Hansel and Gretel (1987)

*

As a kid I used to watch the same movies over and over again, sticking to what I know and never going out of my comfort zone. This was one that I must have watched 3 times a day for 2 years straight. It has taken me a while to track it down as the VHS is quite rare and the DVD is overpriced. That wait finally ended when I managed to find the elusive tape and it was quickly screened as part of my Sunday viewings.

There wasn't even a hint of nostalgia about this one, it is quite simply terrible. The acting is absolutely atrocious, especially from the two young leads. The mother's character is cringeworthy at best. Somebody should have rang social services on that woman as she isn't fit to be a parent. David Warner is probably the only one to come out of this one not smelling of shit, this is largely down to the fact that he isn't on the screen very long. Having said that, he also falls into that cringe factor category when he returns home from the village singing. The only positive point (and i'm really clutching here) is the appearance of Griselda the witch, played by Cloris Leachman. She may be better known to most as Frau Blucher (horse noise) from Young Frankenstein. I say appearance though because she is also terrible.

This truly is an awful film and one that I hope to never revisit again. This just goes to show that some things are better left as good memories because this was one of my favourites growing up.