Cast a Deadly Spell by Martin Campbell (1991)
A film that blends 1940s-style film noir with Lovecraftian mythology? With a premise like that, I felt contractually obligated to watch Martin Campbell’s Cast a Deadly Spell. Unfortunately, this 1991 HBO original starring Fred Ward, Julianne Moore, and Clancy Brown doesn’t quite live up to its fascinating premise, thanks in large part to its overt silliness. I wish Campbell’s film had played things a bit more straight. Instead, its story about a jaded and cynical private eye (Ward) who’s hired to retrieve the stolen Necronomicon feels like a stab at both Lovecraft and film noir parody — only the jokes don’t really land and the broad performances feel more appropriate for a Naked Gun movie. (That said, I did enjoy Brown’s performance as a smarmy night club owner with sorcerous intentions.)
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