In 17th century New England, witch hunter Giles Redferne captures an evil warlock, but the conjurer eludes death with supernatural help. Flung into the future, the warlock winds up in the 1980s and plans to bring about the end of the world. Redferne follows the enchanter into the modern era and continues his mission, but runs into trouble in such unfamiliar surroundings. With the help of a young woman, can Redferne finally defeat the warlock?
This is a B-Movie Gem, it really is, it's a brilliant way to merge a movie about Salem era witches into a more affordable environment.
And what makes it better is that it has a great sense of humor, and constantly plays it perfectly straight. There are so many little things that were intentionally funny, and would have ruined the film if the actors hammed it up, but instead they approached it as straight as if it were a drama.
It made for a super fun and enjoyable film.
**_People from 300 years earlier carry on their fight in the present day_**
A condemned practitioner of black magic in 1691 Massachusetts (Julian Sands) is mystically transported to 1988 with a righteous witch-hunter on his tail (Richard E. Grant). The latter teams-up with a young woman (Lori Singer) to pursue his evil prey.
"Warlock" (1989) is similar to “Terminator” with the difference of people coming to the present from THE PAST as opposed to the future. It’s a thrilling chase flick with an interesting fish-out-of-water element. The first half is great, but the second half isn’t quite as effective. Nevertheless, this is a very entertaining flick highlighted by the intriguing noble protagonist (Grant) and the charisma of the wicked antagonist (Sands).
The film runs 1 hour, 43 minutes, and was shot Plimoth Patuxet, Massachusetts; the Greater Los Angeles area, including Santa Paula, California City and Hermosa Beach; and Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah.
GRADE: B+
