Cast a Deadly Spell

*Cast a Deadly Spell*
Cast a Deadly Spell
Genre	Fantasy; Comedy; Mystery; Thriller
Written by	Joseph Dougherty
Directed by	Martin Campbell
Starring	Fred Ward; Julianne Moore; Clancy Brown; David Warner; Charles Hallahan; Alexandra Powers
Music by	Curt Sobel
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Gale Anne Hurd; Ginny Nugent (line producer)
Cinematography	Alexander Gruszynski
Editor	Dan Rae
Running time	96 minutes
Production companies	HBO Pictures; Pacific Western
Budget	$6 million
Original release
Network	HBO
Release	September 7, 1991;

Cast a Deadly Spell (1991) is a fantasy detective television film with Fred Ward, Julianne Moore, David Warner and Clancy Brown.^[1] It was directed by Martin Campbell, produced by Gale Anne Hurd,^[1] and written by Joseph Dougherty.^[1] The original music score was composed by Curt Sobel.^[1]

Plot

Ward stars as 1948 hardboiled private detective H. Philip Lovecraft, in a fictional Los Angeles where magic is real, monsters and mythical beasts stalk the back alleys, zombies are used as cheap labor, and everyone—except Lovecraft—uses magic every day. Yet, cars, telephones and other modern technology also exist in this world.

Lovecraft is hired by wealthy Amos Hackshaw to find Hackshaw's former chauffeur Larry Willis, who has stolen a mysterious grimoire called the Necronomicon, and recover the missing book within forty-eight hours. However, what seems like a simple "Forty bucks a day and expenses" case turns out to be not so simple, and things take a chilling turn as he finds himself embroiled in a plot involving magical hitmen, pure damsels, old flames and enemies and ancient evils, all connected by the Necronomicon, that may lead to the destruction of the world.

Sequel

HBO produced a sequel, Witch Hunt with Dennis Hopper playing Lovecraft in place of Ward. Witch Hunt takes place in the 1950s during the Second Red Scare, with magic substituted for communism. Many characters reappear from Cast a Deadly Spell, although some have different backstories.

Cast

Fred Ward – Harry Philip Lovecraft (same initials as Howard Phillips Lovecraft)
Julianne Moore – Connie Stone
David Warner – Amos Hackshaw
Alexandra Powers – Olivia Hackshaw
Clancy Brown – Harry Bordon
Charles Hallahan - Detective Morris Bradbury
Arnetia Walker - Hypolite Kropotkin
Raymond O'Connor - Tugwell
Peter Allas - Detective Otto Grimaldi
Lee Tergesen - Larry Willis/Lilly Sirwar
Michael Reid MacKay - Gargoyle
Curt Sobel - Band Leader

Awards

Saturn Award - Best Genre Television Series (Nomination)
CableACE Award - Best Original Score (Nomination)
Emmy Award - Outstanding Music & Lyrics (Won)
Emmy Award - Outstanding Sound Editing (Nomination)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e J. O'Connor, John (September 10, 1991). "Review/Television; A Detective and Sci-Fi In Los Angeles Magic". The New York Times.

External links

Cast a Deadly Spell at IMDb
Cast a Deadly Spell at AllMovie
Cast a Deadly Spell at Rotten Tomatoes

Template:Media based on H. P. Lovecraft works

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[NYT-1] J. O'Connor, John (September 10, 1991). "Review/Television; A Detective and Sci-Fi In Los Angeles Magic". The New York Times.

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