The Spell

2/20/19771h 26m

TV Release (US)

~ A taunted, overweight teenager with a mysterious power to destroy her enemies! ~

Overview:

A distraught mother must cope with her embittered daughter who has the ability to cause "accidents" to happen.

Director:

Lee Phillips

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

supernatural
telekinesis
revenge
occult
torment

Cast

Lee Grant

~ as ~

Marion Matchett

Susan Myers

~ as ~

Rita

Lelia Goldoni

~ as ~

Jo Standish

Helen Hunt

~ as ~

Kristina Matchett

Jack Colvin

~ as ~

Dale Boyce

James Olson

~ as ~

Glenn

James Greene

~ as ~

Stan

Wright King

~ as ~

Rian

Barbara Bostock

~ as ~

Jill

Doney Oatman

~ as ~

Jackie

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

Wuchak
Written 3 year(s) ago
5
Television “Carrie” knockoff fused with witchy elements

An outcast girl in high school is teased because she’s a little hefty (Susan Myers) but she seems to have a way of getting back at her persecutors. What’s her secret? Lee Grant plays her caring mother while Helen Hunt is on hand as her rival younger sister (at 13 years of age).

"The Spell" (1977) is TV horror that mixes “Carrie” (1976) with a dab of witchcraft, paving the way for similar television flicks in the future, e.g. “Summer of Fear” (1978) and “Midnight Offerings” (1981).

While this is easily the least of these due to the unlikable protagonist and a curious, slapdash tone, there are several highlights beyond the cast, such as the believable family dynamics, a well-done horror sequence involving a hex and a surprising curveball in the last act.

The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, with a shorter version running 1 hour, 13 minutes (the latter does a good job of editing out the fat). It was shot at Universal Studios, Universal City, California.

GRADE: C+/B- (5.5/10)