Warlock is one of the most consistently underrated horror flicks, possibly of all-time. It was a modest hit at the box office, but this was one of the first movies to be quickly released on VHS, and it became a huge hit in the home entertainment division. To be fair, it is probably better classified as fantasy, but the religious theme and desire to capture the fading horror market surely played into its categorization.
Warlock is a real movie -- a movie movie -- not a B-rater, and this is apparent from the start. Everything works in-tandem on this flick to present the story; no one element overshadows the others, allowing the viewer to immerse himself in the film. Suspension of disbelief is established early and maintained throughout, and though I'm sure astute observers could pick it apart... why would you do that?
One thing I noticed on the last viewing, and I have not watched it in probably 10+ years before this, is just how much of a dance Warlock is -- not just the progression of the story, not just in a metaphorical way -- the actors themselves move very deliberately, as though literally choreographed. Lori Singer, of TV's Fame and Footloose, is a dancer, but the entire cast seemed to have paid a lot of attention to the way their characters move and hold themselves. It may just be me, but it's one of those things that you are aware of on some level everytime you see the film, even if you can't pinpoint it. This just happened to be the time that I realized what I was seeing.
Warlock is a well-crafted film that deserves more notice and it's a shame Lori Singer left the business as soon as she did. But you do get to see her boobs in a film called Summer Heat (more appropriately titled She's in Heat, but I digress), and that's... ni-ice.
© C Harris Lynn, 2010
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