Cast a Deadly Spell

Cast a Deadly Spell
GenreUrban fantasy
Comedy thriller
Written byJoseph Dougherty
Directed byMartin Campbell
StarringFred Ward
Julianne Moore
Clancy Brown
David Warner
Charles Hallahan
Alexandra Powers
Music byCurt Sobel
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducerGale Anne Hurd
CinematographyAlexander Gruszynski
EditorDan Rae
Running time96 minutes
Production companiesHBO Pictures
Pacific Western
Budget$6 million
Original release
NetworkHBO
ReleaseSeptember 7, 1991 (1991-09-07)
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Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) is a horror-fantasy detective comedy television film[1] with Fred Ward, Julianne Moore, David Warner, and Clancy Brown.[2][3] It was directed by Martin Campbell, produced by Gale Anne Hurd, and written by Joseph Dougherty. The original music score was composed by Curt Sobel.

Cast a Deadly Spell combines two disparate genres – film noir detective stories, and eldritch tales of the Cthulhu Mythos. It is set in 1948 Los Angeles, in a world where magic is common. A detective is hired to locate a stolen grimoire, the Necronomicon. Several of the people searching for the book intend to use it to summon one of the Old Ones.

A sequel entitled Witch Hunt was released in 1994, with Dennis Hopper playing Ward's role of Harry Philips Lovecraft. (The character's name, as well as a number of plot elements, make reference to the work of weird fiction writer Howard Philips Lovecraft.)

  1. ^ Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) – Martin Campbell | Synopsis, Characteristics, Moods, Themes and Related, AllMovie, retrieved 2022-05-08
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference NYT was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference FSR was invoked but never defined (see the help page).