WITCHBOARD

During a party at Linda and Jim's house, Brandon, Linda's ex-boyfriend, suggests invoking the spirit of a deceased person with an Ouija board. The guests play along, and Brandon manages to contact David, the spirit of a child who died in violent circumstances. At the end of the party, when everyone has left, Linda realizes that Brandon forgot the Ouija board and tries alone to reconnect with David. From that night on, strange things start happening in the house, and Linda becomes obsessed with the Ouija board, using it more and more frequently. When people close to the woman start dying in mysterious circumstances, Jim begins to think that Brandon and Linda have released a terrible murderous spirit. Before the success with "The Night of Demons," Kevin Tenney debuts in 1986 with "Spiritika," a small horror film destined to become a cult among enthusiasts. The theme addressed is certainly not new; the gothic trend of the previous two decades had sunk its claws into séances just as a hawk would with its prey, but the turn that Tenney gives to his film sets "Spiritika" apart and sets trends. The idea behind the film is simple and leans on circumstances too anchored in genre clichés, starting with the ease with which the protagonists manage to contact the spirit. Tenney's skill, who, in addition to directing, also wrote the screenplay, lies in evolving the narrative by relying on a plot halfway between the slasher and classic giallo (with the police investigating the deaths) while taking for granted the supernatural implication of a murderous spirit. Some moments of suspense are excellent and anticipate the deaths of the characters (especially that of the punk-looking medium!), and the long final part with its twist is very good. Less effective is the characterization of some characters – Brandon, the expert in spiritualism, in particular – and especially the performances of some actors, among whom the only one to truly stand out is the lead Tawny Kitaen, known to the public for a role in "Bachelor Party" and with a brief period of television fame for the role of Deianira in the cult series "Hercules." Modest but effective is the dose of violence and gore that flavors the film, while the inevitable sexy moment is provided by a full nude of Kitaen in the topical shower scene. Unfortunately, Kevin Tenney will lose the reputation of being a horror promise already the day after "The Night of Demons," but in 1993 he also signs "Spiritika 2 – The Devil's Game." There is also a third chapter, released in Italy as "A Table with the Devil," only scripted by Tenney, and a sort of unofficial remake, "Long Time Dead" from 2002.