Something Wicked This Way Comes

Back in the early 80's, in hopes of attracting a wider audience, the Disney studio began releasing hipper and edgier material. Films like The Watcher In The Woods and Midnight Madness were being released from the house of mouse alongside movies like Herbie Goes Bananas and Unidentified Flying Oddball. One of their better, more grown up, efforts was a dark adaptation of the classic Ray Bradbury novel, 1983's Something Wicked This Way Comes.

When a carnival arrives in a sleepy town, two young boys, Vidal Peterson and Shawn Carson, suspect that there is something evil about it and it's ringleader Mr. Dark, Jonathan Pryce. And they are right. The nightmarish midway attraction is granting the townsfolk their deepest desires, but at a price.

This is a terrific and moody horror film. I think it's kind of similar to Needful Things, except for the preteen crowd. Pryce is very creepy and sinister as the evil Mr. Dark. I've always felt that he was a bit underrated. Just watch this and Brazil back to back and you will see what range he has. Jason Robards is also very good in a moving performance as the father of one of the kids. His character became a dad late in life and now feels ashamed that he can't keep up with his offspring. Diane Ladd, Royal Dano, and Pam Grier round out the cast.

Supposedly Bradbury and the director, Jack Clayton, had a falling out when Clayton brought on another writer, John Mortimer, to do rewrites without Bradbury's knowledge. After Clayton's vision tested poorly, Disney studios fired him and his editor and went back and reshot the film the way it was originally intended.

This is a good creepfest and you won't even have to send the kids out of the room.

It's available on dvd.