How this ever got signed off I do not know. The girl actors are actually quite good, except for the lead who is mis-cast and doesn't convince in her haplessness. Her random non-English accent doesn't help or fit.
But the adults seem to be in an entirely different movie, playing most of the roles as high camp, except for the headmistress and a couple of the teachers. Diana Rigg is inconsistent between harsh but fair and nastily biased, and Tim Curry's leering belongs nowhere near a girl's school. Based on this evidence, he can't sing either.
Talking of bad accents, why is the head's sister stereotypically southern American? Is her cheapo-halloween witch costume insufficient distinction from her neat (and English) sibling? And does similarly-American relative Donna have any role other than as a brief Madonna joke? The only threat posed by the coven appears to be through their unpleasant lyrics and poor dress sense.
And oh, the dreadful music. Several turgid songs - but not enough to be a musical feature - interrupt the plot and hold things up. Given that so much of the book is jettisoned, it is a shame these weren't replaced by more of the original plot, which in places is fairly accurately followed. And why the flying scenes merit 80's disco-synth-pop I do not know.
The effects aren't terrible for the time. The green-screen could have been a lot better if the footage behind was better shot, but as-is it contributes towards a general chaotic feel to the production. It's bizarre that while set at halloween, the weather and landscape is clearly a few months later.
The books are well worth a read, the recent TV series plays fast and loose with the plot but is more accurate with the characterisations, and I've yet to see all of the earlier TV series so reserve judgment. But this is a car crash of a movie, with both an accurate retelling of the first book and a campy musical schlock horror trying to get out. Needless to say, neither wins, nor does the viewer.
But the adults seem to be in an entirely different movie, playing most of the roles as high camp, except for the headmistress and a couple of the teachers. Diana Rigg is inconsistent between harsh but fair and nastily biased, and Tim Curry's leering belongs nowhere near a girl's school. Based on this evidence, he can't sing either.
Talking of bad accents, why is the head's sister stereotypically southern American? Is her cheapo-halloween witch costume insufficient distinction from her neat (and English) sibling? And does similarly-American relative Donna have any role other than as a brief Madonna joke? The only threat posed by the coven appears to be through their unpleasant lyrics and poor dress sense.
And oh, the dreadful music. Several turgid songs - but not enough to be a musical feature - interrupt the plot and hold things up. Given that so much of the book is jettisoned, it is a shame these weren't replaced by more of the original plot, which in places is fairly accurately followed. And why the flying scenes merit 80's disco-synth-pop I do not know.
The effects aren't terrible for the time. The green-screen could have been a lot better if the footage behind was better shot, but as-is it contributes towards a general chaotic feel to the production. It's bizarre that while set at halloween, the weather and landscape is clearly a few months later.
The books are well worth a read, the recent TV series plays fast and loose with the plot but is more accurate with the characterisations, and I've yet to see all of the earlier TV series so reserve judgment. But this is a car crash of a movie, with both an accurate retelling of the first book and a campy musical schlock horror trying to get out. Needless to say, neither wins, nor does the viewer.