Anjelica Huston, an acclaimed actress, is widely recognized for her portrayal of the Grand High Witch in the 1990 film adaptation of Roald Dahl's famous novel, "The Witches." In this role, Huston embodied the terrifying and charismatic character, bringing her to life with a remarkable performance. Huston's portrayal of the Grand High Witch was both captivating and chilling. With her elegant appearance and commanding presence, she perfectly embodied the character's allure and malevolence. From her enchanting smile to her piercing gaze, Huston portrayed the Grand High Witch as a truly formidable and captivating figure. To bring the character to life, Huston underwent a remarkable transformation.
Anjelica Huston: Miss Ernst, Grand High Witch
Dora : [to another witch, under her breath] We can't possibly wipe out all of them. Grand High Witch : Who spoke? Who dares to argue with me. [she notices Dora, points to her] Grand High Witch : It was you! Dora : I didn't mean to argue, your grandness. Grand High Witch : You dare to argue with me! Dora : No, honestly, it just was a. Grand High Witch : A stupid witch who answers back, must burn till her bones are black! Dora : No, no! Grand High Witch : A foolish witch without a brain, must sizzle into fire and flame! A witch who dares to say I'm wrong, will not be with us. very long! [she zaps the witch with her eyes]
[the Grand High Witch is transforming into a mouse] Grand High Witch : I'm not finished with you yet, old woman. Next time. Helga : No. Not next time. This time, it's *your* turn!
Mr. Jenkins : Thought I'd like to say hello to a fellow philanthropist. Miss Ernst : You collect stamps? Mr. Jenkins : Charitees. This RSPCC. Miss Ernst : What is this RSP. Miss Irvine : [whispers] Cruelty to Children! Miss Ernst : Oh, of course, you give money for the little. [gags] Miss Ernst : children. And. we of course. we also give money for the little. [Irvine holds out a basin for he. Jenkins throws some change into it]
Henrietta : Poisoned sweets? We'll wipe them out like weasels! Grand High Witch : Who spoke? Miss Irvine : [points at Henrietta and laughs] She did! Henrietta : It's brilliant! Grand High Witch : Poisoned? And you don't mind getting caught, exposed, vilified? Henrietta : [nervously] Well, I just thought. Grand High Witch : Mindless bumpkin! You blithering bogvumper! [Henrietta winces in fear] Grand High Witch : No wonder that England is swarming with. [Eva takes a deep breath to keep her cool] Grand High Witch : [now calm] Everything you sell that day will have to be treated with my very latest and very greatest magic formula. [Eva holds out a tiny purple vial, Formula 86] Grand High Witch : [points and shouts to enunciate at Henrietta] Witches work only with magic!
Grand High Witch : Formula 86: My greatest triumph. A work of. genius. Formula 86! In this bottle, 500 doses, with a delay mechanism that prevents it from working until two hours after it has been taken. [laughs] Millie : What does it do. Genius One? Grand High Witch : One dose, and the time works to the second. But more than five doses breaks the delay barrier, and the formula works instantly. Child. starts to shrink. The child. starts to. grow fur. Starts. growing a tail! All this happens in precisely twenty-five seconds! Shrinking more. child is no longer a child. [chuckles] Grand High Witch : Child. is a MOUSE!
[after Bruno transformed into a mouse as the meeting ends] Miss Ernst : Any questions? Millie : Madam, what would happen if one of the chocolates we give away was accidentally eaten by a grown-up? Miss Ernst : [chuckles uncaringly] Then that's just too bad for the grown-up.
Elsie : Wait! Wait! [Miss Ernst and the others stop and turn around] Elsie : I smell. dogs' droppings. [all the witches gasp and begin to sniff around] Woman in Black : Ugh! The smell! Miss Ernst : She's right! Search out this small lump of dung! Find it! It must be exterminated immediatly!
Miss Ernst : [pointing her spoon at Helga as her witches turn into mice, yells] Y-you're doomed, old woman! You're doomed forever!
Grand High Witch : [laughing] Kill him!Bruno Jenkins : [enters the convention, points at Miss Ernst] That lady promised me six whole bars of cream-whipped hazelnut milk chocolate. I've come to collect. Miss Ernst : Ladies, may I introduce Bruno? Come up, Bruno. I have the chocolate here. [Bruno does so and she looks at her watch] Miss Ernst : I said 6:15, and that is in 15 seconds from now. [the witches laugh as does Bruno and she looks at Bruno] Miss Ernst : You are in for a treat. [laughs] Miss Ernst : We all are! [everyone including Bruno laughs] Bruno Jenkins : [stops laughing] What's going on? Miss Ernst : [gestures him to wait] Just a few moments. Five! Bruno Jenkins : I can't even see any chocolate! Miss Ernst : [continues as the other witches join in] Four! Three! Two! One! Bruno Jenkins : [talks over them] Will one of you please tell me what's up? Miss Ernst : ZERO! [Bruno groans in pain then belches loudly] Miss Ernst : We have ignition! [the witches begin laughing in amusement] Miss Ernst : Everybody, look! It's fantastic! It's begun! [Bruno begins transforming into a mouse] Miss Ernst : I can't stand it; it's so wonderful! Look at you! It's fantastic!
Nicola : Welcome, Miss Ernst. Nicola Cuttle. [Approaches and shakes Miss Ernst's hand] Nicola : I have been so looking forward to meeting you. You look marvelous. Miss Ernst : Hm. I wish I could say the same for you, Nicola.
Miss Ernst : What are you doing here? Miss Irvine : The banquet, Miss Ernst. Miss Ernst : No, no, no, no! You must go to your room and prepare for. Mr. Jenkins : Hello! Miss Ernst : . tomorrow's flight. Yes. [Waves to Mr. Jenkins] Miss Ernst : Have a good flight. Miss Irvine : But, it's our banquet! Miss Ernst : You are not here to enjoy yourself, you are here as my staff! Go to your room, NOW. [to the Witches at the table] Miss Ernst : Ladies. Miss Irvine : [long pause after Eva Ernst walks off] I quit.
Miss Ernst : This stinking little carbuncle has had five hundred doses! [cackles] Miss Ernst : We are having Instantaneous action!
[after being transformed into a mouse] Witch Chef : [runs in the restaurant to warn the other witches] Don't touch it! It's in the soup! Don't touch the soup! [Miss Ernst looks down and sees a mouse, shrieks] Woman in Black : A child! [she stomps on the mouse killing her instantly] Miss Ernst : Good.
Marlene : [entering the room as they leave] Evening, madam. Just popping in to turn down your bed. Miss Ernst : How is the room service here? Miss Irvine : Diabolical. Miss Ernst : Good. Miss Irvine : How do you know that woman upstairs? Miss Ernst : Come along. Walk downstairs. The elevator is out of order. [as they walk downstairs the elevator chimes]
Miss Ernst : You may remove your shoes! You may remove your wigs! [Grabs her wig with one hand and pulls her face mask down to her eyebrows with the other] Miss Ernst : The doors- are they locked and bolted? Miss Irvine : Locked and bolted, your Grandness. Miss Ernst : Good. Help.
Grand High Witch : Witches of England. You are a disgrace! Miserable witches. You are good-for-nothing worms! Everywhere I look, I see the repulsive sight of hundreds, thousands of revolting little children. I ask you! [points] Grand High Witch : Why? One child a week is no good to me! Woman in Black : [stands] We will do better! We will do much better! Grand High Witch : Better is no good either! I demand maximum results!
Luke : Grandma! Grandma! Wake up, Grandma! Please, Grandma! [Miss Ernst and Miss Irvine enter the room] Luke : My grandma! Miss Ernst : An old adversary I have discovered. very old. Luke : If you hurt my grandma. Miss Ernst : Silence! [caughts Luke]
[after zapping a witch into a pile of ashes] Grand High Witch : I hope nobody else is going to make me cross today.
Miss Ernst : [Miss Ernst had moved towards a painting. She taps the man in the picture and stares intently] Hmm. Lady 1 : You look wonderful, Miss Ernst. Lady 2 : We are looking forward to this afternoon! Miss Ernst : [in disinterest] Mmm. [walks away, Irvine approaches the painting and prepares to reach for it] Miss Ernst : Irvine? [Miss Irvine reluctantly follows her to the elevator, the man in the painting slowly disappears]
Grand High Witch : Now, this is my plan: Each of you will go back to your homes. and resign from your jobs. Give notice. Retire. You will then buy with the money I give you. [Irvine gives her the money from the case box] Grand High Witch : Sweet shops. Candy stores. The best and most respectable sweet shops in England. [throws the money, the ladies are picking up the money] Grand High Witch : Upstairs: I have a trunkload of this English money. So, you'll be able to offer three, maybe four times what these shops are worth. Go, go, go.
Why Anjelica Huston is the Most Horrifying Movie Witch… Ever
There’s just something wickedly amazing about Anjelica Huston peeling off her humanoid face in The Witches that makes you want to squirm and throw holy water all over the place. If you were a horror kid in the 90s’, chances are you’ve seen Anjelica Huston in all her genre glory as she so brilliantly took on the coveted role of a lifetime, Morticia Addams in the Addams Family movies; and nailed the shit out of it staking her claim as the modern babe in black we both wanted as a wife and mother. She was a goth goddess and we loved her for it.
However, before she was clipping off heads of rosebuds in her gothic garden, she solidified her spot in history in 1990 with her terrifying portrayal of Roald Dahl’s Grand High Witch.
Adapted from the 1983 Dahl book and sadly, the last movie the great Jim Henson produced, The Witches brought just the right amount of intensity to the screen for young viewers without going over the PG rating. That’s quite an impressive feat considering the main antagonist of the film was in so many words, the Charles Manson of the witch world ordering her disciples to get rid of every last child on Earth through what else?
Chocolate, of course.
Chocolate that turns the repulsive, dogs’ dropping smelling, little brats into mice. While the premise alone is something that could give any small kid a few nightmares at bedtime, it was Huston’s performance in The Witches that scared the literal crap out of kids back at the beginning of the ’90s decade.
So on this day, which also happens to bethe films’ 30th anniversary, we celebrate why the almighty Grand High Witch was and still is, the most horrifying witch on screen.
The Grand High Witch Revealed
As stated at the top of this jam, not sure there’s anything more horrifying to a child than watching someone as beautiful as Huston peel the skin of her mug like a Mary Kay face mask to reveal her true hideous self.
It always bugged me how she was able to mask that enormously elongated nose underneath her disguise, but I suppose The Grand High Witch has her ways and I probably shouldn’t question it otherwise I may end up a pile of ashes. Which leads us into the next example.
The Grand High Witch doesn’t like smack talk
See here’s the thing: if you’re a low-ranking witch in the same room as your superior, you should probably keep your opinions to yourself. And for fuck’s sake don’t mutter crap under your breath within ears reach of the most powerful woman in the world. Even though the comment was a mere observation and harmless, the Grand High Witch made it painfully clear even the slightest apprehension from her subordinates will cost them dearly.
Bye, Bye Bruno!
Holy hell, does the Witch Queen hate children or what?! During the little witch convention, your scabby Highness shows off her latest, and very gweatest invention- Formula 86. The very potion to be diluted into candy bars that are to be dispersed to children worldwide. So she brings in a visual demonstration of what to expect to see once the formula goes into action. Looks like Conal Cochran has some serious competition here.
She outright tries to kill a baby!
The Grand High Witch shows no mercy even towards infants. That’s some pure evil shit right there ladies and gentlemen. Luckily our flick’s protagonist little Luke intervenes and saves the day because I’m not so sure I could deal with that kind of baby killing fuckery in a supposed family friendly film.
She’s even terrifying as a damn mouse!
The Skeksis have nothing on the Grand High Witch in pure rodent form. When plans backfire, the Witch of all witches finds herself in quite the predicament. If you didn’t have a phobia of mice and rats before, you might have one now because the Grand Highness’ rodent transformation is the ultimate in sewer rodent nightmares. And then what happens? She gets squashed by Mr. Bean.
Mr. Fucking. Bean.
This guy right here killed the Grand High Witch. I guess not even the head of the witches can compete with this kind of mojo. Hmm. Maybe Bean ole’ boy should have taken her place.
Why does the Grand High Witch seem so … familiar?
Just yesterday, I learned a new version of “The Witches” would be released on Oct. 22 on HBO Max. The remake of Roald Dahl’s children’s book stars Anne Hathaway as the Grand High Witch — the role originally mastered by Anjelica Huston.
In order to prepare for the release, I re-watched the 1990 version on Netflix the same weekend we learned COVID-19 was spreading among prominent members of the GOP, including the president.
Why does this plot seem so … familiar?
The Grand High Witch, arrogant and cruel, barks orders at staff who help cover up her true ugliness with elaborate makeup.
She despises children so much she hatches an evil plan to turn all of them into mice.
But she can’t do it alone.
She gathers all of her witch minions together for a big conference at a seaside hotel, where they simultaneously celebrate her cruelty and plot their next steps.
The Grand High Witch spends much of the movie bullying her terrified witch followers, who respond by fawning, cowering, and calling her “genius one.”
But her dark magic backfires.
As the witches gather together for a grand dinner — prematurely celebrating their devious plot — they become victims of their own magic, as the potion was dumped into the same pot of soup they all share. One by one, the witches spew green smoke as they are transformed into rodents and chased to their deaths by hotel staff.
Can’t wait to see the new version!
To bring the character to life, Huston underwent a remarkable transformation. The makeup and prosthetics team expertly crafted a truly grotesque appearance for the Grand High Witch, complete with a bald head, disfigured features, and long, claw-like nails. Despite this grotesque and intimidating appearance, Huston's performance allowed for moments of vulnerability, reminding the audience that there is more to this character than meets the eye.
Throughout the film, Huston's portrayal of the Grand High Witch exhibits an unwavering dedication to wickedness. Her contempt for children and her diabolical plan to turn them into mice is truly chilling. This dedication to evil is accentuated by Huston's masterful use of body language and her ability to convey a sense of menace without saying a word. Anjelica Huston's performance as the Grand High Witch in "The Witches" is a testament to her incredible talent as an actress. Her ability to portray a character who is both alluring and sinister is truly remarkable. Through her captivating performance, Huston brought the iconic character of the Grand High Witch to life, leaving an indelible mark on the film and securing her place as one of the most memorable witches in cinematic history..
Reviews for "Anjelica Huston's Grand High Witch: A Masterclass in Villainy"
1) Michelle - 1 star: I was really disappointed with Anjelica Huston's portrayal of the Grand High Witch. Her performance felt over-the-top and exaggerated, taking away from the sinister and cunning nature of the character. The makeup used was also too exaggerated and made it difficult to take the character seriously. Overall, I was not impressed with this adaptation and would not recommend it.
2) Jonathan - 2 stars: Anjelica Huston's performance as the Grand High Witch in this adaptation left a lot to be desired. Her accent was inconsistent and at times it was even difficult to understand her. Additionally, I felt that her portrayal lacked the intensity and menace that the character should have conveyed. Overall, I was not impressed with this portrayal and felt it fell flat compared to other adaptations.
3) Rachel - 2 stars: I found Anjelica Huston's portrayal of the Grand High Witch to be disappointing. Her performance lacked the charisma and charm that should be present in such a character, and instead came across as forced and unnatural. The overall interpretation of the character felt flat and failed to capture the essence of the original story. In my opinion, there are better adaptations out there that do a much better job at bringing the Grand High Witch to life.
4) Simon - 1 star: Anjelica Huston's portrayal of the Grand High Witch in this film was completely underwhelming. Her performance lacked the maliciousness and presence that the character demands. It felt like she was just going through the motions without truly embodying the essence of the character. Overall, her performance was a major disappointment and failed to do justice to the iconic role of the Grand High Witch.