Witchboard
| Witchboard | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Directed by | Kevin Tenney |
| Produced by | Gerald Geoffray |
| Written by | Kevin Tenney |
| Starring |
|
| Music by | Dennis Michael Tenney |
| Cinematography | Roy H. Wagner |
| Edited by |
|
|
Production
company |
|
| Distributed by |
|
|
Release date
|
|
|
Running time
|
98 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $7.4 million (US) |
Witchboard is a 1986 American supernatural horror film written and directed by Kevin S. Tenney in his directorial debut, and starring Tawny Kitaen and Stephen Nichols. The film focuses on a female college student who is harassed and later possessed by an evil spirit after communicating with it through a friend's Ouija board at a party.
The film had a limited release in December 1986 and received a wide release in March 1987. Although critical reception remains generally mixed, the film has obtained a cult following since its release. Two unrelated sequels, Witchboard 2: The Devil's Doorway and Witchboard III: The Possession, were respectively released in 1993 and 1995.
One night at a party, Brandon Sinclair brings out his ouija board and attempts to contact David, the spirit of a dead ten-year-old boy with whom he has communicated numerous times. The spirit responds, but Brandon's nemesis Jim insults David, making the spirit angry and provoking him to slash the tires of Brandon's car.
The next day, Jim's live-in girlfriend Linda sees Brandon's ouija board (which Brandon left behind from the previous night) and tries to contact David. It is revealed that the spirit is actually a ghost of a deceased murderer named Carlos Malfeitor acting under the guise of David. This malicious spirit initially starts being nice and helpful to her, informing Linda where her lost diamond engagement ring is. Meanwhile, at the construction site where Jim is working, Lloyd is killed from fallen sheetrock by the murderous spirit. After Jim is questioned by Lieutenant Dewhurst at Lloyd's funeral, she again contacts Malfeitor (still believing to be David) about the accident, and the spirit lies that he did not cause it.
Soon, Linda begins to fall under progressive entrapment, in which the spirit changes and starts to terrorize the user, rendering the person weak and easy to possess. Brandon brings over a psychic medium named Sarah "Zarabeth" Crawford to contact David, and if necessary to exorcise him from the building. The spirit puts up little resistance and leaves, but after leaving, Zarabeth is suspicious and wants to research the occurrence. Not long after getting home, she is attacked and killed by Malfeitor; her throat is slashed before being thrown out of a window and impaled onto a spike. The next morning, Brandon is shocked to hear about Zarabeth's death on the newscast, and immediately suspects the spirit David murdered her. After Brandon leaves for more information, Linda is unconscious by Malfeitor and she is sent to a hospital after Jim contacts an ambulance. During this time, Brandon and Jim conduct research on David, and later initially accuse the spirit of terrorizing Linda. They use the Ouija board and discover that Malfeitor is frightening Linda instead. Malfeitor then attacks; he renders Jim unconscious with fallen barrels and kills Brandon with a carpenter's hatchet. Upon the discovery of Brandon's body in the water, Jim is grieved over his friend's loss.
...
Wikipedia