O Toque de Midas

Interesting group of people involved here, Peter Manoogian a Full Moon Features regular having directed some of Full Moon's better output such as Seedpeople and Demonic Toys and many others casts Trever O'Brien (brother of Prehysteria's Austin) as Billy, a boy with an ill grandmother whom he loves dearly and victim of school bullies. When a stranger offers him one wish he asks for The Midas Touch and thus everything he touches turns to gold. He hangs out with Leon (another Hollywood brother, Joey Simmrin) and Hannah (Ashley Cafagna-Tesoro, also the star of Werewolf Reborn!). The production is fairly grand considering the budget with some amazing properties used and a really effective use of the Romanian countryside. The cast are not exceptional actors but still manage to be fairly appealing. Ashley Cafagna-Tesoro, here a slightly gormless tweenie, adds the necessary gamine appeal to the boyishness otherwise on show (incidently an older, quite stunning Ashley would land a recurring role in Saved By The Bell and then launch a country music career and with her husband, a religious foundation). Shannon Welles makes a fiery Witch and the owners of a small pawn store are also suitable 'baddies' after the secret to the gold source. Elements of the script truly rock, such as when Hannah slaps an irritating Leon who looks at her studiously, saying "I am opposed to all forms of violence". The film begins with young Billy receiving a massage from a young lady and continues this offbeat humour throughout. Billy's butler asks if he wants him to book the band 'Jam Pearl' and judging by the film generally I reckon such a band might be pretty good. Remember that The Midas Touch can be a curse as well as a blessing. Forget? Then watch this film!