Something Wicked This Way Comes |  | Director: Jack Clayton
Actors: Jason Robards, Jonathan Pryce, Diane Ladd, Royal Dano, Vidal Peterson
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.99
Buy New: $13.59
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Rating:  80 reviews
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 95 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: DISD33651D
UPC: 786936234206
EAN: 0786936234206
Theatrical Release Date: April 29, 1983
Release Date: August 3, 2004
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Studio: Buena Vista Home Video Release Date: 08/03/2004
Amazon.com
Ray Bradbury adapted his own novel for Something Wicked This Way Comes, Jack Clayton's beautiful rendering of the turn-of-the-century fantasy of a mysterious carnival that literally blows into a small town to taunt and tempt the inhabitants. Jonathan Pryce (Brazil), the handsome but demonic proprietor of Dark's Pandemonium Carnival, preys upon the vanities, the delusions, and the regrets of the townspeople by granting their wishes at the expense of their souls. Jason Robards, as the meek librarian Charles Halloway, becomes his unlikely nemesis when his son Will, with his best friend Jim Nightshade (a deliciously dark name in its own right), discovers the secret of Dark's nightmarish carnival. When they become hunted by Dark's minions (including Pam Grier as the beautiful and mysterious Dust Witch), Halloway must confront his own fears and regrets to save the boys. Clayton captures the idyll of childhood in the fall with rich autumnal colors, his camera gliding along with the energetic boys as they tear through field and forests. The climax, however, gets lost in a cacophony of competing special effects, imaginatively visualized but never very terrifying, as if producer Disney resisted the uneasy undercurrent of the story. It's more dark fantasy than horror, a nightmarish adventure filtered through the memory of a man remembering his childhood in mythic terms. --Sean Axmaker
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Showing reviews 1-5 of 80
 One of the best of Disney's "dark" side November 6, 2009
Tim Phillips
I saw this movie when it debuted in the 80s; it goes without saying that a LOT of time had passed since I saw it and I wanted to see if the chills still held up.
Bottom line: yes, they most certainly do. Jonathan Price as Mr. Dark is as fine a villain as has ever been envisioned. The carousel scene at the end is still one of the most chill-inducing I've seen in a PG movie. Perhaps the most haunting vision is the old teacher's dream of being the beauty she once was; she pays a hefty price for it, and I won't ruin it any more here; if you've never seen this though, the results are chilling. I cannot recall the actress' name. I just looked on IMDB, I believe it was Ellen Geer - and in the hands of anybody else, the scene would have felt phony; they found a real jewel, however, and she plays this scene brilliantly. The Dust Witch would also serve to scare me senseless as a younger man; she's still wickedly spooky 25 years later. Jason Robards seems a bit old to be the father, and he always did to me, but at the same time, he anchors this stellar cast and keeps the focus on the point of redemption that lies deep at the heart of the movie.
It doesn't hurt a thing that it's based on Bradury's novel of the same name, and when you've got fiction writing like that to draw from, it's really hard to screw the picture up. Definitely a five star for me.
Something wickedly wonderful August 14, 2009
Hattie Shepherd (Kent, England)
having worn our video tape to destruction it was good to find this fabuulous movie on DVD. It arrived quickly, securely packaged. The disc was superb - picture quality fantastic, sound great - like being back at the movies the day it was released. Can't recommend the sellers highly enough.
 something wicked this way comes August 9, 2009
A. G. Beck (wellington nz)
a rather scary movie from disney which is a good adaption of ray bradbury's novel i like this dvd version of the book allan g beck from wellington nz.
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983)-Five Star Horror from Disney! July 24, 2009
Keith Mirenberg (www.spaceanimations.org)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
Something Wicked This Way Comes (1983) was an unconditional five star horror film from Disney studios. This DVD provided two versions of the movie at 1.66:1 and 1.33:1 and was a good value except for the picture quality which was just so, so.
This movie was really great and depicted an old time traveling carnival having the ability to grant your deepest wish, but then totally taking away your ability to enjoy it, and then some. This is referred to as a price, but it is far darker than a simple cost for your wish.
Spoilers:
1) The once town beauty is now very old and wishes for her beauty again. She suddenly finds herself young and beautiful, but then goes blind while staring in the mirror. She then is taken by the Carnival, as are all their victims.
2) Mr. Crasetti, the town barber, wants nothing more than to see some beautiful elegant woman visit his town. The fortune teller ("Dust Witch") reads his mind and tells him that he would be "oh so happy" if he could see some elegant ladies and tells him they are waiting for him. Mr. Crasetti goes to the side show to see the harem girls dance, and winds up during his short lived session being converted into Madam Crasetti, the fat bearded lady (and from the sounds of his conversion, being castrated for good measure).
3) Ed, the town barman and amputee, wants only to be able to play football like he could when he was whole. He walks into the mirrored maze and is made a complete man only to be turned into a young boy.
4) Mr. Tetley wants nothing more than to win a game of chance which he does at one of the carnivals games. Then the Carnival gives him $1000 in winnings, free tickets for the Ferris wheel and a seat next to a very beautiful young woman who is the Dust Witch in disguise. He disappears into the bowels of the Carnival and all that is left of him is his cigar.
5) Tom Fury, the seller of lightning rods, who I believe to be a magical and powerful individual with some influence over lightning, doesn't seem to wish for anything but to supply people with his rods for their protection from a coming storm. Never missing a chance to punish a good deed, he is tortured by the carnival people with an electric chair in order to extract the time of arrival of an important storm. Only too human, his only short coming appears to be his being smitten by the beautiful Dust Witch, who he admires saying "More beautiful than Pocahontas".
I never read the book to know what the novel was about, but it is clear that the basic story is from the mind of the great Ray Bradbury. I don't like his attempts at science fiction, but concerning the human condition, feel he was the master. Note; do not buy for young children as this movie was an attempt by Disney Studios to make something darker and much more serious than Bambi.
Something Wicked This Way Comes July 9, 2009
Julie Pospyhalla (Wausau, WI USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
One of Disneys most scary movies great cause disney usually dosen't make these kind of eree movies very often perfect to watch around Halloween.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 80
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