I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Excellent adaptation.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

Blistering performances.

I simply can not believe the rating this gem has. Everything below 8 is blasphemy. It's sad that this movie never had theatrical release and was never released on DVD or BR either. It was distributed only as VHS for video stores and because of that it didn't have a chance to reach wider audience and rise to popularity it deserves. Everything in it is between very good and perfect. Considering relatively low budget of about 6 million, HBO did fantastic job with production. Movie is directed by Martin Campbell, man responsible for Golden Eye, Mask of Zorro and Casino Royale, and Joseph Dougherty (Pretty Little Liars) wrote one of the most original scripts I ever had luck to see. Movie combines 40's Film Noir with supernatural horror of 80's and well-measured humour. It is based on Lovecraft mythos, but unlike most of movies based of Lovecraft that rape his stories, this one is not adaptation, but an original story inspired by Lovecraft, which skillfully includes parts of Lovecraft's mythos into noir crime mystery.!!! SPOILER ALERT !!!Fred Ward, in style of Bogart, plays former cop, now private detective, who is, in LA at the end of 40's, hired to find stolen Necronomicon, book that possess power to unlock interdimensional gate and let Great Old Ones back on Earth. Great Old Ones are very powerful demonic beings who once ruled the Earth. Most known are Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth and, of course, Cthulhu. It is interesting that, unlike most movies with supernatural plot, magic here is not secret skill reserved for few and kept in secret from public, but the most common everyday tool used by all. Same applies for supernatural beings, so we have zombies as bodyguards, and in jail we can see some vampires and werewolves. But non of that is shown in usual glamorous and mystical way full of stunning special effects. It's all incorporated in film noir style and shown as common and normal, so you won't have a feeling that you watch fantasy movie, but just usual 40's crime noir.Directing is great, there are some beautiful shots you should not miss, and lines are true masterpiece. Script is so well written that I am sure it would be great literature for reading even without seeing the movie."My name is Lovecraft and I'm the guy who knows. Just about the only guy who knows it all and is still breathing. It started that night and it started with a woman. It always starts with a woman." And the woman is Julianne Moore, charming as always and one more good reason to see this film.9/10

Fred Ward is excellent as the 1948 private eye hired to find a stolen witchcraft book, the "Necronomicon". It had to be a unique film that blends noir, monsters, virgins, zombies, and magic into a "black comedy", and that film is "Cast a Deadly Spell". There are at least a bunch of surprises along the way, as our hero tries to locate the book. The sharp tongued dialog is perfect, droll, and often hilarious, as Fred Ward, the only one who doesn't use magic, tries to survive witches spells, gangsters, and solve the case. This movie proves that you don't need CGI, if you have a creative mind behind the script, and some excellent makeup for the monsters. - MERK

What inspired this particular story/genre treatment? I've seen since a few other stabs at the same type of story, but few (if any) can reach your achievement. Did you have much say in the overall production? If not Fred Ward, then who would've been your first choice to play Lovecraft? Connie? Borden? In any case, I just wanted to reiterate how much a fan of "Cast A Deadly Spell" I am. It was one of those pictures that stick out in my mind as a grade-A classic. Great movie . Fred really funny in this role . Unique movie ever. Can some one tall me similar movie ... I don't think so. In so small Someone have the subtitles for this movie ? Really need one . Because in Ukraine I cant buy this movie .

You hear before you realize the magic is really there.. The rendition of "Danny Boy" by the vagrant/tenor remains the most pure of all I have heard, and it has taken 16 years to rediscover this gem of a movie. If Fred don't mind I'll claim him as a local boy since my sister-in-law worked with him in a small theatre production years ago in S.F. I digress. Can we canvass HBO to release it in DVD? What would it take? It sits in their archives, we all know it., so anybody willing to cobble together a battle plan or offer some sage advice? It is a shame that this work is not able to be enjoyed by any audience since it is withheld from circulation. HHHHHMMMMM< (public domain?)