And that's about the BEST thing I can say about this mess. It's one thing for a film to go somewhere slowly. This film, OTOH, goes nowhere slowly. What were they thinking? It was a tale of terror, alright. For the viewer. Considering some of the stars in the cast, it makes me wonder what EVERYONE associated with this disaster was thinking. Avoid at all cost. Or you'll wish YOU'D taken a bite out of a poison apple.

Sigourney Weaver appears to have a field-day playing the wicked stepmother of a beautiful princess who is aided by her magic mirror in dispensing with the pesky girl. Gothic rendering of the Grimm Brothers' tale of "Snow White" features wolves and dogs with glowing eyes, a fiancé for the fair maiden who is also ensnared in the stepmother's web, also a motley gang of excavators with bad teeth who suddenly find themselves saddled with the young woman (they have an unexpected change of heart towards her--and she to them--which seems to happen off-screen). Prominent among the miscreants is a lightly-bearded hunk with bedroom eyes (sure, why not!) who touches the princess with his sensitive soul and facial scar. Theatrical production debuted on cable-TV in the US; it isn't badly made, but one can see right away this never would have worked in theaters. The continuity is shabby, the cinematography is murky, and young actress Monica Keena is far too modern as Lilly. Weaver gives it a little kick, and her fiery send-off boasts showmanship if not style. *1/2 from ****

Pure, lovely angelic innocent Lilliana's(Monica Keena, who exudes all the qualities of a live action Snow White, with her hair colored black for added effect) new stepmother, Lady Claudia(Sigourney Weaver) is secretly a witch who envies the bond she has with father Lord Friedrich(Sam Neill), her husband. Haunted by the memory of Friedrich's late wife Lady Lilliana, Claudia also must deal with the fact that Lilli favors her so. Coveting the baby in her belly, Claudia's mental state worsens when a stillbirth occurs after a negative reaction to Lilli who dresses in one of her mother's gowns taking the crowd's(..and Friedrich's specifically)attention during a ball. Claudia plots the murder of Lilli, asking for her mute magician brother Gustav(Miroslav Táborský) to cut the heart from Snow White's chest(..planning to use Lilli's "leftovers" for a feast). When that goes awry, and Lilli is separated from her home in the forest nearby, she falls into a hole leaving her lost as Gustav kills a pig pretending it's heart was hers. The rest of the film follows Lilli, far from home, as she finds herself in the company of foul, grubby men(..the seven dwarfs, except they aren't dwarfs..well there is one..and don't, at first, offer a very friendly welcoming committee)who were cast away from society, mining for gold. While Lilli finds herself falling in love with the brooding, emotionally..and facially..scarred member of the group, Will(Gil Bellows), Claudia uses forms of sorcery in the attempts to harm/endanger her.I found this grim, Gothic horror bliss. I was especially entertained at how the Castle Friedrich, for the first part of the film is bright with a warm atmosphere, and as Claudia begins to take over once her husband breaks his leg, the place becomes dark and foreboding. There's this cabinet that contains a magic mirror, perhaps a Satanic instrument, with this beautiful face representing a fake Claudia whose voice offers evil, manipulative advice for ways she could get her revenge and reap her (un)just rewards through acts of witchery. I particularly liked one sequence where Claudia casts spell on Lilli using a cute bird in an hourglass as the sand slowly buries it as we see an avalanche occur where Snow White and the miners seemed doomed. There's a raven Claudia uses as eyes, and a nifty scene where Gustav's hand opens a wound with a spider crawling out before he's paid back for his betrayal of his sister for not finishing the task asked of him. Weaver has a great scene, dressed as an old lady, where she manipulates Lilli into eating a poisoned apple. And, her dinner table scene, where she believes that the meal was made from Lilli's remains(..and she even takes a bite, with ecstasy glowing on her face, awaiting Friedrich's turn to eat)is deliciously wicked. And, there's this great scene where Claudia causes a windstorm by spinning in a hall with trees falling down nearly toppling Lilli and the men(..actually crushing one of them).Weaver might be cast against type but inhabits the role of Claudia, the witch, with relish, devouring the screen. And, I must admit, I found her striking in a seductive way in certain types of flowing gowns, with her overflowing hair. Sure, as the film continues, she grows more and more ugly, but despite inheriting the role of a witch she has these moments(..like when she has sex with a bedridden Friedrich she poisoned)where Weaver has never been more sexy on screen. Yet, Weaver always dominates the screen with this darkness and evil intent, always pursuing the death of innocence standing in her way. I had read that this film was sadistic and bloody, but it really isn't. The ending, Claudia's fate, is really the most violent of the film, and even that isn't THAT gruesome. I think the film's true success is how the film captures the mood and look of a Grimm fairy tale. I like how the film shifts from the ever-growing ominous nature of the castle as it shapes itself after Claudia, and the forest abode of the men and Lilli with such vibrant autumn colors. Kudos to the filmmakers and crew who created a horror film which can make gloom and doom look so fantastic.

A wealthy man (Sam Neill) remarries years after his first wife dies during childbirth. However, the new wife (Sigourney Weaver) despises her stepchild and the daughter (played by the lovely Monica Keena) is forced to flee into the woods where she befriends seven miners (not dwarfs). Will the stepmother get away with her wickedness? My friend Jason had been suggesting we watch this film for a while and I couldn't bring myself to do it. With the movie being based on Snow White and the silly cover photograph, this just didn't seem like a decent horror film. And I know Sam Neill makes some decent horror appearances, but Sigourney Weaver? Come on! Then when I saw Monica Keena was in it (who I know from "Dawson's Creek" but many horror fans will know her from "Freddy vs. Jason") I couldn't get the DVD in the slot fast enough.This film comes from director Michael Cohn, whom I've never heard of and I suspect neither have you. And despite his relative obscurity (ten years later and I still haven't seen anything else he's done) he can weave a very well-visualized tale. The man has a knack for the realm of fantasy.This really is the film's strength. We are treated to a land of fantasy with witches and magic mirrors, but there is no silliness about it. This is not a kid's tale like "Labrynth" or "The Dark Crystal", but something much more adult and terrifying. There is even a scene where -- dare I say it -- we get hints of rape.All the acting is strong, which should come as no surprise. Keena is great, and Sam Neill really cannot do a bad job acting even if he wanted to as far as I can tell. The effects were fine, the music was alright, and there was a scene where a horse did a back-flip, which was pretty intense. Don't be discouraged like I was about the title, this is a horror film worth seeing and a nice change of pace from the usual modern-day fare.