Twitches (film series)

Twitches
Directed by	Stuart Gillard
Produced by	Carla Singer Kevin Lafferty
Written by	Dan Berendsen
Starring	Tia Mowry Tamera Mowry
Music by	John Van Tongeren
Cinematography	Manfred Guthe
Edited by	Robin Russell
Production company	Broomsticks Productions Limited
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment
Release date	October 14, 2005 (2005-10-14) (1) October 12, 2007 (2007-10-12) (2)
Running time	86 minutes (1) 83 minutes (2)
Country
Language	English
Budget	$20 million (1) $26.5 million (2) 46.5 million (total)

Twitches are two direct-to-video television films produced by Broomsticks Productions Limited and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. It is directed by Stuart Gillard, written by Dan Berendsen, created by Carla Singer and Kevin Lafferty, music by John Van Tongeren, adapted from the novel series of the same name by H.B. Gilmour and Randi Reisfeld; and stars Tia Mowry and Tamera Mowry. Television premieres are part of Disney Channel's Hauntober Fest. The first film was released as a Disney Channel Original Movie, and after its immediate success it was followed by a television sequel.

Film series

Twitches (2005)

Twitches promotional advertisement

The first Twitches was released on October 14, 2005 a year after 2004's Halloweentown High, in the same year as Now You See It..., and started a new format for Disney television in October that was named "Hauntober Fest". The television premiere received 5.0 million viewers on its premiere night. Its theme song is "Rush" by Alyson Michalka with her sister Amanda.

Magical twins, Alex Fielding (Tia Mowry) and Cam Barnes (Tamera Mowry), are separated at birth by their protectors, Karsh (Pat Kelly) and Ileana (Jennifer Robertson), when the Darkness attacks their homeland of Coventry and kills the twins' father through a war that was going on. They survived because their father, Aron (David Ingram) gave all of his magic to the twins and whenever they are together they are safe; their combined power is enough to fend off the Darkness. For their protection, Karsh and Ileana flee Coventry and hide the twins safely in a non-magical dimension (Earth) in a place called Waverly. Camryn grows up in a high-class family and becomes a social butterfly. She wears a sun amulet, and always awakes with the sunrise. She likes to draw, and unknowingly draws extremely realistic pictures of Coventry and her birth mother, Miranda. Alex grew up in a middle-class home with a single mother (who died recently). She wears a moon amulet and is always up until the moon sets. She is a bookworm and is always writing stories about Coventry and their mother, unaware they are true.

On her 21st birthday, Halloween, Camryn and her friend, Beth (Jackie Rosenbaum), go shopping, while Alex goes looking for a job. At a fashion store, the two sisters meet for the first time. Alex goes running from the store, and Camryn goes after her. When she takes her hand in hers, their magic is released. They bond as sisters, trying to understand what's happened to them, and get to know about each other's lifestyles. This is when they meet Karsh and Ileana, who tell the story of Coventry, which Alex has been writing in her journal, thinking it was only a story she created. Alex doesn't want to take any part in restoring Coventry's light, and leaves with Camryn. Camryn manages to convince Alex to stay and the two bond and manage to cast a few spells (most which cause something bad to happen Karsh). They come up with the name Twitches, a fusion of the words twins and witches.

While at Alex's apartment, the Darkness arrives suddenly and chases them throughout the home. The sisters use their magic and barely escape. Camryn is now freaked out, and doesn't want to have any part of their destiny. She leaves for her birthday party on Earth. Alex feels as though she was abandoned, and goes to Coventry on her own. She meets Miranda (Kristen Wilson), her mother and Thantos (Patrick Fabian), her uncle.

While at Camryn's party, the Darkness once again attacks. She realizes who the Darkness is (Thantos), and goes to her sister and mother. She makes it there just as Thantos arrives. Then it is revealed that Thantos is really the Darkness and swallows Miranda. He killed the girls' father, his own brother. Alex and Camryn combine their magic of light and love to destroy Thantos. They restore Coventry's light, and return to Camryn's home, along with Miranda to have cake. The movie ends with the sisters cheering, "Go Twitches, go Twitches, it's our birthday, it's our birthday!"

Twitches Too (2007)

Twitches Too promotional advertisement

The sequel, Twitches Too, began production in late April 2007 and was released on October 12, 2007, a year after 2006's Return to Halloweentown, as part of Disney television's Halloween month in October. The Disney Channel Original Series, Wizards of Waverly Place, premiered on the same day, to ensure that the future Twitches franchise will not be alone in future Halloween months. The first trailer was released during the premiere of the DCOM High School Musical 2 because it is in their age group. Other Halloween promos occurred during the premieres of Cartoon Network's The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It (Twitches competition) and Nickelodeon's iCarly (Wizards competition) in September 2007. The television premiere brought in 7.0 million viewers.^[1] Its theme song is "So Bring It On" by The Cheetah Girls.

The movie starts out with Miranda (Kristen Wilson) in a room at Coventry. When she emerges, she is followed by a shadow. She waves her hand and a wall appears, concealing the door. In the Earth dimension, Camryn (Tamera Mowry) makes a mess when she tries to magically put dishes into a dishwasher. Alex (Tia Mowry) is living with them because she is going to Waverly University. Karsh (Pat Kelly) and Ileana (Leslie Seiler) show up and announce they are getting married and that Miranda wants to see them. Alex doesn't go because she doesn't want to miss class so Camryn goes where she meets a handsome man named Demitri (Chris Gallinger). She believes him to be a prince, but it turns out that he's not; he's a powerless kitchen servant. At school, Alex meets Marcus (Nathan Stephenson), who is Camryn's ex-boyfriend. He mistakes her for Camryn until Beth (Jackie Rosenbaum) informs him otherwise.

Both Alex and Camryn have been receiving signs that their father is alive in the Shadowlands. Miranda believes that Thantos (Patrick Fabian) is becoming powerful again and wants the girls to use a vanquishing spell during an eclipse, when their powers will be at their strongest. If they perform the spell, everything in the Shadowlands will be destroyed, including Thantos...and Aron (Kevin Jubinville). Alex doesn't want to do it and mistakenly brings back Thantos. He goes off to destroy Aron's Shadow. Camryn and Alex follow, and when Thantos takes Aron back to Coventry, everyone is locked out. Demitri helps them get into the castle. When asked how, he reveals that Miranda gave him his powers back. Together as one, Camryn, Alex, and Miranda bring Aron back and Aron defeats Thantos.

The movie ends with Karsh and Ileana's wedding. Everyone is there. David (Arnold Pinnock) and Emily (Karen Holness), their housekeeper, even Beth and Marcus. Camryn and Demitri share a loving look. Then she waves to Beth while Marcus and Alex wink at each other. Marcus whispers to Beth..."I can't believe you're not more freaked out about this." Beth replies, "What's there to be freaked out about?" She looks around Coventry. "I'm just jealous she's got this much room in the back of her closet." Karsh and Ileana then exchange rings and Aron and Miranda pronounce them husband and wife. They kiss and have the reception.

Cast

Notes

External links

• Twitches page from Disney
• Twitches Too page from Disney
• Disney DVD
• Twitches on IMDb
• Twitches Too on IMDb