Something Wicked This Way Comes

Something Wicked This Way Comes

1983

Director- Jack Clayton

Cast- Vidal Peterson, Shawn Carson, Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Royal Dano, Mary Grace Canfield, Diane Ladd, Pam Grier, Angelo Rossitto

      

      This movie, adapted for the screen by Ray Bradbury from his own book is surprisingly dark for a Disney film. The 2000s saw a big push to market kid friendly fantasy films, motivated mainly by the success of the Harry Potter franchise, but the 1980s saw several good fantasy films that were superficially aimed at kids but were also very mature and dark. Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, The Black Cauldron and Time Bandits are probably the best examples. Something Wicked this Way Comes isn’t as good as those films (probably owing to problems in its production) but is definitely darker than those other films and has some scary memorable moments.

         

    It centers on two young boys, Will Holloway and Jim Nightshade (how’s that for a name). Jim’s father left him years ago and Will’s father (played by Jason Robards) is much too old to be a young boy’s father. They are best friends and do everything together. One dark October night a carnival comes to town led by the evil Mr. Dark (played by a young Jonathan Pryce, who would have many villainous roles later in life, most recently as the High Sparrow in Game of Thrones). The carnival lures people in and transforms them by granting their deepest wishes (often rather ironically).  Will’s father, who is the town librarian, discovers the carnival has been to the town before, many years ago, and tragedy followed its visit.

          

    Mr. Dark is an obvious Satanic figure and the analogy is spelled out in the movie. “It seems they destroy people by granting their dearest wishes, as has been the way of the Devil, since God created the world.” Mr. Dark has a band of followers as well; the exotic Dust Witch (played by the beautiful Pam Grier), Mr. Cooger, who is made younger or older by a magical carousel so that he can wreak havoc, a little person (played by Angelo Rossitto who you may recognize as the smaller half of Master Blaster in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome )and others. The carnival travels the world, feeding off of people’s misery and their unfulfilled desires.

           

   The story plays on two themes. First is the pervasive nature of evil as it is able to get a foothold in so many people through their unfulfilled desires. Second is the eternal nature of evil shown in the fact that carnival has been around so long and continues to return. The film is not a deep meditation on evil, but it is a surprising one.