The following post has been edited and adapted from the Coffee Before Pants Podcast dated Jun 12, 2024. Before I begin, I might mention that I do not wish to cast aspersions to any of my pagan readers. I know what witchcraft really is and know it has nothing to do with Satan. But I also cannot deny that the following movies are, well, really good movies that deal with the “Hollywood” version of witches. I have loved horror movies since I was a very young kid. Vampires, werewolves, Frankenstein’s monster, Creature from the Black Lagoon. All of them. Except movies about witchcraft, devil worship. My parents were not exceptionally Christian, but I was instilled with the concept of Heaven and Hell. The devil scared the shit out of me. The other monsters I knew were not real. As a 10 year old with an overactive imagination, Satan caused me some concern. Safe to say I have outgrown this fear. I don’t worry about being led into Satan’s midst. The movie witches aren’t real either. They are basically a play by parents to scare children into behaving, just like the Devil. I grew up in a town full of fearmongers. They were horrified (no pun intended) that a 10 year old child would be so into horror films. Nothing they did changed my mind, fortunately. I’m sure they thought I was, in fact, in league with the devil. I did nothing, in turn, to change their minds, either. So, with that, I would like to present some of my favorite movies about witchcraft. These are some films I think that are great movies for what they are. Most are low-budget, with one or two exceptions. So, presented in no particular order, are movies from the 50s and 60s about witches and witchcraft. First off, the movie Witchcraft is from 1964 and was directed by Don Sharp, with a script by Harry Spaulding. The basic story is that a witch named Vanessa Whitlock, buried in the Whitlock family cemetery, comes back to life when you grave is disturbed by construction equipment. It stars Lon Chaney as Morgan Whitlock, a descendent of Vanessa, Jack Hedley, and Jill Dixon. It is not necessarily a well-known film. Despite its low budget, it is still a fairly gripping and effective little horror film. I enjoyed this movie, which, of course is why it made it on the list! If you have streaming service such as Roku, it’s available on Tubi. At one point it was also available on DVD as part of 20th Century Fox’s “Midnite Movie” series. The DVD is a double-feature with 1965’s Devils of Darkness. By the way, Devils of Darkness is part-vampire, part black magic film which might come up in a future episode or blog post. Next on the list is 1962’s Burn, Witch, Burn, also known by its British title Night of the Eagle. It was directed by Sidney Hayers with a screenplay by Fritz Leiber Jr., Charles Beaumont, and Richard Matheson. The screenplay is based on the novel Conjure Wife, by Fritz Leiber. It stars Peter Wyngarde and Janet Blair. Wyngard plays Norman Taylor, a psychology professor who lectures on superstition and belief systems. He discovers his wife Tansy, played by Janet Blair, is a practitioner of “conjure magic.” Since this goes against everything he teaches, he makes Tansy destroy all of her magic trinkets and paraphernalia. Once this happens, a lot of things go terribly, terribly wrong. No spoilers! You need to watch this movie if you haven’t already. If you have, then maybe you should watch it again. Now, one of my favorite films. I mean I like all the films that I am featuring here, but this one, well, it’s a great film. I am referring to 1957’s Curse of the Demon aka Night of the Demon, directed by the great Jacques Tourneur. Based of a short story, “Casting the Runes” by M.R. James, it stars Dana Andrews, Peggy Cummings, and Niall MacGinniss. Andrews plays Dr. John Holden, who comes to England to attend a convention on parapsychology. He runs afoul of Dr Julian Karswell, the leader of a local black magic cult. In all likelihood, Karswell was inspired by real-life practitioner Aleister Crowley. Curse of the Demon initially was filmed without any demon that you could see. The producers of the film added a animatronic demon, a very effective monster if I may say, after the initial filming was wrapped. I will also note that the demon is obviously inspired by the engravings of William Blake. Apparently, this was without director Tourneur’s knowledge, since he was outspokenly against it. I have watched this film countless times, and own the DVD. As far as I know, it is still available for purchase. The next film is one of Hammer Studio’s lesser known films. Nevertheless, it is a well-made, effective movie. The Witches from 1966, directed by Cyril Frankel and starring Joan Fontaine. The script was by Nigel Kneale, adapted from the 1960 novel The Devil’s Own by Norah Lofts under the pseudonym Peter Curtis. It tells the story of Schoolteacher Gwen Mayfield, played by Joan Fontaine, who comes back to England after suffering a nervous breakdown caused by an attack by witch-doctors while working in a mission in Africa. She soon finds out that the town itself has some dark goings-on involving witchcraft and pagan rituals. This was Joan Fontaine’s last theatrical film, possibly due to the movie’s poor reception at the box office. The next two films have Christopher Lee, so you’ll have to go with me on this. I will watch almost anything with Christopher Lee in it. Except maybe The Howling II Your Sister’s a Werewolf. Even Lee is quoted as saying he wasn’t sure what he was thinking. The first Christopher Lee movie listed here is 1968’s The Devil Rides Out, made by Hammer Studios. It was directed by the inimitable Terence Fisher. Richard Matheson wrote the screenplay, adapted from a novel by Dennis Wheatley. It stars, as I said, Christopher Lee in a rare “good guy” role as Duc De Richelieu, an expert in the Black Arts. Charles Gray, who you may know from Diamonds Are Forever and The Rocky Horror Picture Show (it’s just a jump to the left) plays Mocata, the leader of a Satan worshipping cult. And boy Gray makes for a very engaging villain. Maybe it’s his incredibly blue eyes. Terence Fisher, who also directed The Horror of Dracula and the Curse of Frankenstein, has been quoted as saying this was his favorite film as a director. Given his past credits, I would think that would convince anyone who loves horror films to watch, The Devil Rides Out. It is available on DVD and Blu-Ray Eight years prior, Lee starred in another under-appreciated horror film titled Horror Hotel, otherwise known as City of the Dead. It was released in 1960, directed by John Llewellen Moxey, with a screenplay by Milton Subotsky and George Baxt. It’s the story of Nan Barlow, a graduate student who is working on her thesis about witchcraft, but is about to go on her winter break. Her professor, Alan Driscoll, played by Christopher Lee, encourages her to go to the small town of Whitehead, his hometown. Once she arrives she senses some very morbid and strange goings on. This film is apparently in the public domain and is very easy to find on DVD or some streaming services. It’s a definitely low budget yet well made film. The next film, well, I wasn’t sure, still not sure, it’s a out and out witch movie. Yes the main character is found guilty and executed as a witch AND a vampire. No spoilers here, this happens at the very opening of the movie. The movie is none other that Black Sunday, directed by Italian director Mario Bava, starring Barbara Steele, John Richardson. The screenplay was loosely adapted from the Nicholai Gogol story The Viy. This was Mario Bava’s directorial debut, as well as Barbara Steele’s first horror films. The dubbing on most editions of this movie is substandard, I am pretty sure there is a subtitled version available. If you have AMC+ or Shudder, it’s on there. I encourage to seek out this film. It’s atmospheric, and pretty scary. I have definitely watched it several times, Despite its flawed script and psychedelic imagery, I felt Dunwich Horror needed to be on the list. It was released in 1970, directed by Corman protégé Daniel Haller with a script by Curtis Hanson, loosely based on the H.P Lovecraft novella of the same name. It stars Dean Stockwell and, in her first role portraying an adult, Sandra Dee of Gidget fame. Supporting cast includes Ed Begley Sr. and Sam Jaffe. Stockwell portrays Wilbur Whately, who travels to Miskatonic University in Arkham MA to borrow the infamous and dreaded Necronomicon for use in a dark ritual. Nancy Wagner (played by Sandra Dee) becomes Wilbur’s focus of this ritual. He kidnaps her under the influence of hypnotism and drugs. Professor Henry Armitage, played by Begley, comes to her rescue. Or so he thinks. The next film on my list is Cry of the Banshee, starring Vincent Price. Price plays (or overplays, as it were) Lord Edmund Whitman, a cruel witch-hunting magistrate, who often tortures innocent villagers for his entertainment, runs afoul of a witch who conjures a banshee (or Sidhe) to kill the magistrate and his family. It was directed by Gordon Hessler and released in 1970. This film is one of my guilty pleasure films. I admit it’s not a great film. Gordon Hessler is all over the place with this one, much like he was with Scream and Scream Again. Price, despite how incredibly sadistic his character is, looks like he’s enjoying himself. I was around nine when I saw this film, my parents took me and my brother to see in at The Egyptian Drive-In in Herrin, Illinois. Another highlight of the film is the opening credits, done by a pre-Monty Python Terry Gilliam! You didn’t really think I was not going to mention Rosemary’s Baby, did you? That would be remiss of me, given that it’s one of the best movies about witchcraft and Satan worship? After 56 years it is still an incredibly powerful movie.
Released in 1968, directed by Roman Polanski with a screenplay by Polansky and Ira Levin, based on Levin’s novel of the same name. It stars Mia Farrow, John Cassavetes, Ruth Gordon. It was the inspiration for countless other films, including those made-for-TV. I’m pretty sure you all know the basic plot, but in case, it’s about Rosemary Woodhouse, who is chosen by a Satanic cult to become the mother of Satan’s child on Earth. If by some slim chance you have never seen this movie, you are missing out. I hope I have possibly introduced you to one or two films you may have not heard of before. Have I omitted any witchcraft movies that you think should be on the list? Please let me know by sending me a message on the Contact form.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
October 2024
Categories
All
|