Todays Octoberween Theme is Witchy Wednesday. Now you may say to me "But K, Witches aren't scary, they have been turned into primarily kids films now, how can Harry pothead possibly be scary?" and you would have a point, in todays society witches are a thing of the past in the whole threat department. However in a time much more religious and male dominated than this one a supernaturally empowered female was frightening. During this time of year although it can get lost in all the commercialism the true spirit of the season Halloween is the remembrance of our ancestors, honor to the dead, and preparation for another winter, one last reaping. Witches where once the high priestesses as well respected and admired as a pastor or priest was at the height of their power and influence. They where caring community leaders, healers and mediators, more akin to counselors than fearful demon worshiping harlots. So lets give it up for the season of the witch youtu.be/92HjH1GG3ro
First up is Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages (1922) Swedish/Danish silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen. Based partly on Christensen's study of the Malleus Maleficarum, a 15th-century German guide for inquisitors, Häxan is a study of how superstition and the misunderstanding of diseases and mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. The film was made as a documentary but contains dramatized sequences that are comparable to horror films.
With Christensen's meticulous recreation of medieval scenes and the lengthy production period, the film was the most expensive Scandinavian silent film ever made, costing nearly two million Swedish kronor. Although it won acclaim in Denmark and Sweden, the film was banned in the United States and heavily censored in other countries for what were considered at that time graphic depictions of torture, nudity and sexual perversion.
However anything based on the Malleus Maleficarum is a bad idea, a publication based on the persocution of women is not the best place to start. youtu.be/EgIZgrTAeyA
Junta is hated by the people in the village where she lives, especially by the women, who suspect her of being a witch. Only she can climb the nearby mountains to a cave high up, whence a mysterious blue light glows when the moon is full. Many young men of the village have died trying to follow her. She is driven out of town, and takes to living in the mountains. Eventually she shares the secret of the blue light with one man, and he betrays it. In 1932's The Blue light we see a reoccurring theme youtu.be/-w73V7SppW8
Then in 1942 we have I married a Witch starring Veronica Lake Two witches in colonial Salem, Jennifer (Veronica Lake) and her father Daniel (Cecil Kellaway), are burned at the stake after being denounced by Puritan Jonathan Wooley (Fredric March) and their ashes buried beneath a tree to imprison their evil spirits. In revenge, Jennifer curses Wooley and all his male descendants, dooming them to always marry the wrong woman.
Centuries pass. Generation after generation, Wooley men - all played by March - marry cruel, shrewish women. Finally, in 1942, lightning splits the tree, freeing the spirits of Jennifer and Daniel. They discover Wallace Wooley (March again), living nearby and running for governor, on the eve of marrying the ambitious and spoiled Estelle Masterson (Susan Hayward), whose father (Robert Warwick) just happens to be Wooley's chief political backer.After this Hijinx ensue with a crappy cynical undertone that a woman must give up her power in order to be a good and loving housewife, but hey it has Veronica Lake! youtu.be/bclN0vsohqk
One of my favorite Heroines in History is Joan of Arc, not because she was obviously a schizophrenic hearing voices and all that bs, but because she was a lone young woman who convinced a nation to rally behind her religious zealot banner to fight back against the greatest most powerful empire in history who was then burnt as a witch for no other reason than being a powerful women whom followed a (similar) though different religion from her captors. In my opinion the problem has never been women or men but rather the insidious nature of organized religion.
Saint Joan in 1957 is based on the play by George Bernard Shaw starring Jean Seberg youtu.be/qh6vhxl5hCk
A vengeful witch and her fiendish servant return from the grave and begin a bloody campaign to possess the body of the witch's beautiful look-alike descendant. Only the girl's brother and a handsome doctor stand in her way. youtu.be/1Q5nV12AgVc
Witchfinder General is a 1968 British horror film directed by Michael Reeves and starring Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, and Hilary Dwyer. England is torn in civil strife as the Royalists battle the Parliamentary Party for control. This conflict distracts people from rational thought and allows unscrupulous men to gain local power by exploiting village superstitions. One of these men is Matthew Hopkins, who tours the land offering his services as a persecutor of witches. Aided by his sadistic accomplice John Stearne, he travels from city to city and wrenches confessions from "witches" in order to line his pockets and gain sexual favors. youtu.be/98gzk6VSzfU
Lets dous the preachy tone here for a moment and mention one of my favorite TV shows Bewitched! Starring Elizabeth Montgomery and Dick York youtu.be/I1ilRgNsYoA
Unfortunately because of centuries of religious persecution a common mistake is made in film as well as in everyday society is that people mistake witchcraft with satanism. So whenever you see a pentagram in a movie being used to summon forth a demon you will be happy to know that the art director or writer for that film / show/ play/ or book is a complete MORON who was to lazy to do any decent research. I will not be covering satanic themed movies in todays posts, so at this point in time in cinematic history we have the rise of the satanic church of Antoine leVey and due to its popularity we see an intrusion of satanic influence on what would normally be witch movies.
Our Next film brings up an important portion of the Wiccan religion, and all "witch based" folklore. "Baba Yaga, Devil Witch 1973" starring legendary sex symbol Carroll Baker is a young photographer who is being possessed by the spirit of Baba Yaga youtu.be/jV3lRIa6DsM
Now Baba Yaga is actually a slavic supernatural creature in folklore that is the embodiment of the original sacred female trinity. Maiden, Mother and Crone. An ancient practice and understanding that women through out their lives have three states of being, the young maiden, the caregiver and mother, and the wise old crone. While Baba Yaga has been a vilified version of this three tier totem of womanhood she still remains as a powerful figure in the slavic culture today.
Inferno 1980 An American college student in Rome and his sister in New York investigate a series of killings in both locations where their resident addresses are the domain of two covens of witches. youtu.be/WvYcy961kD4
Spellbinder 1988 When Los Angeles attorney Jeff Mills and his friend Derek Clayton rescue a young beautiful woman, Miranda Reed, from an apparently abusive boyfriend, the trouble starts. Miranda has no home so Jeff offers her to stay at his house. Jeff unknowing becomes involved with Miranda and the web of intrigue that follows her. But as the two became lovers, Jeff learns that Miranda is on the run from the witches coven (to which she belongs).
But now the coven wants Miranda back as a sacrifice at the winter solstice tomorrow night. She must come to them of her own free will, and the coven try to force her into doing so, using sorcery to taunt and terrify the two of them. Miranda tells Jeff of her situation, but not the entire truth, and Jeff willingly helps Miranda out of her troubles, but creates his own. youtu.be/Dd-FbpzX7Aw
I love Anjelica Hustan she's striking statuesq, graceful, hypnotic and has a wonderful tenor to her voice. I first saw her in the following movie and its still one of my favorite childhood movies 1990's The Witches! (based on the book of the same name by Roald Dahl ) youtu.be/lVXF-3Hk5rg
Then we have 1994's Witch Hunt starring Dennis Hopper, thats right Dennis Hopper is a witch, Detective Philip Lovecraft lives in Los Angeles in the 1950s when an ambitious Senator is holding hearings, on Magic. Magic is the new influence in Tinsel Town. Lovecraft is unique in that he is the only one who refuses to use magic in his work. Shortly after he is hired, he finds his client, Kim Hudson, accused of the murder of her husband, a film executive. Philip uses the tallents of a local witch, Kropotkin, to explain what is happening only to see her accused of the murder and sentenced to be burnt at the stake. Reminiscent of Roger Rabbit, without the toons. It also stars Debbie Mazar youtu.be/wVcYIJ0StHk
In 1993 we had Hocus Pocus starring Kathy Najimy... oh and Bette Midler and Sarah Jessica Bonnie Alice Michele Beatrice Samantha Parker here's my favorite song from this cute film youtu.be/qsda4GJuzcQ
In 1996 we had The Craft starring Neve Campbell , Fairuza Balk , Robin Tunny, and Rachel True A newcomer to a Catholic prep high school falls in with a trio of outcast teenage girls who practice witchcraft and they all soon conjure up various spells and curses against those who even slightly anger them.youtu.be/okOl5oKJSKo
I'm sorry but I like Practical Magic, and Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock Practical Magic is about Sally and Gillian Owens have always known they were different. Raised by their aunts after their parents' death, the sisters grew up in a household that was anything but typical--their aunts fed them chocolate cake for breakfast and taught them the uses of practical magic. But the invocation of the Owens' sorcery also carries a price--some call it a curse: the men they fall in love with are doomed to an untimely death. Now adult women with very different personalities, the quiet Sally and the fiery Gillian must use all of their powers to fight the family curse and a swarm of supernatural forces that threatens the lives of all the Owens women. Sing it with me now "We put the lime in the coconut and stir em both up!" youtu.be/1Ihb6FLSh64
Up next is Susperia from 1977 A newcomer to a fancy ballet academy gradually comes to realize that the school is a front for something far more sinister and supernatural amidst a series of grisly murders. Susperia is also a goth band youtu.be/hpmw_GmEpSk
Then we have 1998 movie staring Christopher Walken about an ancient druid mummy witch who comes to life taking on the appearance of his niece. youtu.be/JDEJJkBuqsI
Then we had the 1999 movie The Blaire Witch Project which while it had a great standard horror plot it ushered in the era of that horrible shaky cam, which I despise as it denotes to my mind lazy fucking directing!
Now for my pick of the day I bring you my favorite Witch movie of all time 1987's The Witches of Eastwick! I love this movie, hell it even inspired my love of cherries (I'm still hoping one day my enemies will start puking up cherry pits uncontrollably so far only disappointment and a full tummy has ensued ) Anyway Enjoy! youtu.be/YF6FluTRdD0
- Santana Black Magic Woman youtu.be/HDLLXUaqZxgThe Rattles The Witch youtu.be/na_EBk0srHkQueens of the stone age Burn the witch youtu.be/v7c187E5BxYKate Bush waking the witch youtu.be/hCb5SSDbNscWitches promise by Jethro Tull youtu.be/YWb431tI4FwI grew up with a lot of Eagles playing in the house and my favorite Eagles tune has always been Witchy Woman youtu.be/eVXqocPAz1kMarriane Faithfull the Witches song youtu.be/fAQNEXFfCA0
- Witch by Goblin from Susperia soundtrack youtu.be/u_DedtV_SyUThe incredible string band witches hat youtu.be/MC6rrOm9IxoThe cramps big bad witchcraft rock youtu.be/uOSYTGflDz4The Kinks Wicked Annabella youtu.be/LrP56BWjGUkWitches Cowboy Junkies youtu.be/TM7I6r7Fq6AWicked old witch by John Fogerty youtu.be/O0wPunXURpYThe moving sidewalks "Flash" crimson witch youtu.be/W0EIgvkJ1b0Iron Maiden Moonchild youtu.be/A0Yn72QM-lg
Witches' Hats
"Tasty little cookie and candy snacks look just like pointy witch hats. They are so easy a kid can help. Little bows made from decorating gel add to their spooky effect."
Ingredients:
2 (16 ounce) packages fudge stripe
cookies
1/4 cup honey, or as needed
1 (9 ounce) bag milk chocolate candy
kisses, unwrapped
1 (4.5 ounce) tube black decorating gel
Directions
1.Place a fudge stripe cookie with bottom side up onto a work surface. Smear a small dab (about 1/8 teaspoon) of honey onto the bottom of a chocolate kiss, and secure the candy piece to the center of the cookie, covering the hole. Use decorating gel to pipe a small bow onto the cookie at the base of the candy piece. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
My own witch piece which I am currently working on coloring.
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