I love this movie so much

Thanks for the memories!

Admirable film.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

Without explicitly comparing to the TV show adaptions, The Worst Witch just seemed like an episode of a series. Nothing really happens; some nasty banter between peers, clumsy girl is clumsy, 0 build up to what probably should have been the climax (Halloween). Characters are all tropes; woman turned harsh by unrequited love, mysterious man framed as irresistible hero, quirky old woman, unnecessarily manipulative teacher's pet, evil twin. + the ~your evil twin wants to ruin your life~ plot was tacked on so carelessly. This was undeniably the worst part of the film. Though the constant demeaning of Mildred by not only peers, but teachers, was just awful; honestly she's surprisingly cheerful for someone who's constantly insulted. Nevertheless, any film set in a magical school, or with upbeat Halloween vibes, is not regrettable.

This links with my other comments, etc, re the four ITV works inspired by Jill Murphy's Worst Witch novels. This feature is the first, followed by the three television series, a 20 year production span. I note that most IMDb comments for this at May 2008 are from the USA. They tend to be very positive, rating it a lot. Several have read the novels as part of their schoolwork, moving onto the feature from that. Several saw it as kids or saw it because their kids watched it. * Me not being from the USA, I saw this because of the 1998 series, I had the first few episodes on DVD and that made me read the novels and watch this. I found that it was possible to get to like this, but that my initial reaction was to want to run away. Get past that there is a lot of okay here. I had expected an English Millie in an English school be it a rather special school. It is made by an English broadcaster and includes the highly rated English Diana Rigg. Approach this from that direction then for me there are hurdles to overcome. Millie portrayed with a strong Irish accent unlike any that I actually came across in England when at school many decades ago. It reminds me of the accent that the City of La girl Brittney Bomann had to use in The Little Unicorn. Balk did some good acting but there was a hurdle that I had to overcome in order to appreciate that. Agatha and Donna, Miss Cackle's sister and niece, having strong North American accents. The cheap mention of Alabama. I assumed that the GB broadcasters were looking to the USA for backing and paying a price that the USA comments seem to say as okay but the dirth of GB comments to say other. They lost their home audience, who it would have been created for? The 1998 series starting visually close to the novels, this could partly be due to this 1986 feature? It starts with a power that I do not find in this 1986, but North Americans might disagree. Maud not being named Moonshine? I did not notice that gem as she is usually called Maud. * I now have two different DVDs of this and I mostly prefer the Region 2 disk on the ITV label to my Region 4 version. There again, the Region 4 was an extra included as an extra disk in my set of The New Worst Witch, a very budget price DVD collection. New W W is real nice.

In my opinion, any film where Tim Curry sings is a delight. Although I am not a fan of a lot of the horror Mr. Curry has created, he is perfect in the Worst Witch. Seeing this for the first time at the age of eight back on the Disney Channel in 1986, I was blown away with the story and the actors in the movie. Balk, only a child at the time was a wonderful actress before she hit the big screens. She would later go on to do the sequel to the Wizard of Oz as Dorothy. A lot of the cast members in this movie went on to do other notable movies including The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. Overall, a perfect Halloween movie for girls and boys. It's funny that Harry Potter has a lot of similar tones and scenes that are equal to the Worst Witch.Still a great movie almost 20 years later. Check it out!

Halloween is my favorite time of year specifically for the reason that HBO annually aired THE WORST WITCH! I have been watching this ever since 1986 & it just gets better each time! Fairuza Balk delivers a fun performance, as does Diana Rigg as the hard-edged Mrs. Hardbroom. But the cake has to go to Charlotte Rae (in a dual role) and the undeniable Tim Curry in a cameo. Charlotte role really shines as the Evil Queen Aggie, who along with her sidekick Delilah want to take back her school that her sister (Rae again) now runs. Not for the tuition money or the prestige, but just so she can bring back her song. BEAT ON IT DELILAH! "Scale of dragon, tooth of wolf. Dropped into the bottomless gulf. Venomous vipers come to us, covered in evil, ooze & puss! So if you're filthy!(FILTHY) Smelly! (SMELLY) Evil, wicked & cruel...you'll feel right at home in my little school. My lil school..Mine Mine MAMAMAMAMAMAMAMAMINE! Yeah!" Tim Curry later flies in (literally) as the Grand Dragon & delivers his own effects laden production number of "Anything can happen on Halloween." I don't know which were more unbelievable, the effects or Tim Curry as a sex symbol. Oh well to each his own. Ethel Hallow is ultimate foil & delivers a performance reminiscent of Nellie Olsen from Lil House on the Praire. Be sure to check it out.