Mirror, Mirror (film)

Plot

Megan Gordon (Rainbow Harvest) is a shy Goth girl who moves into a new neighborhood from Los Angeles with her recently widowed mother Susan (Karen Black). In her new school, Megan does not make friends, and is taunted mercilessly by her peers, apart from Nikki Chandler (Kristin Dattilo) and handsome jock Ron (Ricky Paull Goldin). On moving into her new home, Megan finds an antique framed mirror in her room which belonged to the original owners of the house, and despite an attempt to remove it from the house, it mysteriously appears back in place.

Slowly, Megan comes to realize that the mirror can grant her special powers, enabling her to have vengeance on her tormentors. However, the antiques dealer (Yvonne De Carlo) who was in charge of the house clearance finds an old diary that holds the ominous secret of the mirror's past: It describes how the mirror is possessed by a demonic force within it, which has the power to grant requests at a deadly price...and the fate of the previous owner's sister. As it begins to give Megan the ability to take her revenge on her persecutors, she slowly becomes dependent on the mirror, and soon it takes her over. As the death toll mounts, both Megan's enemies and her friends suffer as the demonic force reaches out and grows in strength. Armed only with a dagger and a vague knowledge of how the demonic mirror can be stopped, Nikki sets out to confront Megan and her mirror, before it is too late.

Film cast

Release

Mirror, Mirror was released theatrically through New City Releasing on May 18, 1990. It also screened at the Chicago International Film Festival on October 19, 1990.

Critical reception

Overall reception for the film has been mixed to positive, with Entertainment Weekly giving Mirror, Mirror a "B-" rating. In his book Generation Multiplex, Timothy Shary called Mirror, Mirror "one of the best teen horror films in general" and citing it as an example of "the tyranny of teen popularity." Creature Features panned the film, giving it two stars and criticizing it as a "compendium of cliches."

Soundtrack

A soundtrack for Mirror, Mirror was released on CD through Orphan Records in 1990. Jimmy Lifton composed and performed the movie's orchestral tracts, with the movie also featuring songs by Scott Campbell, Jim Walker, and Gene Evaro.

Home media

The film was released on DVD on October 28, 2000 by Anchor Bay Entertainment. On March 6, 2004, it was re-released as part of a four-film set featuring the film's three sequels, called the "Mirror, Mirror Collection," also by Anchor Bay. The set was packaged in a reflective foil case. Both releases are out of print.

Sequels

Mirror, Mirror was followed by three sequels, Mirror, Mirror II: Raven Dance (1994), Mirror, Mirror III: The Voyeur (1995), and Mirror, Mirror IV: Reflection (2000). Reception for the sequels was largely negative, with the Orlando Sentinel criticizing Raven Dance as "reflect[ing] poorly on [the] classic original". William Sanderson was the only actor from the first film to return for the second movie, albeit in a different role. The second film notably featured an early film appearance for Mark Ruffalo.