THE SPELL
US, 1977, 86 minutes, Colour.
Lee Grant, Susan Meyers, Lelia Goldoni, Helen Hunt.
Directed by Lee Philips.
A telemovie which is a spinoff from Carrie. It starts very similarly to Carrie but moves more towards a theme of the occult. There is a school girl heroine who has mystertous powers - for destructhon. While Carrie's mother was a religious fanatic, Rita’s mother is much more humane although she also has religious powers. The film looks too much like an imitation Carrie at first but then moves off with a life of its own, quite enjoyable and interesting but adapted to home viewing which takes some of the crunch out of it. Lee Grant is very strong as the mother. Enjoyable and interesting as a televIsion adaptation of the movie themes of the mid seventies.
1. An enjoyable and interesting telemovie? The use of television techniques? in terms of suspense and continued interest? how well did the screenplay adapt the seventies' cult themes for home viewing?
2. The quality of the film and its screen play, its being derived from the genres popular in the seventies, people's expectations? Did the film after taking its derivations move to a lifd of its own or not?
3. Audience response to the occult, to spells and psychic powers, to ordinary people as mediums of this power? How credible were these themes and their presentation? Do people really believe that such events can happen and such powers exist? In the middle of ordinary towns and homes?
4. The film using the techniques of mystery and sudden revelations about what Rita was doing, the powers of the gym, Marion’s own powers at the end?
5. The portrait of American family life, school life? Bonds of love, tensions, dislike and even hatred? Parents and their relationship to their children? Children and their relationship with one another? The uglier aspects of the tensions within family life and the repressed vengeance? Revenge?
6. Glen in himself, his role in the family, his favouring Kristina, his ridicule and offending Rita? The growing bitterness towards Rita? The contrast with Marion and her influence in the house? Her love for her daughters? For Glen? His build-up to the vengeance being exercised within the family?
7. How well did the film depict Rita: fat, the girls ridiculing her in the gym, her being hurt and vengeful? The importance of her malicious looks? The gym sequence and the fall of the girl, the build-up to the other deathd, the threat to Kris as she was swimming, the appearances of Rita’s face in these crises situations?
8. How well did the film explain Rita’s power, the revelation that it was the gym mistress with the powers and who communicated them to her, the nature of the spell and the incantations etc.? The confrontation with the mistress? Marion following her and the confrontation with Rita and Marion, the smashing of things in the house and Marion winning? What did this reveal about psychic power and mediums?
9. The visual presentation of deaths and their horror? The reaction of the expert on the psychic and occult and his comments on the death, his explanations to Marion?
10. The film finishing with a balance of power? A temporary peace, the potential for further eruptions?
11. How credible was the basic plot, the characterization? A glance at American society in the seventies, the preoccupation with the occult?
