Eric’s Bad Movies: ‘Teen Witch’ (1989)
Earlier this week I asked for suggestions for Eric’s Bad Movies at Film.com, and if you doubt the usefulness of making your voice heard, doubt no more! This week’s entry, “Teen Witch,” is the direct result of several people recommending it. I’d never heard of it. In fact, when it was first suggested and I looked into it, I wasn’t sure it would be suitable. Very few reviews exist (it was only in a handful of theaters for a couple weeks and grossed just $27,000 — not million, thousand), and the notices at Rotten Tomatoes didn’t offer a clear consensus. I was afraid it would be one of those teen movies that are mediocre and dumb but not truly AWFUL.
Boy was I wrong! After hearing more details (mostly on Twitter) from people who’d seen it, I was persuaded that “Teen Witch” would indeed be appropriately terrible, and I’m glad I listened. It’s such a bizarre movie, with dangling, irrelevant subplots and a bland heroine whose actions are consistently inconsistent. It’s hard to believe anyone involved could have thought they’d produced something worthwhile.
The film is a comedy, which I’ve expressed concerns about using in Eric’s Bad Movies. My concern stems from the fact that it’s hard to mock something that already doesn’t take itself seriously. Often all you can say about a bad comedy is, “Boy, this sure isn’t funny!” But I’ve found that comedies with supernatural or fantasy elements sometimes are good fodder, and that proved to be the case here.
July 16th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
I’m really shocked this movie did so bad at the box office. I mean……I remember it being bad…………….but they played it over and over on HBO that I assumed (I was 12) that it was a pretty big hit. I thought Robin Lively was cute back then and I watched this movie way too many times.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:07 pm
I remember reading & loving the book series and was really excited for this movie to come out . . . and then so, so disappointed by it. I totally forgot this movie existed, but now I want to read the books again to see if they were as good as I remember.
July 16th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Ok, I take that back. I can’t find any reference to a book series that this movie may have been based on. I wonder what I was thinking of?
July 16th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
Oh Eric. . .I loved loved loved this movie when it aired 42,000 times on cable when I was a preteen. I mean, those clothes! I thought she was the coolest girl ever. And ‘member that rap with her nerdy best friend and that really awesome guy who apparently raps/sings at random? Classic.
July 16th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
Sorry, Eric. . .I just read the review and it, of course, pointed out the subtle genius of the “Top That!” rap as well as another great song, “I Like Boys.” Oh man, that movie was great.
July 16th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
Loved the twit zone reference in your review!
July 17th, 2009 at 11:34 am
My claim to fame is that I actually contributed to that $27,000 box office gross! I had no idea it made so little.
July 17th, 2009 at 9:13 pm
Eric,
These are so funny. I look forward to each one.
Can you get them syndicated, I wonder? You should be making a fortune with them. They are easily more entertaining than anything I’ve read in the Seattle Times or Salt Lake Tribune’s entertainment section … pretty much ever. ~
July 17th, 2009 at 9:25 pm
@ lilcis: I remember the book, too! I don’t think it was a series, though. I can’t recall the story, but I remember the cover – I wanted to look like the totally rad girl with poofy bangs.
July 18th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
The rapping scene makes me uncomfortable
July 21st, 2009 at 7:53 am
Okay, I totally remember seeing the “Top That” scene on tv and laughing about it with my sisters, but I could swear I’ve never seen this movie.