Director Kevin Tenney’s “Witchboard” is a spooky, but damn silly supernatural mystery that really works in the context of the eighties and really nothing else. Unlike “Night of the Demons,” you really have to consider the time period in order to enjoy “Witchboard” for its elements that will give you occasional chills, while also inspiring a few eye rolls here and there. This is a decade where the Ouija Board was still considered something of a mystic item, so director Tenney plays with such a superstition.
Truth be told, the premise is so much more clever than the low budget allows, which is a shame. With a larger budget and more freedom to flex the scares, “Witchboard” could very well be a terrifying horror film. Tawny Kitaen is Linda, a young girl throwing a party who is forced to constantly watch her boyfriend Jim and ex-lover Brandon compete for her attention. During a gathering thrown by Brandon, the pair engage in a session on the Ouija board for laughs, and soon enough the mere game transforms in to a life or death crisis. People begin turning up dead, violent murders begin occurring and now we have to find out the actual ordeal Linda is facing.
The seemingly harmless spirit of a young boy named David, has taken a particular liking toward Linda, and is intent on contacting her and reaching her through any means necessary. All the while we learn that the demons in the after life have the ability to lie to the people reaching them, and they’re prone to misspelling. That last element is a definite important factor, considering the narrative is filled with surprise reveals, and a creative if goofy finale. “Witchboard” garners some interesting pacing and really does manage to soak in the mystery, leading audiences along the path of this unusual series of events. Surely Linda is of interest to the young spirit, but why?
And is the demon murdering these people or is Linda? Is someone else doing the bidding for Linda? The unfortunate aspect of “Witchboard” is that the crux of the suspense and horror is reliant on Tawny Kitaen’s performance, and watching her here, it’s not exactly a revelation that she’s a sub-par actress. She can’t seem to provide enough of a convincing turn to really drag audiences in to her inherent turmoil, thus she just feels like eye candy and really nothing more. That said, “Witchboard” is still an eerie, and occasionally creepy supernatural mystery, and considering there were two sequels, the concept had apparent cachet.
The Blu-Ray and DVD Combo from Scream Factory comes packed for fans of the film. There’s a Commentary with the Cast and Crew, including director Kevin Tenney, Kathleeen Wilhoite, and Stephen Nichols. Tenney really monopolizes the commentary with his entertaining tales about film school and his filmmaking career, while the cast talk fondly about the shoot. There’s a second commentary with Writer and Director Kevin Tenney along with Producer Gerald Geoffray, and Executive Producer Walter Josten, an informative and fun commentary that can be repetitive, but packs in entertainment value. “Progressive Entrapment: The Making of Witchboard” is a fun forty five minute look at the creation of the film with cast and crew of the film, including Kitaen.
“Vintage Making of Witchboard” is a seven minute Behind the Scene segment with footage from the film. The twenty minute “Cast Interviews” is another “vintage” segment with interviews and a look at the movie’s utterly dodgy special effects. “On Set With Todd Allen and Stephen Nichols” is a twenty minute “vintage” behind the scenes segment with candid footage. There’s the original theatrical trailer, six minutes of outtakes, a Behind the Scenes Gallery, and a Promo Gallery. Continuing the vintage segments, there’s the twenty minute “On Set With the Makers of Witchboard,” and the twenty minute “Life on the Set.” Finally, there’s a twenty one minute “Constructing the World of Witchboard,” all of which are uncut looks at shooting on the film and preparing for scenes.