''Teen Witch'' is a 1989 American
teen
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of physical and psychological development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age of majority). Adolescence is usually associated with the te ...
fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
directed by Dorian Walker, written by Robin Menken and
Vernon Zimmerman
Vernon Zimmerman is an American writer and director who made his debut as director with the 1962 short ''Lemon Hearts'' starring Taylor Mead. He collaborated with Terrence Malick on the script to his directorial debut, the road movie, ''Deadhead ...
, and starring
Robyn Lively
Robyn Elaine Lively Johnson (born February 7, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the 1989 films ''Teen Witch'' and '' The Karate Kid Part III.'' She is also known for her roles in the TV shows '' Doogie Howser, M.D.''; ...
and
Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda May Rubinstein (May 28, 1933 – January 27, 2010) was an American actress and human rights activist, known as eccentric medium (spirituality), medium Tangina Barrons in the Poltergeist (film series), ''Poltergeist'' film series. Playing "Gi ...
.
Originally pitched as a female version of ''
Teen Wolf
''Teen Wolf'' is a 1985 American coming-of-age romantic fantasy comedy film directed by Rod Daniel and written by Jeph Loeb and Matthew Weisman. Michael J. Fox stars as the title character, a high school student whose ordinary life is changed ...
'' (1985) and later reworked into a film of its own, the film features numerous
impromptu
An impromptu (, , loosely meaning "offhand") is a free-form musical composition with the character of an ''ex tempore'' improvisation as if prompted by the spirit of the moment, usually for a solo instrument, such as piano. According to ''Allgeme ...
rap
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
musical numbers and has since become a
cult classic
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
,
aided by
midnight theater showings and regular
cable television
Cable television is a system of delivering television programming to consumers via radio frequency (RF) signals transmitted through coaxial cables, or in more recent systems, light pulses through fibre-optic cables. This contrasts with broa ...
airings (including through annual showings as part of
ABC Family/Freeform's ''
13 Nights of Halloween''). The film is also popular for its music and
1980s fashion
Fashion of the 1980s was characterized by a rejection of 1970s fashion. Punk fashion began as a reaction against both the hippie movement of the past decades and the materialist values of the current decade. The first half of the decade was relat ...
nostalgia.
Plot
After a bike accident, the sweet-yet-nerdy 15-year-old Louise Miller knocks on the door of a strange-looking house, hoping to use the phone, a nod to
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...
. Instead, she meets a unique but welcoming woman, the seer Madame Serena. Reading Louise's palm, Serena is stunned when she learns that Louise is a
reincarnated witch and an old friend from one of her previous lives. Serena reveals that exactly one week later, on Louise's 16th birthday, her magical powers will return with the aid of a powerful amulet that was lost in a former life, an item that Madame Serena says searches for its owner.
Once Louise discovers that she has the power to alter the world around her, she attempts to make her dreams come true by casting a love spell to win over Brad, the hottest guy in school. With Madame Serena's help, Louise uses her newfound powers to become the most popular girl in school, while also getting back at her harassing English teacher, Mr. Weaver and the catty group of cheerleaders who never respected her. It is only after her popularity spell gets out of hand—which in turn causes her to abandon her equally unpopular, but loyal, best friend Polly—that Louise realizes she doesn't need magic. In the end, she relinquishes her powers by giving her amulet to Madame Serena, creating her own happy ending and winning over Brad by herself.
Cast
*
Robyn Lively
Robyn Elaine Lively Johnson (born February 7, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the 1989 films ''Teen Witch'' and '' The Karate Kid Part III.'' She is also known for her roles in the TV shows '' Doogie Howser, M.D.''; ...
as Louise Miller
*
Zelda Rubinstein
Zelda May Rubinstein (May 28, 1933 – January 27, 2010) was an American actress and human rights activist, known as eccentric medium (spirituality), medium Tangina Barrons in the Poltergeist (film series), ''Poltergeist'' film series. Playing "Gi ...
as Madame Serena Alcott
*
Dan Gauthier
Daniel Lester Gauthier (; born December 2, 1963)
is an American actor best known for his roles as Kevin Buchanan on the ABC soap opera ''One Life to Live'', Matt Liston on the sitcom Ellen for two seasons, Brad Powell in the 1989 film ''Teen Wi ...
as Bradley "Brad" Powell
*
Joshua Miller as Richie Miller
*
Caren Kaye
Caren Kaye is a retired American television and film actress who has appeared in dozens of films and guest-starred in many TV series. She attended Carnegie Mellon University and holds a Ph.D. in psychology. She is best known for her roles in t ...
as Margaret Miller
*
Dick Sargent
Richard Stanford Cox (April 19, 1930 – July 8, 1994), known professionally as Dick Sargent, was an American actor, notable as the second actor to portray Darrin Stephens on ABC's fantasy situation comedy ''Bewitched''. He took the name ''Dick ...
as Frank Miller
*
Lisa Fuller
Lisa Fuller is an American actress best known for her work in movies such as ''The Monster Squad'' (1987) and ''Night Life'' (1989). She also starred in the movie ''Teen Witch'' (1989).
She is married to fellow actor Dan Gauthier
Daniel Les ...
as Randa
*
Megan A. Gallivan as Kiki
*
Amanda Ingber as Polly Goldenberg-Cohen
* Noah Blake as Rhet Capiletti
* Tina Caspary as Shawn
*
Shelley Berman as Mr. Edward Weaver
*
Marcia Wallace
Marcia Karen Wallace (November 1, 1942 – October 25, 2013) was an American actress and comedian, primarily known for her roles in television situation comedies. She is best known for her roles as receptionist Carol Kester on the 1970s sitc ...
as Ms. Edith Malloy
*
Cindy Valentine
Cindy Valentine (Valentine Cinzia Leone) is an Italian-born composer, producer, actress and performing artist, raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada who is now a U.S. citizen, residing primarily in New York, New York. Valentine hit the '' Billboar ...
as Shana the Rock Star
Box office and reception
The production budget for ''Teen Witch'' was $2,500,000. The film was released in the United States on April 23, 1989 and grossed $3,875 in its opening weekend at the box office, and only $27,843 in its entire run.
April 1989 box office competition included ''
Field of Dreams
''Field of Dreams'' is a 1989 American sports fantasy drama film written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson, based on Canadian novelist W. P. Kinsella's 1982 novel '' Shoeless Joe''. The film stars Kevin Costner as a farmer who builds a ...
'' starring
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, producer, film director and musician. He has received various accolades, including two Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and two Screen Actor ...
and ''
Pet Sematary
''Pet Sematary'' is a 1983 horror novel by American writer Stephen King. The novel was nominated for a World Fantasy Award for Best Novel in 1984, and adapted into two films: one in 1989 and another in 2019. In November 2013, PS Publishing rel ...
'' written by
Stephen King
Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author of horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, crime, science-fiction, and fantasy novels. Described as the "King of Horror", a play on his surname and a reference to his high s ...
. Both films were released on April 21, 1989, two days before ''Teen Witch'' was released.
''Teen Witch'' is a
cult classic
A cult following refers to a group of fans who are highly dedicated to some person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The lattermost is often called a cult classic. ...
, having gained newer, younger audiences after regular re-airings on premium and basic cable networks such as
HBO
Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
and
Cinemax
Cinemax is an American pay television, cable, and satellite television network owned by the Home Box Office, Inc. subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Developed as a companion "maxi-pay" service complementing the offerings shown on parent net ...
in the 1990s.
Jarett Wieselman of the ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
'' stated, "There are good movies, there are bad movies, there are movies that are so bad they're good and then there is ''Teen Witch'' -- a cult classic that defies classification thanks to a curious combination of songs, spells and skin."
Joshua John Miller
Joshua John Miller (born December 26, 1974) is an American actor, screenwriter, author, and director. Miller co-writes with his life partner M. A. Fortin; the two wrote the screenplay for the 2015 horror comedy ''The Final Girls'', and the USA N ...
stated of his involvement with the film as character Richie, "If you look at ''Teen Witch'', it was a very campy performance. But it's a really fun film and something I have grown to honor."
There are
parodies
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
or
homage
Homage (Old English) or Hommage (French) may refer to:
History
*Homage (feudal) /ˈhɒmɪdʒ/, the medieval oath of allegiance
*Commendation ceremony, medieval homage ceremony Arts
*Homage (arts) /oʊˈmɑʒ/, an allusion or imitation by one arti ...
s of the film, especially of its rap song "Top That" (including an homage starring
Alia Shawkat
Alia Martine Shawkat ( ; ar, عليا مارتين شوكت; born April 18, 1989) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in '' The Old Man'', '' State of Grace'', Maeby Fünke in the Fox/Netflix television sitcom ''Arrested Develop ...
).
Drew Grant of
Nerve.com stated, "If you've never seen the original rap scene from the 80s classic ''Teen Witch'', you must immediately stop what you're doing and watch it right now. It's everything wonderful and terrible about that decade rolled into one misguided appropriation of... hip-hop."
Stephanie Marcus of ''
The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'' called "Top That" "the worst song of all time."
On July 12, 2005,
MGM
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded on April 17, 1924 a ...
released the film to DVD in its original widescreen theatrical version. In 2007, ABC Family (now
Freeform) acquired the basic cable television rights to the film, and has since made it a regular offering of its annual ''
13 Nights of Halloween''
holiday block.
Soundtrack
# "All Washed Up" -
Larry Weir
Larry Anthony Weir (born April 11, 1952) is an American songwriter, composer, producer, promoter and managing editor of ''New Music Weekly'' magazine. Weir is best known for songs in the musical ''Teen Witch'' (1989), which has become an annual Ha ...
# "Dream Lover" - Cathy Car
# "Finest Hour" -
Cindy Valentine
Cindy Valentine (Valentine Cinzia Leone) is an Italian-born composer, producer, actress and performing artist, raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada who is now a U.S. citizen, residing primarily in New York, New York. Valentine hit the '' Billboar ...
featuring Larry Weir
# "High School Blues" - The Puppy Boys
# "I Keep on Falling" - Blue Future
# "I Like Boys" - Elizabeth and The Weirz
# "Get Up and Move" - Cathy Car
# "Much too Much" - Cathy Car
# "Never Gonna Be the Same Again" (opening sequence) - Lori Ruso
# "Never Gonna Be the Same Again" (concert version) -
Cindy Valentine
Cindy Valentine (Valentine Cinzia Leone) is an Italian-born composer, producer, actress and performing artist, raised in Toronto, Ontario, Canada who is now a U.S. citizen, residing primarily in New York, New York. Valentine hit the '' Billboar ...
# "Popular Girl" - Theresa and The Weirz
# "Rap" - Philip McKean and Larry Weir
# "Shame" - The Weirz
# "Top That" - The Michael Terry Rappers
# "In Your Arms" -
Richard Elliot
Richard Elliot (born January 16, 1960) is a Scottish-born American saxophonist. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards for '' Summer Horns''.
Career
Elliot started out as a member ...
Music was recorded at Weir Brothers Studio.
Accolades
, + Eleventh Annual Youth in Film Awards 1988-1989
, -
, 1989
, Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture
, Young Artist Awards:
Joshua John Miller
Joshua John Miller (born December 26, 1974) is an American actor, screenwriter, author, and director. Miller co-writes with his life partner M. A. Fortin; the two wrote the screenplay for the 2015 horror comedy ''The Final Girls'', and the USA N ...
,
, -
, 1989
, Best Young Actress Starring in a Motion Picture
, Young Artist Awards:
Robyn Lively
Robyn Elaine Lively Johnson (born February 7, 1972) is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the 1989 films ''Teen Witch'' and '' The Karate Kid Part III.'' She is also known for her roles in the TV shows '' Doogie Howser, M.D.''; ...
,
Adaptations
The Weir brothers created Caption Records and collaborated with ''Teen Witch'' film producer Alana Lambros for the ''
Teen Witch the Musical
''Teen Witch'' is a 1989 American teen fantasy comedy film directed by Dorian Walker, written by Robin Menken and Vernon Zimmerman, and starring Robyn Lively and Zelda Rubinstein.
Originally pitched as a female version of ''Teen Wolf'' (198 ...
'' project.
Financial backers of ''Teen Witch'' had neglected to provide funding for the original soundtrack release: After a decade and a half, the master audio tapes had become unavailable. The Weir brothers were interested in recreating the now-popular songs that Larry Weir had written; Alana Lambros brought her long-held view that ''Teen Witch the Musical'' was viable as a
Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
bound production to the project.
In 2007, the audio CD for ''Teen Witch the Musical'' was released, a new generation of actors were cast for the stage-play, which was presented in workshop. This adaptation never found a larger venue.
The cast of ''Teen Witch the Musical'':
* Alycia Adler as Randa (Cheerleader)
* Bryce Blue as Rhet
*
Blake McIver Ewing
Blake McIver Ewing (born March 27, 1985), also known as Blake McIver and Blake Ewing, is an American actor and musician. He was known for playing Michelle Tanner, Michelle's friend, Derek, on the sitcom ''Full House'', a role he reenacted on '' ...
as Brad Powell
* Ashley Crowe as Madame Serena
* Monet Lerner as Darcy (Cheerleader)
*
Tessa Ludwick
Tessa Ludwick (born October 5, 1988) is a Korean-born American actress from Apollo Beach, Florida. She began acting at the age of 5, when she held a lead role in ''Allegra's Window'', a Nick Jr. children's television program show taped at Univers ...
as Phoebe (Cheerleader)
* Lauren Patten as Polly
*
Sara Niemietz
Sara Niemietz () (born June 7, 1992) is an American singer/songwriter and actress based in Los Angeles, California. She has performed on Broadway, at Radio City Music Hall, and the Grand Ole Opry. A substantial portion of her YouTube offerings ...
as Louise Miller
* Heather Youmans as Shana the Rock Star
* V-Style as rapper
In April 2008, ''
Variety
Variety may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats
* Variety (radio)
* Variety show, in theater and television
Films
* ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont
* ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...
'' reported that
Ashley Tisdale
Ashley Michelle Tisdale (born July 2, 1985) is an American actress and singer. During her childhood, she was featured in over 100 advertisements and had minor roles in television and theatre. She achieved mainstream success as Maddie Fitzpatr ...
signed with FremantleMedia North America and was in talks with
United Artists
United Artists Corporation (UA), currently doing business as United Artists Digital Studios, is an American digital production company. Founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Mary Pickford, and Douglas Fairbanks, the studi ...
to star in a remake of ''Teen Witch''.
References
External links
*
*
*
*
*
Teen Witch at ''TvGuide.com''*
{{Authority control
1989 films
1989 independent films
1980s American films
1980s English-language films
1980s fantasy comedy films
1980s teen comedy films
1980s teen fantasy films
American fantasy comedy films
American independent films
American teen comedy films
Films about witchcraft