The Spell (1977)
Overview
A distraught mother must cope with her embittered daughter who has the ability to cause "accidents" to happen.
Cast
Lee Grant
Marion Matchett
Lelia Goldoni
Jo Standish
Helen Hunt
Kristina Matchett
Jack Colvin
Dale Boyce
James Olson
Glenn
James Greene
Stan
Wright King
Rian
Barbara Bostock
Jill
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Wuchak
_**Television “Carrie” knockoff fused with witchy elements**_
An outcast girl in high school is teased because she’s a little hefty (Susan Myers) but she seems to have a way of getting back at her persecutors. What’s her secret? Lee Grant plays her caring mother while Helen Hunt is on hand as her rival younger sister (at 13 years of age).
"The Spell" (1977) is TV horror that mixes “Carrie” (1976) with a dab of witchcraft, paving the way for similar television flicks in the future, e.g. “Summer of Fear” (1978) and “Midnight Offerings” (1981).
While this is easily the least of these due to the unlikable protagonist and a curious, slapdash tone, there are several highlights beyond the cast, such as the believable family dynamics, a well-done horror sequence involving a hex and a surprising curveball in the last act.
The movie runs 1 hour, 27 minutes, with a shorter version running 1 hour, 13 minutes (the latter does a good job of editing out the fat). It was shot at Universal Studios, Universal City, California.
GRADE: C+/B- (5.5/10)
