The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

Directed by George Miller. Starring Jack Nicholson, Susan Sarandon, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer, Veronica Cartwright, Richard Jenkins, Carel Struycken. [R]

A trio of unsatisfied small-town New England women all wish for a man to enter their lives, inadvertently summon the “ultimate” man: the devil (Nicholson). He proceeds to stir up trouble in the community, as well as the libidos of the three ladies, though to call it an unhealthy foursome relationship would be the understatement of the year. John Updike’s satirical dark feminist fantasy gets a flamboyant overhaul courtesy of visionary director Miller, Vilmos Zsigmond and his wild camerawork, and a deliciously devilish turn from Jack (in a role that really could have only been played by him). The horror elements do get muted by the parodic excess, though it nicely fills the u.q. (upchuck quotient) of a dozen such pictures; the finale goes overboard, but it’s well-staged and deliriously executed aside from that dodgy “monster.” Michael Cristofer’s script inexplicably neglects to include even one scene of the three ladies reacting with real amazement and/or trepidation upon realizing that they have tremendous witch powers—it’s not the sort of thing that happens every day, right? John Williams’ score is irresistible fun. Later a short-lived television series, also featuring Cartwright, but in a different part.

67/100