In 1932, an enigmatic carnival arrives in an Illinois community, coinciding with unsettling events and disappearances. Jason Robards portrays a librarian, while Jonathan Pryce appears as the mysterious leader of the carnival. “Something Wicked This Way Comes” (1983) is a spooky fantasy film adapted from Ray Bradbury’s novel. The studio, Disney, was dissatisfied with director Jack Clayton's initial version and subsequently took control, ordering costly reshoots, re-editing, a new musical score, and the addition of narration. I had hoped to really enjoy this movie because I like films centered around carnivals or circuses, such as “Water for Elephants” (2011), "Berserk!" (1967), “Circus of Horrors” (1960) and “Funhouse” (1981)—even movies like "The Greatest Show on Earth" (1952) and "Roustabout" (1964). Sadly, I was disappointed. Everything seems to be in place for a wonderful fantasy film, but it feels as though too many people were involved, which hurt the final product. The story moves at an excessively slow pace, and the movie never quite finds its footing. It doesn't help that much of the filming took place on Disney’s town set in Burbank, which gives it a cheap feel. Certainly, the premise is good; Mr. Dark is a fascinating character, the Dust Witch is strikingly beautiful (Pam Grier), and some of the strange occurrences are well-executed, but they don't combine to create an engaging narrative. Even the final section falters with a lengthy conversation in the library, followed by another uninspired sequence set within a mirror maze. The climactic explosion is visually impressive, but it comes too late to make a difference. “Needful Things” (1993) wasn’t exactly a masterpiece, yet it managed to take similar ideas and turn them into a more entertaining film. If you're looking for a better spooky Disney movie from the early 80s, consider the original version of “The Watcher in the Woods” (1980)—the one that includes the skeletal-insectoid creature at the end, which is available on Youtube as a “fan edit.” The film’s running time is 1 hour, 35 minutes. Filming occurred at Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch (for the carnival scenes), located about 20 minutes north of Hollywood, and on the Disney back lot in Burbank (the town set), with establishing shots filmed in Vermont (Morrisville and Waterville). GRADE: C

Source on TMDB