When Los Angeles attorney Jeff Mills and his friend Derek rescue Miranda Reed from an abusive boyfriend, the trouble starts. Miranda has no home so Jeff offers her to stay at his house. Jeff becomes involved with Miranda and the mystery that surrounds her. But as the two become closer, Jeff learns that Miranda is on the run from a witches' coven.The coven wants Miranda as a sacrifice at the winter solstice. She must come to them of her own free will, and the coven try to force her into doing so, using sorcery to taunt the two of them. Miranda tells Jeff, but not the entire truth, and Jeff helps Miranda out of her troubles, but in doing so creates his own........From the trailers and the one sheet, I was expecting nothing more than a romance with a mild thriller/horror element to it. And for the most part of the film, that's exactly what it is, apart from two really random scenes involving a cut price Hugo Weaving running about like he needs the toilet before his head combusts, and a random scene in a lawyers office where an old woman goes nuts.They are certainly out of place in this film, but then the film really turns on its head in the last fifteen minutes, and it really makes the film worth watching, despite some really glaring plot holes.The cast are fine, we are given red herrings galore, and the chief bad guy looks like a cross between a really elaborate over the top Las Vegas Magician, and a catwalk Highlander, so that quenches any thirst you have for your eighties fix.Present as usual is perfectly fine as the apparently innocent Miranda, which makes the final fifteen all the more satisfying.The makers have obviously homaged The Wicker Man in essence, but that's not a bad thing if it's done right, and the final shot ends the film perfectly.Well worth seeking out..

Jeff Mills (Tim Daly) is a likable, good looking nice guy lawyer in L.A. who's tired of the dating scene. He chances to meet a gal named Miranda Reed (gorgeous Kelly Preston) in a parking lot one night, and brings her home to his pad, soon striking up a relationship with her. Unfortunately, his impulsiveness turns out to be a bad mistake, as Miranda's past then catches up with them. It turns out that she was part of a witches' coven, and that they "want her back" because they need a human sacrifice for the winter solstice, which is coming up. Blinded by his love for her, he goes out of his way to try to keep her safe, and to deal with her scummy associates, including Aldys (big haired Anthony Crivello) and the deceptively cheery Mrs. White (Audra "Mrs. Roper" Lindley).The solid supporting cast of nicely chosen actors also features Diana Bellamy as Jeffs' loyal (and intuitive) secretary Grace, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa as somber faced police detective Lt. Lee (an expert in occult related crimes), Julian Christopher, Kyle T. Heffner, and the amiable Rick Rossovich as Jeffs' circle of friends, and the very amusing M.C. Gainey as lively survivalist Brock. Overall, the movie is nothing special in terms of presentation, with competent but undistinguished direction by Janet Greek, but it does have its moments (the best occurs when a bunch of mysterious people gather at a window), and isn't totally without atmosphere. The story, written by Tracy Torme (son of Mel), who went on to script one more feature ("Fire in the Sky") and work for television series ranging from 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' to 'Sliders' to 'Carnivale', is pretty absorbing, and does have some effective twists near the end.It's a good movie in general, and is worth a look for 80s horror fans who want to check out everything that the decade has to offer.Seven out of 10.

In Los Angeles, the successful lawyer Jeff Mills (Timothy Daly) plays a basketball game after hour with his colleagues. When he comes to the parking area with his friend Derek Clayton (Rick Rossovich), they see a stranger hitting a young woman and Jeff and Derek protect her. Then she explains that her name is Miranda Reed (Kelly Preston) and she lives with the man named Aldys (Anthony Crivello). Jeff brings her home and they have one night stand; but she moves to Jeff's apartment and they start living together. When Aldys finds Jeff, Miranda vanishes and he seeks the police department to report the disappearance of Miranda. Lieutenant Lee (Cary- Hiroyuki Tagawa) sees the photo of Miranda and asks him about her necklace. Soon Jeff learns that it is the symbol of a satanic sect that worships the devil. Out of the blue, Miranda reappears and explains to Jeff that her mother is a witch that introduced her to her coven. She is trying to leave them and she needs to miss the next solstice, when they will gather at a beach to sacrifice a human being that will spontaneously participate of the meeting and take his heart. When Miranda is abducted by the worshipers, Jeff decides to seek her out. "Spellbinder" is a spooky, sexy and underrated horror movie with a flawless story in the style of "Rosemary's Baby". I saw this movie three or four times in the 90's and today I have just watched it again on VHS. The plot convinces mainly due to Kelly Preston, who is lovely gorgeous and sexy and capable to seduce the lonely Jeff Mills like she does in the story. The final twist is absolutely unexpected and surprises the viewer. My vote is nine.Title (Brazil): "Enfeitiçados" ("Bewitched")Note: On 03 September 2015, I saw this movie again.

Saw this on netflix recently. WARNING: SPOILER ALERT! This movie is a waste of time for 2 reasons. 1. It shouldn't take an entire movie for the coven to select and sacrifice only ONE rather stupid victim. With Kelly Preston as bait, they could snag one man in 10 minutes, or kill dozens each weekend, and with far less work. But NO, the script drags us through an unnecessarily elaborate set up, and then boring plot twists, just like a high school girl tormenting a nerd with the run around. The Wicker Man, original version, is a masterpiece compared to this movie. 2. Not enough nudity. Bottom line: fast forward through this turkey, stopping only to admire a young Kelly Preston.