Snow White: A Tale of Terror

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Snow White: A Tale of Terror ★★ ½ Snow White in the Black Forest; Grimm Brothers' Snow White 1997 (R)

This definitely puts the grim in the Grimm Brothers version of the fairy tale. In medieval Austria, beautiful Claudia (Weaver) marries widowed Frederick who, unfortunately, has an even-more beautiful daughter, Lilli (Keena), who's put out by this rival for her father's affections. The stepmom/ stepdaughter battle increases when Claudia's own long-awaited baby is still-born and the wrathful and unbalanced Claudia orders Lilli's death. Only she's rescued by seven outcasts (only one of whom is a dwarf) living in the forest. The witchy Claudia does still like to talk to her mirror, however. Filmed in the Czech Republic. 101m/ C VHS, DVD . Sigourney Weaver, Sam Neill, Monica Keena, Gil Bellows, Taryn Davis; D: Michael Cohn; W: Thomas Szollosi, Deborah Serra; C: Mike Southon; M: John Ottman.