The Director: Jack Clayton (The Innocents)
The Cast: Jason Robards (Parenthood, The Ballad of Cable Hogue), Jonathan Pryce (Pirates of the Caribbean, Tomorrow Never Dies), Diane Ladd (Chinatown), Pam Grier (Jackie Brown)
Release Date: April 29, 1983
Based on Ray Bradbury's novel and produced by Disney, Something Wicked This Way Comes manages to balance old-fashioned storytelling and creepy visuals. The story tells of a wicked carnival leader (Pryce) who brings his own brand of evil magic to town, granting wishes of the townsfolk in exchange for their souls (a precursor to Steven King's fantastic novel Needful Things). Two young boys and one of their fathers (Robards, playing the wise town librarian) have to stand up to his evil ways.
Something Wicked This Way Comes features plenty of tense moments, a seductively evil Pam Grier, and even a few icky spiders, but still manages to play within the boundaries you'd expect from Disney. At a PG rating, this is a fine choice for younger horror fans who love spooky stories and still can get caught up in a good old tale of G vs. E.
