Julian Sands disappeared while hiking early this year. His body was found a few months later. In his memory, I decided to watch this horror flick in which he starred. Steve Miner's "Warlock" casts Sands as a malevolent sorcerer in colonial New England who jumps to 1980s LA in search of a book to undo creation.
The movie isn't particularly scary - kind of silly, in fact - but it's fun to see the awkwardness of the pursuing clergyman (Richard E. Grant) in the '80s as he considers almost everything witchcraft. Lori Singer plays the Angeleno gal who has to explain modernity to the clergyman.
Basically, the movie makes no pretense about what it is. Some of the CGI looks archaic by today's standards, but it remains a fun movie. Julian Sands's icy blond hair makes him look almost like a Bond villain. Watch for a brief appearance by Mary Woronov (of "Eating Raoul" fame) as a medium.
Steve Miner also directed "Friday the 13th Part 2", "Halloween H20" and "Lake Placid", while screenwriter David Twohy went on to direct the Riddick series.
