Hello angels, this movie definitely has a Halloween flair and it’s also an egregious example of the weirdest, but hardly atypical, age inappropriate May/December Hollywood romance, I give you: “Bell, Book and Candle”. I remember about eighteen years ago Miramax (when it was the Weinstein’s company) held the rights and the script was being developed for Sharon Stone. And, like most projects it sizzled out – something like – nobody was happy with the script. It happens frequently. Sometimes it means “nobody is happy with the script” and sometimes it means a witty sophisticated rendition of a story that relies on the audience’s fluency in the language can’t be sold overseas…
Honestly, I think James Stewart was a little past it (50 to Kim Novak’s 25) to play the romantic lead but it’s still a fun movie. (A certain somebody who’s won two Academy Awards is fond of telling me I don’t know anything about being a man, or what appeals to men, and when I mention something about skin crawly romances or BABYSITTING your date he just rolls his eyes – so maybe he’s right and Mr. Stewart was perfect for the part.) Elsa Lanchester, Jack Lemmon, and Ernie Kovacs in supporting roles steal the show.
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This is a bonus – leave it to the Germans to come up with a scary poster for a comedy:
