange but affluent Amos Hacksaw (David Warner) trusts Lovecraft because of his distaste for magic, and he recruits the private eye to track down an ancient text. Harry's seemingly straightforward task becomes complicated when he realizes that the object of his mission contains curses that Hacksaw hopes to use for world domination.

Rating:

R
Genre:

mystery and thriller
Original Language:

English
Director:

Martin Campbell
Release Date (Streaming):

Nov 21, 2016
Runtime:

1h 36m
Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Pacific Western
Sound Mix:

Stereo

Cast & Crew

Fred Ward
Det. Harry Philip Lovecraft

David Warner
Amos Hackshaw

Julianne Moore
Connie Stone

Clancy Brown
Harry Bordon

Alexandra Powers
Olivia Hackshaw

Charles Hallahan
Det. Morris Bradbury

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Cast a Deadly Spell

All Critics (1) | Rotten (1)

It drowns in its own shallowness.

September 13, 2013 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

View All Critic Reviews (1)

Audience Reviews for Cast a Deadly Spell

Oct 04, 2011

HOW DID I NOT KNOW THIS MOVIE EXISTED!?!?!?!? Directed by Martin Campbell (Golden Eye & Casino Royal), starring Fred Ward, Clancy Brown, Julianne Moore and David Warner. Cast a Deadly Spell is Lovecraft Noir, complete with hard boiled dialog, grizzled PI's, dirty cops, femme fatales, magic and monsters. Awesome awesome awesome.

Ken S Super Reviewer
Aug 24, 2010

While the naming of our lead Howard Phillips Lovecraft was pointless and done purely for stunt reasons, as was the presence of the Old Ones during the climax, the majority of the film is actually a very clever, very watchable exercise in droll comedy and love of noir. This feels like something Clive Barker could have written and would have made a terrific early '90s tv series.

Eduardo C Super Reviewer
Jul 05, 2008

Zombies, vampires, werewolves, gremlins, drag queens. Add H.P. Lovecraft, the Necronomicon and a bit of magic and you've got yourself one odd film noir.

vieras e Super Reviewer
Jan 05, 2007

It's like HP Lovecraft meets Roger Rabbit... or something. Has all the elements of the classic Film Noir, and some great (and admittedly not so great) monster effects. Worth it for David Warner alone, but Fred Ward's detective, Phil Lovecraft, is right up there with Spade and Marlowe for me.

Steve B Super Reviewer