Witch Hunt (1994)
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Magic is real and now Hollywood is using it. Imagine special effects aren't just that, effects, but instead actually happen. People can make objects move by thought and then they themselves can disappear into thin air. The movie takes us to 1953 with magic being a real thing and the entire nation using it. Soon kids can put spells on each other and movie directors can actually use Shakespeare as one of the script writers instead of having to read his books. But Congress wants this all stopped for they think magic is bad for everyone. That's where we meet H. Phillip Lovecraft, a private eye who is hired by a Hollywood actress, Kim Cotlieb to investigate whether her husband, a famous film producer, is cheating on her. Turns out he ends up dead, shrunk to death, obviously because of some magic. Lovecraft must now solve the case and hope his
client isn't the one guilty. But Lovecraft has an ace in the hole for his best friend Hypolita Kropotkin is a licensed magician. Soon though Senator Crockett begins proceedings to eliminate all magic from Hollywood and uses this case to bolster his credibility. Lovecraft is now torn between saving his friends and finding a murderer. But watch out for another magician is deep into this whole affair and Lovecraft may be shrunk to death too.
Overall: Very good film with great special effects. If you didn't notice, the film seems really based on the McCarthy era and of course the hearings into communism in Hollywood (can you say "Elia Kazan"?). This film takes it a bit far with magic but still tries to show you what sort of damage Congress did to the film industry. Don't underestimate Hopper for I believe this was probably one of his best roles ever. Comparison: Lord of Illusions meets Guilty by Suspicion |
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