The Spell Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		2.0
Audio		2.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

The Spell Blu-ray Movie Review

A CARRIE Wannabe

Reviewed by Dr. Stephen Larson December 18, 2017

In an interview on this Blu-ray, writer Brian Taggert explains how he developed his script for The Spell in the mid-seventies and pitched it to Columbia Pictures, who liked the writing and Taggert's take on telekinetic powers. The trouble was The Spell was slow to get off the ground and before long, De Palma's similarly themed Carrie (1976) was acclaimed as a huge hit. As a result, The Spell wasn't viewed with the same freshness around Hollywood so it was converted into a teleplay for a network TV movie of the week. Taggert claims that he completed his script while Stephen King was still writing Carrie but one wouldn't know that when watching the The Spell's opening scenes. Like the King adaptation, it's set during gym class as the camera isolates its lens on fifteen-year-old Rita Matchett (Susan Myers), whose called rotten names and teased for supposedly being fat by her classmates. She's a little overweight but not that obese. The camera also fixates its gaze on solitary Rita when the class moves inside the gym. She's asked to perform a rope-climbing exercise but the uncoordinated girl can't get up high. She receives more derisive scorn from her peers and instead holds the rope for a popular girl's attempt at some kind of a Cirque du Soleil. Unfortunately for Rita's rival, the aerial ballet maneuver falls apart and she hits the ground.

The Matchetts lives in a plush and spacious California home but they're not a happy family. Rita and her younger, more pretty sister Kristina (Helen Hunt) converse with each other but don't really get along. Patriarch Glenn Matchett (James Olson) is a successful lawyer but he hardly talks to his kids, particularly Rita who he can't even devote a sustained glance. Glenn is too preoccupied with his job and social life to spend time dealing with his oldest daughter's problems at school. His wife Marilyn has had her moments with Rita but loves her unconditionally and is the most understanding of anyone. Rita's gym teacher Jo Standish (Lelia Goldoni) is also a staunch ally for the bullied victim along the same lines as Miss Collins is for Carrie White. But a big difference between Carrie and The Spell is that in the latter, Rita doesn't have any peers who sympathize with her or want to help her. (There isn't a prom date to pull her into the group.) Another discrepancy between the two films is that Taggert and director Lee Philips depart almost entirely from the school environment from the first couple scenes and transpose it to the family milieu. In her audio commentary on this disc, Amanda Reyes argues that big-screen movies such as Carrie contain some domestic scenes but are predominantly set in public spaces whereas telefilms the ilk of The Spell are more family-driven intimate dramas ensconced in the domestic sphere. I don't disagree with her observation but I find the psycho-religious conflict between Carrie and her fanatical mother Margaret much more powerful and effective than I do with how Marilyn tries to treat Rita's unhappiness and occultist powers.

Rita's eyes have power.

The Spell aired on Sunday, February 20, 1977 as "The Big Event" on NBC as a "World Premiere" movie. Reyes discusses other telefilms and programs that were broadcast in its time slot and how The Spell was received by TV critics. The reception was not bad but journalists were quickly point out how it tried to imitate Carrie. Philips lacks the technical ingenuity of a De Palma so don't expect to see any split field diopters or elaborate split-screen images. Philips often makes quick and abrupt cuts between Rita's possibly intended victims and the girl's dark eyes. Rita possesses not only telekinesis but also a form of clairvoyance. The editing The Spell is tight but rather pedestrian. The performances by Lee Grant and Lelia Goldoni are very good as is the acting debut of Susan Myers as Rita. But Taggert's teleplay leaves at least one important subplot unresolved. Also, the acrimonious relationship between Rita and her dad isn't well-developed at all. Marilyn has foreknowledge and secrets about Rita but isn't willing to share them with her husband. Overall, The Spell has its moments but it's choppy story makes the narrative imbalanced.

The Spell Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

As Reyes points out in her track, The Spell was one of the very few TV movies to ever receive a home video release on VHS. It also has been available on Hulu. The 1977 telefilm makes it official debut on Blu-ray courtesy of Scream Factory on this BD-25. Before the main menu loads, the studio includes the following message: "Our new HD master of The Spell was created from best available film elements." This echoes an advert that Scream put out stating that they made a new HD transfer of "the rarely-seen 86 minute cut of the film (taken from best surviving video and audio elements)." This should not imply, however, that the label undertook a substantial restoration. The Spell appears in its originally broadcast ratio of 1.33:1. The MPEG-4 AVC-encoded feature sports a mean video bitrate of 27991 kbps while the total bitrate on the disc averages 33.26 Mbps. Nearly every frame of The Spell is littered with white speckles or debris. Tramlines and scratches also pop up with some frequency. The one positive aspect of the transfer is that the more vibrant colors are generally well-defined and exhibit decent or average delineation. Contrast is fairly poor, though (see Screenshot #s 8 and 9). You'll notice from these frame enlargements that the picture looks very dark and murky.

Scream has supplied sixteen scene selections.

The Spell Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Spell's DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Dual Mono (1666 kbps, 24-bit) also hasn't received a full restoration. Treble is lacking and I had to turn the volume way up to hear the characters' voices clearly. Dialogue is pretty muffled although hiss is minimized. I relied on the optional English SDH for at least half the movie. Composer Gerald Fried's woodwind-heavy score shows the most range. On the plus side, there is no audible distortions or tape dropouts.

The Spell Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• NEW Audio Commentary by Made-for-TV-Movie Historian and Author Amanda Reyes - Reyes is a reviewer, blogger, podcaster, and author of a book on made-for-TV movies. She discusses the medium's infancy (ca. 1964) and offers several counter-examples to The Spell. She also delves into the historical and cultural context of 1970s TV programming, feminism, and other topics. She has a deep love for The Spell (which she thinks is "fabulous") and knows about the careers of several of its actors. In English, not subtitled.

• NEW Interview with Writer Brian Taggert (13:22, 1080p) - Taggert recalls the semi-autobiographical roots of The Spell, the themes and content of his script, and how he regards the movie today. In English, not subtitled.

The Spell Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

If Columbia had green-lit The Spell for a theatrical release on the silver screen before United Artists did for Carrie, I still don't think it would have been as successful or struck a cord with its audience the way De Palma's adaptation of King's first novel did. The Spell plays better on the small screen and longtime fans are encouraged to pick up this Blu-ray. But be warned that Scream Factory hasn't given it a frame-by-frame restoration. The two bonus features are informative and kudos to Scream for making them happen. The BD will also appeal to fans of Helen Hunt to see one of the Oscar winner's first roles. For everyone else, I suggest a RENTAL first.