Friday Flix: Witchboard

Ah 1986. Hands Across America, the Challenger disaster, the Iran Contra Affair, Madonna singing “Papa Don’t Preach,” and of course, Tawny Kitaen. Mmm…Tawny Kitaen. Who could ever forget her in movies like Bachelor Party and Instant Justice? Perhaps one of her best known roles though, was as Linda Brewster in the film Witchboard. You all remember that movie, right?

Last night as I was thinking of a film to focus on today, we broke out the Ouija board for some fun and it hit me, “Witchboard. Of course!” This is perhaps one of my most loved 80s horror films, as it had all the right elements for a good scary flick. Possession, things moving all on their own, cheesy music, and yes, Tawny Kitaen. Oh, and it also had Stephen Nichols in it. You may remember him as Steve ‘Patch’ Johnson from the daytime soap, Days of Our Lives. What? Am I the only horror author that ever watched that stuff? I doubt it.

Witchboard, as I recall, was my first encounter with a film about Ouija boards. Up until that point, I had only heard about them briefly, not really quite sure what they were. I knew it had something to do with ghosts and whatnot, but man, after seeing that film, I was intrigued. The bad mojo of the movie didn’t scare me away, quite the contrary. I was more determined than ever to get my hands on one to see what evil I could conjure up. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on which side you’re on), I never did get to play with one until a few years later, when my brother and his girlfriend scared the crap out of me during a session with ol’ Ouija. Regardless, it didn’t deter me from trying it again later on in life, hence the fun last night.

While Witchboard may have been trying to send the message of, “Don’t fuck with the dead,” I think it had the opposite affect on most people, causing them to be more and more curious about things they don’t truly understand. At least, that’s the affect it had on me.

If you’ve never seen it, or if it’s been a while since you had a viewing of this film, I suggest you go out and grab yourself a copy. It’s dated in many ways, but is still good for a few jump scares. And yes, Tawny Kitaen is just as hot as you remembered her to be in it.