APPRENTICE TO MURDER |
| 1988 |
| Rating - 9 |
| Intriguing fact-based story of a man who was a 'hex-meister' in the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition. His practice of folk medicine lands him in trouble with the law, and a final confrontation with a rival sorcerer leads to a charge of murder. There's a lot of authentic folk magic to lend atmosphere. |
THE BELIEVERS |
| 1987 |
| Rating - 2 |
| After the death of his wife, father and his son move to New York City, where they become involved in a grisly series of cultish human sacrifices. Although the religion of Santeria is unfortunately shown in a negative light, there is enough authenticity to lend lots of interest. A gripping thriller but hardly a good representation of the Santeria faith. |
BELL, BOOK & CANDLE |
| 1958 |
| Rating - 1/content & 7/atmosphere |
| Yes, I'm well aware that this movie, based on the John Van Druten play, is responsible for more misinformation about Witchcraft than anything outside the 'Bewitched' TV series. Still, I hardly know a Pagan who doesn't love it. For many of us, it was the first time we'd encountered the idea of Witchcraft alive and well in a modern metropolis. And Kim Novak is my idea of what Witch should be portrayed as looking like. I don't think any of us will ever forget Novak's reading of the line 'Witches, boy! Witches!' Or the offhand comment that it feels more like Halloween than Christmas. Lots of fun. But a load of sh** for any realism. |
BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON |
| 1973 |
| Rating - 10 |
| For most Pagans, St. Francis of Assisi is usually considered an honorary Pagan, at the very least. His insistence on finding divinity in nature is exactly what Paganism is all about. This film biography portrays his extreme love of and sensitivity to nature with poignant beauty. It is also a visually stunning film. If ever Christianity could be made palatable to the sensibilities of Pagans, it would have to be through the eyes of a nature mystic like Francis. The Catholic Church came close to naming him a heretic but, at the last minute, the Pope sanctioned him. You have to love the canonization of a Pagan as a great saint in the worlds largest church of the times (ha-ha). |
BURN WITCH BURN |
| 1962 |
| Rating - 6 |
| Based on the Fritz Leiber classic 'Conjure Wife', this is an interesting view of Witchcraft. Granted, this has as many misconceptions as 'Bell, Book, and Candle', yet the premise is intriguing: that ALL women are secretly Witches, and ALL men don't know about it. This is mainly about one woman's use of magic to advance the career of her schoolteacher husband. This was a funny movie, with the occasional attention to details, such as the circle for ritual. It made the average Pagan go home wishing they could fly. |
THE CRAFT |
| 1996 |
| Rating - 1 |
| The Craft is a very inaccurate portrayal of Witchcraft. While it does make a small attempt to mention the Threefold Law, it falls very short in that it portrays so-called "Witches" as practicing extremely manipulative magic in a totally incorrect manner. It completely ignores the spiritual side of the Craft, and does not even mention the Goddess. It is more wrapped up in the conjuration of a lone masculine figure. |
THE DARK CRYSTAL |
| 1983 |
| Rating - 10 |
| The creators of the Muppets came up with an entire fantasy world, where even the flora and fauna are original. And this world is in grave peril unless the missing shard of the Dark Crystal can be found and restored to it. This is a hero-quest in the classic mold, with art styling’s by Brian Froud. Although wonderfully imaginative and entertaining, it has a very strong message of mysticism, all about universal balance and the synthesis of opposites. A wonderful movie, with balance and magic. |
DON'T LOOK NOW |
| 1973 |
| Rating - 6 |
| Based on a so-so occult thriller by Daphnedu Maurier. Shortly after their daughter has drowned, Sutherland (who restores mosaics in old churches) and his wife go to Venice where they meet two sisters who are spiritualists. They begin to receive messages from the daughter, who keeps warning Sutherland to leave Venice because he is in mortal danger. If ever a film captured the real feeling of how psychic ability operates, this is it. The use of subjective editing, and the symbolic use of color throughout the film is masterful. Squeamish people need to be warned about the violent ending, however. |
DUNWICH HORROR |
| 1970 |
| Rating - 1 |
| An adaptation of a H. P. Lovecraft story. Dean Stockwell is the quintessential ritual magician, both mysterious and compelling. He steals the original 'Necronomicon' from a library in order to 'bring back the Old Ones', a race of powerful but dark beings that inhabited the earth before humans. Sam Jaffe is his crazed grandfather. (What happened to the father is part of the mystery!) And Sandra Dee is the innocent virgin chosen to be the unwilling host mother for the rebirth of these demons. (Some versions of the film cut the last scene short, which shows a developing fetus superimposed over Dee's abdomen. 'Nuff said.) By the way, no film has ever shown the raw power of otherworldly beings as well as this. No 'latex lovelies' here. Just pure, unadulterated elemental force. They did a wonderful job with the special effects, but realism was lacking. Does the word "sucked" mean anything to you?? |
THE ENTITY |
| 1983 |
| Rating - 8 |
| The truly frightening thing about this movie is that it's based on a true story, about a woman who is repeatedly violently raped by an invisible presence. Initially, she seeks the help of a psychologist, who is a strict behaviorist and thinks that it is all 'in her mind'. It is not until a chance encounter with a team of parapsychologists from the local university that she finally finds people who understand her problem. One of the film's great strengths is its portrayal of the professional rivalry that develops between the psychologist (who has begun taking a personal interest) and the parapsychologists, who are interested in investigating the phenomena. The final scene in the gymnasium is the only part of the film based on speculation only. At last report, the case was still active. Not a Pagan movie, but I found the paranormal events interesting. |
EXCALIBUR |
| 1981 |
| Rating - 10 |
| A stylish adaptation of Thomas Malory’s 'Le MorteD'Arthur'. The legend is almost Pagan in nature. The Grail being a symbol of all good. Not necessarily a Christian thing, but for the good of all mankind. Merlyn was wonderfully well done, showing his power and magic in a really gripping manner. The Lady of the Lake - Protectress of Kings (the sword) was quite well done. A mix of magic and Pagan spirit and Christian faith to show that we are perhaps not so different after all. |
48 HOURS |
| Episode dated - 1/15/1998 |
| Rating - 1 |
| This episode of 48 Hours was titled "The Devil On Main Street". The episode discussed the increase in devil worship in America, calling the rash of recent suicides, murders and animal abuse cases as evidence of this. People referred to as experts were interviewed. These "experts" were also shown as the primary individuals the people of the crime areas turn to for the reasons behind the criminal activities. The problem I have with the episode is that in at least two instances Witchcraft was linked to devil worship. Phrases ending in " devil worship and Witchcraft" were used to describe these activities, thereby directly linking the two and promoting the belief that the two terms were synonymous. |
HARVEY |
| 1950 |
| Rating - 7 |
| Imagine a movie that chooses as its main theme a Welsh animal spirit called a pooka. That would be improbable enough by today's standards. But the fact that it happened in a 1940's Pulitzer Prize-winning play and subsequent movie boggles the mind! The pooka in question is a 6-foot invisible rabbit named Harvey, who manifests himself only to a gentle tippler named Elwood P. Dowd. Few movies are as much fun as this. Animal spirits?? What a wonderful thing that is. |
INHERIT THE WIND |
| 1960 |
| Rating - 8 |
| This should be required viewing for every Pagan. For many of us, there came a time when our own ideologies simply collided head-on with fundamental Christian faith, and we knew we could no longer accept it. Never has a movie embodied this theme so well. Based on the play by Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee, it deals with the Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 in Tennessee, where a high school teacher was arrested for teaching Darwin's Theory of Evolution. The debate that ensued was between two of the most brilliant minds of their day, the great trial lawyer Clarence Darrow for the defense, and two-time Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan for the prosecution. Kelly's character is based on acid-tongued columnist H. L. Mencken. This is riveting, from first to last. Although it is far from Pagan, it did a wonderful job of showing the lengths some will go to control others. |
JONATHAN LIVINGSTON SEAGULL |
| 1973 |
| Rating - 5 |
| Although the film is flawed and drags a little toward the end, it is nevertheless well worth seeing. The photography is beautiful, and Neil Diamond's score (including 'Skybird') is marvelous. It is, of course, based on Richard Bach's marvelous tale of a little seagull that refuses to fit in with his flock, preferring to follow a higher, more mystical, calling. This is yet another one you should try to see on the big screen. |
LADYHAWK |
| 1985 |
| Rating - 10 |
| Whoever decided on the music for this film should be shot! Think what a nice soundtrack by Clannad would have been like. That reservation aside, this is a great medieval fantasy concerning two lovers who have been separated by a curse, made by a priest no less (I was laughing so hard, I almost peed my pants), and a young thief who becomes their ally. They overcome the curse (by the priest - I can't stop saying that), with magic !!!! A definite MUST see for all you romantic Pagans out there. The sun, the moon and eclipse and magic. It couldn't get any better !!!!! |
THE LAST UNICORN |
| 1982 |
| Rating - 10 |
| Based on the incomparable fantasy novel by Peter S. Beagle, this is very adult animation. And because Beagle himself wrote the screenplay, this film contains spiritual one-liners that hit you right in the gut. Example: 'Never run from anything immortal. It attracts their attention.' Though this is NOT classic Disney animation. Mommy Fortuna is a marvelous character. I say - see the movie. Very nice mysticism |
LEGEND |
| 1985 |
| Rating - 8 |
| One of the most visually luscious films ever created. Every frame is gorgeous. The plot is nearly archetypal, with evil attempting to seduce innocence. Again a movie, where it took the mystical powers of magic and such to defeat the evil in the end. This was a wonderful tale of ritual, magic and power. Worth seeing many times. |
LITTLE WITCHES |
| 1985 |
| Rating - 1 |
| Sorry, even I can't find any redeeming qualities in this one. While the movie itself does not call the schoolgirls Witches, the title certainly does. This is a truly awful video that has nothing to do with true Witchcraft or any other Pagan tradition. |
NOSFERATU THE VAMPYRE |
| 1979 |
| Rating - 8 |
| For vampire lovers, this film is the creme de la creme. Werner Herzog is a leader of modern German Expressionist cinema, and here he is operating at the top of his form. The spooky atmosphere is so thick you could peel it off the screen in layers. (Try to see this one a big screen TV.) The creepiness of Kinski's Dracula is equaled only by the classic beauty of Adjani's, Lucy. This is the perfect film for Halloween night. While not Pagan in nature, I truly enjoyed this movie. Very mystical view of the Vampyre. |
ON A CLEAR DAY YOU CAN SEE FOREVER |
| 1970 |
| Rating - 4 |
| Probably inspired by the case of Bridey Murphy, this musical is all about hypnosis, past life regression, ESP, reincarnation, and other 'New Age' topics (though 20 years too early). (One wonders how Shirley MacLaine missed starring in this. Yet, one is thankful for small favors.) The flashback sequences are wonderful. The plot's surprising turns are well within the realm of supernatural possibility. |
REAL HISTORY: VAMPYRES & WITCHES |
| 1996 |
| Rating - 10 |
| In a word, "Yes!". The Learning Channel got this one right. If you saw the episode you know what I mean. If you haven't, find a friend who taped it, or do a ritual for a repeat. It could easily end up being the best "documentary" on Witches this year. The first half hour of the episode was dedicated to dispelling the myths of vampirism (and did a fine job of that as well). The second half is where it really picked up. They discussed, in detail, how the Church used propaganda to create their own image of what a "witch" was supposed to be. They gave details of the techniques employed to assure that all "confessions" kept true to that image. The series went so far as to reveal that the Church did this after failing to convert as many Pagans as they wanted, they demonize the healers, midwifes, and magic weavers of the time. They accurately explained the church, political and business aspects of the Inquisition. From there, they accurately portrayed the Wicca as it is practiced today. While other Pagan traditions were generally ignored, they gave a wonderful interpretation of the average Pagan's life, regardless of tradition followed. In wrapping things up, they closed with the statement: "It was not Witchcraft that these poor souls were guilty of, but a far worse crime...that of being different. And if the Witch-hunters had been placed under a spell, it was no hex, but rather their own fear." |
SABRINA THE TEENAGE WITCH |
| Series Premiere - 1996 |
| Rating - 1 |
| In "Sabrina" we found some good, and more bad. "Sabrina" portrays Witches as fantasy type creatures. It also portrays Witches as doing stupid and wasteful magic, showing no indication of the spirituality of Witchcraft or any other Pagan tradition. I define it as based on fairy tale and fantasy, and does not accurately portray any Pagan faith as it is practiced today. I did feel that I could at least give a small comment to the positive. The series does make an effort to teach good values. |
THE SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW |
| 1988 |
| Rating - 4 |
| Directed by Wes Craven (famed for his 'Nightmare on Elm Street' series), this is the true story of Wade Davis, an ethnobotanist who is sent to Haiti to bring back the secret of the so-called Zombie drug, tetrodotoxin. But the local practitioners of 'Voodoo' don't yield their secrets too easily and, before it's all over, Davis finds himself a victim of the drug -- which gives Craven carte blanche for the wonderful special effects he's famous for. Like 'The Believers', this film unfortunately shows the native religion (Voudoun) primarily in a negative light. Still, at times it manages to capture its beauty, mystery and innocence, especially in the festival scenes when the entire village spends the night asleep in a candle-lighted forest. |
SLEEPING BEAUTY |
| 1959 |
| Rating - 8 |
| This Disney film offers everything from magic to ritual. To the defeat of evil by a mortal man. While not a Pagan oriented film per'se it is a wonderful balance of nature loving, magic and triumph over the evil will of others. A wonderful film, I especially loved the 3 faery's and their protection of Sleeping Beauty as a child. A positive portrayal of "Pagan Folk". |
STAR WARS |
| 1977 |
| Rating - 10 |
| Despite the spaceships and high-tech doodads, this is really more fantasy than science fiction. The story is very near to myth. The other two movies in the trilogy, 'The Empire Strikes Back' and 'Return of the Jedi' are also important. The main interest to most Pagans lies in the mystical sub-motif of 'the Force', a kind a 'mana' that is ethically neutral, but may be used in magic for either good (as evidenced by Obi Wan Kenobe) or evil (as evidenced by Darth Vader). In the second film, it is the great Jedi Master, Yoda (created by Muppet masters, Jim Henson and Frank Oz), who teaches us most about the Force. This is pure magic. |
THE WATCHER IN THE WOODS |
| 1980 |
| Rating - 8 |
| What I wouldn't give to have seen this as a teenager! Johnson stars as a girl whose family has just rented an old English country house, where she is haunted by the image of a young girl who disappeared years ago. During a strange seance-type initiation ritual. In the ruins of an old chapel. During a freak lightning storm. During an eclipse. The subtext is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Even though such elements remain unstated, for those of us interested in power points, ley lines, and astronomical alignments, this movie is a real treat. Someone Knew Something! Sadly, the end is badly flawed. But no matter, because the fun is in the getting there. |
THE WICKER MAN |
| 1973 |
| Rating - 4 |
| Based on the Anthony Shaffer thriller, this movie is a favorite of most Pagans. The plot concerns a police sergeant sent to investigate the disappearance of a young girl, on a small island off the coast of Scotland. There he finds a completely Pagan society. Local color and beautiful folk music enhance the most loving portrayal of a Pagan society ever committed to film. Unfortunately, in the end, the Pagans are 'revealed' to be the requisite bad guys. Every Pagan I know who's seen it wants to move to Summer Isle immediately. A shame they again let their Christian attitude color the truth about Pagans so as to portray them as all evil. |
WILLOW |
| 1988 |
| Rating - 10 |
| The film has a lot to say about magic. And the scene in which Chirlindrea appears to Willow in the forest is as close to an epiphany of the Goddess as I've ever seen on film. That scene alone is worth the multiple viewings you will need to retain all the details this movie offers. Wonderful magic and ritual throughout. |
WINDWALKER |
| 1980 |
| Rating - 10 |
| This is the best cowboy-and-Indian movie I've ever seen. Mainly because there are no cowboys in it. It is pure Native American. It is about an old Indian chief who returns from the dead in order to protect his family, and restore to it a lost son, a twin who was stolen at birth by an enemy tribe. This film FEELS more like genuine Native American than any other I can think of. The Utah mountain scenery is breath-taking. Costuming (mostly furs) is authentic. And dialogue is actually in the Cheyenne and Crow languages, with English subtitles. And there's enough mysticism (especially in the old Indian's relationship with his horse) to please any Pagan audience. |
THE WITCHES |
| 1985 ? |
| Rating - 1 for Realism; 4 for Entertainment |
| I saw the last (sniff!) Jim Henson movie over the weekend, called - The Witches.
"The Witches" starts off in modern day Norway, with some fabulous scenes of flight over the glaciers. A grandmother tells her impressionable grandson all about witches and how to avoid them. His parents are killed, and his grandmother takes him home to England to a seaside resort for a vacation. The resort is also the meeting place for the annual witches convention. The grandmother recognizes an old adversary, while the grandson stumbles over a meeting of the witches' annual meeting. In this movie, the Witches look much like regular women, except that they wear wigs, elaborate rubber masks, and gloves. When the meeting begins, the witches "let down their hair" so to speak, and a room of fairly normal-looking women becomes a gaggle of bald crones. I must say too, I wish I had the ability to turn men into mice *g*. Is this movie a true accounting of the Witch? No. Was it entertaining? Yes. If you watch the movie strictly for the entertainment value, you will not be disappointed. If you are looking for anything else - I would pass this one by. |
THE WITCHES OF EASTWICK |
| 1985 |
| Rating - 1 |
| This was another "call to the man" movie. More dedication to casting spells and conjuring than on the faith behind the Pagan religion as a whole, much less the tradition of the Witch. I would not recommend my cats to see this movie. Though the acting and such was done well and, the filming location was passable. They spent much time on showing Witchcraft as calling a devil and shows women as weak and easily led by a nice looking male body. Low morals and horrible back stabbing. Really not worth seeing in any way. |
XANADU |
| 1980 |
| Rating - 4 |
| Yeah, yeah, I know. On one level, it's just Olivia Newton-John on roller-skates. But on another level, it is the story of how one of the nine muses of classical mythology (Terpsichore) comes down from Olympus to inspire a young artist. Nice Goddess touch in this movie. Although not to be considered anything BUT entertainment. Certainly not the "real" thing. |
The X-FILES |
| Episode Dated: 2/58/1998 |
| Rating - 1 |
| In this episode, which was portrayed as being related to Witchcraft, a young girl is given a doll that we find out is supposedly possessed by an evil spirit. What makes this episode disturbing is that X-Files has shown well researched episodes in the past that various Pagan traditions, in a more realistic light. Several times throughout the episode the child's mother was called a Witch and accused of the practice of "Witchcraft". Even the characters of Scully and Mulder made remarks that were degrading and erroneous when talking about Witchcraft. In the episode, the practice of Witchcraft was constantly associated with evil acts that were both harmful and malicious. This episode was not worth the tape is used to record it. If not for the fact that I love the character of Scully, this episode would have been enough for me to never watch the show again. A thumbs DOWN for Chris Carter. |
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