Review of The Witches of Eastwick (1987) by Stuart K — 30 Dec 2012

Directed by Mad Max creator George Miller, this was his first Hollywood film, (unless you count his contribution to Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)). This was based on John Updike's 1984 novel, and it was an opportunity for it's director and cast to relish the material and all have the time of their lives.

It's good fun, and it's still inventive 25 years on, and it shows that Miller is a clever director. In the town of Eastwick, Rhode Island. Alexandra Medford (Cher), Jane Spofford (Susan Sarandon), and Sukie Ridgemont (Michelle Pfeiffer) are three single women whose husbands left them under various circumstances, and they're mothers as well.

Bored with life in Eastwick, their lives change when the mysterious Daryl Van Horne (Jack Nicholson) comes to town, and turns heads when he buys the biggest property in the area. Daryl then sets about seducing Alexandra, Jane and Sukie, who think he's repulsive at first, but he manages to get them into bed.

But, then they all learn a horrible secret about Daryl and where he's from. There's some good special effects in this for it's day, and this was indeed a role Nicholson was born to play. Cher, Sarandon and Pfeiffer have fun as the bored women, and the finale is well done as well, it also has a good John Williams score, but it's a shame that Miller hasn't directed more films.