The Orlando Sentinel from Orlando, Florida • Page 79

'The Witches' stirs its brew but for whom? By Jay Boyar SENTINEL MOVIE CRITIC named Luke faces off against the Grand High Witch and her evil minions. While in England with his cigar-smoking grandmother, Luke stumbles on a witches' plot to turn all the children in the country into mice Is there an audience for The Witches? Muppeteer Jim Henson who served as REVIEW A little makeup does the trick of transformation for Anjelica Huston, who portrays the Grand High Witch. Jasen Fisher (Parenthood) is bland as Luke, and Bill Pater-son plays Bruno in the obnoxious-little-boy style that, annoying as it is, seems exactly what the director required of him. As for Swedish-born actress Mai Zetterling, her performance as Luke's grandmother has an intriguing texture although she's burdened with some rather earnest dialogue. The one really solid performance is turned in by Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch.

In her scenes without witchy makeup, she has a wonderful dramatic flair. But when she's done up like a hag, she really pulls out all the stops. It's amazing how much personality she can project under all that makeup. When she commands, "My orders are that every child in England shall be rubbed out! there's a marvelous malice in her voice. In helping to create the scenes of the boys as mice, Henson was particularly concerned that he and his Creature Shop helpers should achieve a high level of realism.

Shots of actual mice are combined with shots of puppet mice (of three different sizes) so that the illusion that the mice have human minds and can speak is neatly brought off. But brilliant special effects notwithstanding, the question remains: Is there an audience for The Witches? by feeding them enchanted chocolate. Exactly why the crones hate kids so much isn't specified although it undoubtedly has much to do with the fact that to these witches, children smell like ''dog droppings." Directed by Nicolas Roeg (The Man Who Fell to Earth) from a script by Allan Scott (The Changeling), the production can be considered as a junior-division Gothic horror movie. The witches in The Witches are so vile that they make the Wicked Witch the production's executive producer and whose Creature Shop wizards created its special effects notes that Warner which is releasing the film, isn't quite sure who that audience might be. But he speculates that children (boys, especially) in the 10-year-old range will love the movie.

"It's a great film for kids about 7 and 8 and older," said Henson, in Orlando last week to help promote the movie. "It's not good for The Witches' Cast: Jasen Fisher, Mai Zet-terling, Anjelica Huston Executive producer: Jim Henson Director: Nicolas Roeg Screenwriter: Allan Scott Cinematographer: Harvey Harrison Music: Stanley Myers Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes Industry rating: PG (parental guidance suggested) Parents' guide: frightening scenes Theaters: Fashion Square, Lake Howell Square, Pleasure Island 10, Republic Square, Sand Lake 7 Reviewing key: excellent, good, average, poor, awful tures twisted into creepy child-and-mouse amalgams. Clearly, The Witches will be too nightmarish for many children. But it also leaves something 'to be desired when considered from an adult standpoint. The transformation scenes work fairly well for a grown-up sensibility, but the atmosphere is generally not creepy enough.

Roeg places his camera close to his actors for a claustrophobic effect, and, to intensify the ee-rieness, he shoots them from slightly above ground level (even beore the boys become mice). But these little tricks, plus Stanley Myers' ominous music, are tame by adult about, but somehow they look three or four times as hideous as other movie hags. (To conceal their gruesome appearances, they sometimes wear human face masks.) "We were trying to create a witch unlike that anyone had ever seen on the screen," Henson said. "It's quite extreme." In the course of things, Luke and a friend named Bruno are turned into mice. But the transformations aren't the painless, flash-of-light kind that we usually see in movies.

Luke and Bruno go into wild contortions, twitching in pain as green smoke spews from their mouths. And the boys are shown at intermediate stages of transformation with their fea kids 3 and 4." Based on the prize-winning novel by Roald Dahl, The Witches (which opens locally today) is the story of how a 9-year-old boy of the West seem like Samantha Stephens. They have the usual long pointed noses, sharp chins and bad skin that we all know "THUMBS UP. A MOVIE WITH A LOT OF STYLE, WARMTH AND HEART. I HAD A GREAT TIME." Warner Bros, puts film to the test in Orlando SISKEL EBERT, Roger Ebert 'SIDEWALK is an absolutely original and charming film!" Roger Ebert CHICAGO SUN TIMES dazzling filled with humor, tenderness, and insight magical.

-UsaCarlinWABC a brilliantly conceived, funny film that speaks volumes. Jack Gamer GANNETT NEWS SERVICES by I m. mm couple of children who haven't yet been lost to teen-age tastes. Witches is a fantasy being touted in mild-mannered print ads as "fun only they could brew up." Warner Bros, believes families are the audience the movie will appeal to most, and research has indicated that Orlando, like the other cities in which the film is opening today, has a a lot of them with the right demographics, Friedman said. Warner Bros, has never tested an ad campaign in Orlando before.

The studio will poll some of the filmgoers about why they came to see Witches and how well they liked it. Still, the film itself won't be tinkered with. The only thing that might change out of the test will be the content or distribution of the advertising. The movie meanwhile will continue to play in Orlando as long as audiences fill the theater seats. By Catherine Hinman OF THE SENTINEL STAFF Central Floridians who take their kids to Jim Henson's newest film, The Witches, will be part of an exclusive audience.

The movie is opening today only in Orlando and in three California cities: Sacramento, Modesto and Stockton. The response to the movie in these four markets will determine Warner marketing strategy for Witches when the movie opens nationwide on a date not yet determined. Rob Friedman, president of worldwide advertising and publicity at Warner said that the studio tests its marketing campaigns in selected cities when it thinks it has a film with high potential but is unsure of the best way to promote it. In this case, Witches advertising is directed at family viewing audiences, i.e. parents with a 2 PG'13 MKENTS STRONGLY CAUTONEO Iwm Material Mf luwrif rlate tor CMMtn Ur 11 Starts Tuesday, Feb.

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