Spellbinder
THE STORY: Usually around Halloween I dust off some of my favorite scary movies and this is always one of them. Its not really that scary...I think I just like it because at the time I first saw it I had just been ruthlessly stabbed in the back by a woman, which is pretty much what happens to Jeff Mills (Timothy Daly of the TV show Wings) the hero of this film.
Jeff, an attorney, and his friend Derek Clayton are leaving a gym one night when the witness a woman named Miranda being assualted by her boyfriend, Aldus. They break it up and Jeff gives Miranda a ride home. The problem is Miranda has been staying with Aldus and now she has nowhere to go. Miranda is a hot babe and being a gentleman, Jeff invites her to stay at his place. Within 48 hours Jeff has fallen in love with her and they've become a couple. Jeff's secretary, Grace doesn't trust Miranda. During a party she witnesses Miranda taking a turkey out of the oven with her bare hands. But Grace's misgivings don't spoil Jeff's relationship with Miranda. They seem to be the perfect couple until a mysterious woman named "Mrs. White" comes to Jeff's office demanding that he returns Miranda to them. When Jeff tells Miranda about Mrs. White over the phone she gets scared and runs away before Jeff gets home. Jeff talks with Det. Lee, a cop who informs him that Miranda's necklace bears the symbol of a devil cult that is responsible for several murders in the area. Miranda calls Jeff from a payphone and he picks her up one dark and stormy night. She explains that she ran away because she was scared. Her mother joined the coven years ago and this year at the winter solstice is her first year to attend the special ceremony...only the sacrifice is a human being so Miranda wants nothing to do with it. The coven wants her back and they are willing to kill for her. Miranda tells Jeff if she can evade them until the solstice is over she'll be free forever. The solstice is in one day so they decide to hide out in a hotel. Jeff has a court case the next day and after he's done with it they can fly somewhere safe. The coven attacks them as they are packing so Jeff hides Miranda with one of his clients, a paramilitary survivalist named Brock. When he returns to pick up Miranda he finds Brock's house demolished and Miranda missing. Jeff discovers that where the solstice ceremony is going to take place and he goes there to rescue Miranda with his friend Derek Clayton. When they arrive Jeff is captured by the coven and makes a horrible discovery. Miranda was only bait for the coven to get a human being to show up at the ceremony of 'their own free will'. Indeed, Miranda is a full fledged and willing member of the coven. The last two things Jeff sees is Miranda smiling down at him as he's tied to the ground and the coven leader's face...Derek Clayton! Clayton cuts out his art and makes up a story that Jeff ran off to Mexico to Det. Lee. Miranda begins to set up another victim for next year's solstice.
BEST LINES: "You just remember that when the attack comes my house has steel reinforced walls, barb-wired perimeters and heat seeking intruder sensors!"-Brock telling Jeff and his friend that they can stay with him during WWIII.
"She took the turkey out of the oven with her bare hands...and she didn't get burned!" -Grace tells Jeff what he saw Miranda do
"WITCHES? WITCHES? Thats the craziest damn thing I ever heard of!!" -Brock's reaction to Jeff's telling him Witches after Miranda.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?:
1.) Jeff certainly is trusting. He lets Miranda stay in his house when he goes to work the next day and he literally knows nothing about her. Admittedly, she's gorgeous and I may have done the same thing, but I'm not known for my great judgement...neither is Jeff apparently!
2.) Grace is pretty damn suspicious of miranda right away for little reason.
3.) Waitaminnit, Miranda tells Jeff she doesn't want to go to the police because the coven will want revenge and pursue her forever, but in the next sentence she tells him that if she can evade them until the solstice they'll leave her alone forever. What the freaking hell? That still doesn't mean they can't go to the police...it doesn't make sense at all really.
NUDITY AND SEX: Miranda bares her chest. This woman is hot.
HUH?: What is the ultimate purpose of this coven? They already have some pretty funky powers. They completely demolished Brock's super-high-security house! They pull magic stunts while attacking Jeff at his home! Now even if you think it was Miranda that demolished Brock's house and set it up to look like she was captured, thats even scarier...that means that cute little Miranda has the power of, well, the Incredible Hulk!
Taking Miranda to Brock's house was stupid. Okay, they have to avoid the coven for 24 hours until the solstice is over, right? Well, why didn't Jeff take Miranda with him to his court case? She could be in the courtroom surrounded by people and perfectly safe. If the coven can't come after her after the solstice, then staying in a public place for 24 hours is the smartest move.
THE TALLY: For a cheapo horror flick this is a pretty good movie. But I'm biased because as I said around the time I first saw this I had a pretty girl completely use me and toss me aside. It was almost as bad as having my heart cut out.