Case File 029: The Grand High Witch (The Witches)

Rogues Gallery

The 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's The Witches remains a cult classic for those of us that grew up with it and a big part of that is definitely Angelica Huston's terrifying performance as The Grand High Witch. The film doesn't just traumatize its young viewers, though - it also empowers them. It's a world where even the most evil of forces can be conquered by the smallest of creatures. Not everyone was a fan, however, and Dahl himself wound up being one of its biggest detractors. He was so disappointed by the changes they made to his source text that it reportedly brought him to tears. That being the case, we can't help but wonder how he would have felt about the more recent adaptation that hit HBO Max late last year. Topics include: the banning of the original book, other actresses considered for The Grand High Witch, makeup vs cgi in the design of the title characters, the effect Angelica Huston had on 90s audiences, the setting of the 2020 version and the impact that had on the film's themes, the "limb controversy" sparked by the 2020 version, the post-production problems that delayed the release of the 1990 version, and much more! Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Google Play | Spotify Chris' Instagram & Twitter | Kristen's Instagram Chris & Kristen's Web Series: The Strange Case of Lucy Chandler