Warlock III
Encyclopedia
Warlock III: The End of Innocence is a 1999 direct-to-video
horror film
written by Bruce David Eisen and Eric Freiser and also directed by the latter. It is the third film in a series that started with the 1989 Warlock
. The first two films starred Julian Sands
as the Warlock but this one stars Bruce Payne
in the titular role of The Warlock. Warlock III is distributed by Trimark Pictures.
Chris is haunted by visions and dreams of her past life and of a doll from her past life, we learn that a warlock wanted her as a sacrirfice until her mother used her own magic to trap him in the Catacombs of his home. Chris's night in the house is full of strange events; she looks in the mirror and feels the urge to show her large breasts and when she turns her reflection screams at her, only to go back to normal when she looks. She also sees an apparition of a child and sensibly decides to leave only to be joined by friends.
Jerry then attempts to fix the pipes and only breaks it instead, releasing the warlock who escapes in the form of some kind of fluid, which Jerry puts down to being high.
Christ meets the historian the next day and a stranger—the warlock Philip Covington posing as an architect. He kills Mr Butterfield the historian strangling him with a gesture of magic and then tearing his thorat out with his bare hands. He takes the letters from Chris's mother and blows on them setting them alight.
He plays psychological games with Chris and her friends, the only one not buying is the Robin, so the warlock gets Jerry to steal her talisman
and a lock of her hair. The warlock fights Robin with magic, Robin is surprised that her words of power actually work in the way they do. The Warlock being more experienced wins throwing a glass ornament at her, which she seems to absorb and become like glass with his words: 'be still young witch'.
It is made clear that the warlock needs Chris's friends to give permission, which he tortures them into getting. Lisa and Scott get an S&M treatment from hell, Jerry gets to see what Chris thinks of him with a slight twist, and Micheal is turning into his father.
Naturally, Chris escapes his sacrifice, as he intends to exchange her soul with a consort from hell to mother a race of evil. This is because Chris is a Child of the Caul born on a blue moon
, the blood of a witch coursing through her. Chris fights the warlock who looks more and more demonic until he is holding the doll from her visions, and she is stabbing him with his sacrificial blade. However, he is unaffected by the knife saying 'you think you can defeat me with my own weapon?' to which Chris reples 'no with mine' and rips open the doll taking out a knife and stabbing him, successfully killing him.
Chris leaves with a book of magic and reading the tarot
card on strength and walks into a new life.
Mythology
A child of the Caul refers to a membrane some children are born with, this superstitiously was a sign of magical power. The Blue moon is a rare moon considered very auspicious.
The movie focuses on sympathetic magic, the warlock using things the other characters have touched. As a warlock, he is a male witch but he is also in this case demonic as we see at the end of the movie when he dies convering to his true form—unless this was meant to reflect his evil soul.
website. One reviewer said that 'as the Warlock, Bruce Payne, an actor who has magnificently theatrical charisma, and presence is actually better in the part than the perpetually overwrought Julian Sands' .
Direct-to-video
Direct-to-video is a term used to describe a film that has been released to the public on home video formats without being released in film theaters or broadcast on television...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
written by Bruce David Eisen and Eric Freiser and also directed by the latter. It is the third film in a series that started with the 1989 Warlock
Warlock (1989 film)
Warlock is a 1989 American cult horror film directed by Steve Miner, written by David Twohy and produced by Roger Corman. It was also produced by New World Pictures and distributed by Trimark Pictures. The cast includes Julian Sands, Lori Singer, and Richard E. Grant...
. The first two films starred Julian Sands
Julian Sands
Julian M. Sands is an English actor, known for his roles in the Best Picture nominee The Killing Fields, the cult film Warlock, A Room with a View, Arachnophobia, Vatel, the television series 24 and as Jor-El in the television series Smallville.-Career:Sands began his film career appearing in...
as the Warlock but this one stars Bruce Payne
Bruce Payne
Bruce Martyn Payne is an award winning English character actor and producer and was a member of the 1980's Brit Pack. Although he is best known for his villainous roles, Bruce Payne has played characters across the spectrum...
in the titular role of The Warlock. Warlock III is distributed by Trimark Pictures.
Synopsis
The only connection the previous warlock movies is that there is a warlock in it, the story tells us of a young girl called Chris who has no knowledge of her family, so when a historian tells her of her family home, she goes to see it. We also meet her boyfriend desperate not to follow a dream like his father and find a solid job after his college education (Micheal), we meet Scott and Lisa: a couple into brutal forms of S&M, as well as stoned musician Jerry who has an unrequited love for Chris and finally her best friend Robin who is a Witch.Chris is haunted by visions and dreams of her past life and of a doll from her past life, we learn that a warlock wanted her as a sacrirfice until her mother used her own magic to trap him in the Catacombs of his home. Chris's night in the house is full of strange events; she looks in the mirror and feels the urge to show her large breasts and when she turns her reflection screams at her, only to go back to normal when she looks. She also sees an apparition of a child and sensibly decides to leave only to be joined by friends.
Jerry then attempts to fix the pipes and only breaks it instead, releasing the warlock who escapes in the form of some kind of fluid, which Jerry puts down to being high.
Christ meets the historian the next day and a stranger—the warlock Philip Covington posing as an architect. He kills Mr Butterfield the historian strangling him with a gesture of magic and then tearing his thorat out with his bare hands. He takes the letters from Chris's mother and blows on them setting them alight.
He plays psychological games with Chris and her friends, the only one not buying is the Robin, so the warlock gets Jerry to steal her talisman
Talisman
Talisman have several meanings:*TalismanBooks and novels* The Talisman , a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott* The Talisman , a novel by Stephen King and Peter Straub...
and a lock of her hair. The warlock fights Robin with magic, Robin is surprised that her words of power actually work in the way they do. The Warlock being more experienced wins throwing a glass ornament at her, which she seems to absorb and become like glass with his words: 'be still young witch'.
It is made clear that the warlock needs Chris's friends to give permission, which he tortures them into getting. Lisa and Scott get an S&M treatment from hell, Jerry gets to see what Chris thinks of him with a slight twist, and Micheal is turning into his father.
Naturally, Chris escapes his sacrifice, as he intends to exchange her soul with a consort from hell to mother a race of evil. This is because Chris is a Child of the Caul born on a blue moon
Blue moon
A blue moon can refer to the third full moon in a season with four full moons. Most years have twelve full moons that occur approximately monthly. In addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each solar calendar year contains roughly eleven days more than the lunar year of 12 lunations...
, the blood of a witch coursing through her. Chris fights the warlock who looks more and more demonic until he is holding the doll from her visions, and she is stabbing him with his sacrificial blade. However, he is unaffected by the knife saying 'you think you can defeat me with my own weapon?' to which Chris reples 'no with mine' and rips open the doll taking out a knife and stabbing him, successfully killing him.
Chris leaves with a book of magic and reading the tarot
Tarot
The tarot |trionfi]] and later as tarocchi, tarock, and others) is a pack of cards , used from the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play a group of card games such as Italian tarocchini and French tarot...
card on strength and walks into a new life.
Mythology
A child of the Caul refers to a membrane some children are born with, this superstitiously was a sign of magical power. The Blue moon is a rare moon considered very auspicious.
The movie focuses on sympathetic magic, the warlock using things the other characters have touched. As a warlock, he is a male witch but he is also in this case demonic as we see at the end of the movie when he dies convering to his true form—unless this was meant to reflect his evil soul.
Reception
The film has a rating of 46% on the LovefilmLoveFilm
LoveFilm is a UK-based provider of home video and video game rental through DVD-by-mail and streaming video on demand in the UK, Germany and Scandinavia...
website. One reviewer said that 'as the Warlock, Bruce Payne, an actor who has magnificently theatrical charisma, and presence is actually better in the part than the perpetually overwrought Julian Sands' .
Trivia
- Bruce Payne replaced Julian Sands as the Warlock in this film. Both were often mistaken for one another and had appeared together in both Privates on ParadePrivates on ParadePrivates on Parade: A Play with Songs in Two Acts is a 1977 farce by English playwright Peter Nichols , with music by Denis King.-Plot:...
and Oxford BluesOxford BluesOxford Blues is a 1984 film written and directed by Robert Boris and starred Rob Lowe, Ally Sheedy and Amanda Pays. It is a remake of the 1938 MGM film A Yank at Oxford.-Plot:...
.
Cast
- Bruce PayneBruce PayneBruce Martyn Payne is an award winning English character actor and producer and was a member of the 1980's Brit Pack. Although he is best known for his villainous roles, Bruce Payne has played characters across the spectrum...
- The Warlock/Phillip Covington - Ashley LaurenceAshley LaurenceAshley Laurence is an American film and television actress. She is noted for her appearances in horror films, particularly the Hellraiser series.-Career:...
- Kris Miller - Paul FrancisPaul FrancisPaul Francis is an American business executive and politician who served as the Director of State Operations for the State of New York. In that position, he oversaw the states' eight major departments, along with the other offices and divisions of the Government of New York...
- Michael - Jan SchweitermanJan SchweitermanJan Schweiterman is an American actor who has appeared in several movies including Good Burger and Warlock III.-Filmography:* The Haven .... Michael Braga* American Intellectuals .... Cooper...
- Jerry - Angel BorisAngel BorisAngel Lynn Boris is an American model and actress sometimes credited as Angel Boris Reed....
- Lisa - Rick HearstRick HearstRick Hearst is an American actor, best known for roles in US soap operas.-Personal life:Born in Queens, New York in 1965 and raised in Dallas, Texas....
- Scott (as Richard C. Hearst) - Boti BlissBoti BlissBoti Ann Bliss is an American film and television actress. Notable roles include her semi-recurring role as Maxine Valera in the television crime drama CSI: Miami...
- Robin (as Boti Ann Bliss)