Mirror, Mirror (1990 film)
| Mirror, Mirror | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Marina Sargenti |
| Written by | Annette Cascone Gina Cascone Marina Sargenti Yuri Zeltser |
| Produced by | Jimmy Lifton |
| Starring | Rainbow Harvest Karen Black Yvonne De Carlo William Sanderson |
| Cinematography | Robert Brinkmann |
| Edited by | Barry Dresner Glenn Morgan |
| Music by | Scott Campbell Jimmy Lifton |
Production company | Orphan |
| Distributed by | New City Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 104 mins. |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mirror, Mirror is a 1990 American horror film directed by Marina Sargenti, based on a screenplay by Annette Cascone and Gina Cascone. It stars Karen Black, Rainbow Harvest, Yvonne De Carlo and William Sanderson. The film follows a teenaged outcast who finds herself drawn to an antique mirror left in the house she and her mother have moved into. A soundtrack for Mirror, Mirror was released in 1990 through Orphan Records.
Plot
Megan Gordon (Rainbow Harvest) is a shy Goth girl who moves into a new neighborhood from Los Angeles with her recently widowed mother Susan (Karen Black). In her new school, Megan does not make friends, and is taunted mercilessly by her peers, apart from Nikki Chandler (Kristin Dattilo) and handsome jock Ron (Ricky Paull Goldin). On moving into her new home, Megan finds an antique framed mirror in her room which belonged to the original owners of the house, and despite an attempt to remove it from the house, it mysteriously appears back in place.
Slowly, Megan comes to realize that the mirror can grant her special powers, enabling her to have vengeance on her tormentors. However, the antiques dealer (Yvonne De Carlo) who was in charge of the house clearance finds an old diary that holds the ominous secret of the mirror's past: It describes how the mirror is possessed by a demonic force within it, which has the power to grant requests at a deadly price...and the fate of the previous owner's sister. As it begins to give Megan the ability to take her revenge on her persecutors, she slowly becomes dependent on the mirror, and soon it takes her over. As the death toll mounts, both Megan's enemies and her friends suffer as the demonic force reaches out and grows in strength. Armed only with a dagger and a vague knowledge of how the demonic mirror can be stopped, Nikki sets out to confront Megan and her mirror, before it is too late.
Film cast
- Rainbow Harvest as Megan Gordon
- Karen Black as Susan Gordon
- Yvonne De Carlo as Emelin
- William Sanderson as Mr. Veze
- Kristin Dattilo as Nikki Chandler
- Ricky Paull Goldin as Ron
- Charlie Spradling as Charleen Kane
- Tom Bresnahan as Jeff
- Dorit Sauer as Kim
- Ann Hearn as Mrs. Perlili
- Stephen Tobolowsky as Mr. Anderson
- Pamela Perfili as P.E. Teacher
- Scott Campbell as Class Smart Aleck
- Traci Lee Gold as Mary Weatherworth
- Michelle Gold as Elizabeth Weatherworth
Release
Mirror, Mirror was released theatrically through New City Releasing on May 18, 1990.[1] It also screened at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 19, 1990.[2]
Critical reception
Overall reception for the film has been mixed to positive, with Entertainment Weekly giving Mirror, Mirror a "B-" rating.[3] In his book Generation Multiplex, Timothy Shary called Mirror, Mirror "one of the best teen horror films in general" and citing it as an example of "the tyranny of teen popularity."[4] Creature Features panned the film, giving it two stars and criticizing it as a "compendium of cliches."[5]
Soundtrack
| Untitled | |
|---|---|
A soundtrack for Mirror, Mirror was released on CD through Orphan Records in 1990. Jimmy Lifton composed and performed the movie's orchestral tracts, with the movie also featuring songs by Scott Campbell, Jim Walker, and Gene Evaro.
Track list
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Performer | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Fury" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:25 |
| 2. | "A Theme Within" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:49 |
| 3. | "Emelin, An Introduction" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:36 |
| 4. | "A Premonition" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:49 |
| 5. | "Prelude to a Friend" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:05 |
| 6. | "The Story Unfolds" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 2:49 |
| 7. | "A Tail is Tolled" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 0:59 |
| 8. | "Daddy" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 3:12 |
| 9. | "A Sculpture Waltz" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:50 |
| 10. | "Pages Revealed" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:34 |
| 11. | "The Birth" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 3:06 |
| 12. | "Ghosts Do Not Exist" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 2:36 |
| 13. | "The Seduction" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 3:06 |
| 14. | "Megan's Room" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 3:08 |
| 15. | "Variation of a Changeling" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 0:54 |
| 16. | "The View From Within" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:22 |
| 17. | "The Day Is Long" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:07 |
| 18. | "Control" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 2:03 |
| 19. | "A Plan" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:57 |
| 20. | "The Storm" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 2:25 |
| 21. | "And the Door Opens" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:52 |
| 22. | "A Theme Finale" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 2:21 |
| 23. | "To the Other Side" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 1:41 |
| 24. | "In My Arms" | Jim Walker | Jim Walker | 2:38 |
| 25. | "Touching You At Night" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 5:12 |
| 26. | "Calling Your Name" | Jimmy Lifton | Jimmy Lifton | 4:10 |
| 27. | "I Am An Accident Waiting to Happen" | Scott Campbell | Scott Campbell | 3:21 |
| 28. | "Oh What a Love, Oh What a Life" | Gene Evaro | Gene Evaro | 4:50 |
Home media
The film was released on DVD on October 28, 2000 by Anchor Bay Entertainment.[6] On March 6, 2004, it was re-released as part of a four-film set featuring the film's three sequels, called the "Mirror, Mirror Collection," also by Anchor Bay. The set was packaged in a reflective foil case.[7] Both releases are out of print.[8]
Sequels
Mirror, Mirror was followed by three sequels, Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance (1994), Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur (1995), and Mirror, Mirror IV: Reflection (2000). Reception for the sequels was largely negative, with the Orlando Sentinel criticizing Raven Dance as "reflect[ing] poorly on [the] classic original".[9] William Sanderson was the only actor from the first film to return for the second movie, albeit in a different role. The second film notably featured an early film appearance for Mark Ruffalo.
References
- ^ "Mirror, Mirror (1990)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ Staff (October 19, 1990). "International Film Festival In Its Last Week". The Chicago Tribune. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ "Review: Mirror, Mirror". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
- ^ Shary 2002, p. 173–74.
- ^ Stanley 2000, p. 344.
- ^ "Mirror, Mirror". Second Spin. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ Kipnis, Jill (January 24, 2004). "Glittering Jewel Cases Can Sell More DVDs". Billboard. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ R., Wes (April 9, 2008). "Reviews - Mirror Mirror (1990)". Oh, the Horror!. Retrieved July 4, 2016.
- ^ "MIRROR, MIRROR 2' REFLECTS POORLY ON CLASSIC ORIGINAL". Orlando Sentinel. June 24, 1994. Retrieved 19 January 2013.
Bibliography
- Shary, Timothy (2002). Generation Multiplex: The Image of Youth in Contemporary American Cinema. University of Texas Press. ISBN 029277771X.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link) - Stanley, John (2000). Creature Features: The Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Guide. Berkley Trade. ISBN 0425175170.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: ref duplicates default (link)