Relax, it's only magic.
Oct. 24th, 2024 02:43 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rogueslayer452There are a lot of popular witchy themed movies and shows that are recommended during this time of year, from The Craft, Charmed, and Hocus Pocus to Halloweentown and Practical Magic, and yes, even Harry Potter. These are ones I love and watch myself, however I want to share a few witch movies that are either little known or barely get any acknowledgment that I personally love. They might not be for everyone, but it's ones I love revisiting again and again especially in the month of October.
EKO EKO AZARAK: WIZARD OF DARKNESS (1995), dir. Shimako Sato
[watch the trailer]
Eko Eko Azarak is a popular franchise in Japan, with this movie being the first of many that was adapted from the manga series. It follows a young woman, Misa Kuroi, a witch who travels from school to school under the guise of a new transfer student to vanquish evil energy to lurks there. That's pretty much the basis of the entirety of the franchise (which consists of several movies, a television show, and a video game) and aside from the first two films there's no continuity between them.
I discovered this movie series many years ago when stumbling upon a now defunct website that reviewed Asian horror movies, mostly Japanese horror, and I ended up actually getting the box set DVDs of the first three films at the time. I instantly loved Misa as a character. She is powerful, though not overly so, you can tell that while she's definitely done this before that doesn't make her an expert. She's also quite lonely due to the life she leads. The second film, Eko Eko Azarak: Birth of the Wizard, is a prequel and we see what her life was like before awakening her power, and it makes the events of her going off alone with this mission and duty very sad, in my opinion. But I like that she does manage to make friends along the way, even if it doesn't last long, either due to them dying or when she has to leave them behind to continue what she does. I have a lot to say about Misa because she is, by far, among my favorite protagonists.
While I personally prefer the prequel, Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness is the first and a good way to see the character introduction and establishes what she does. This might not be for everyone due to the horror genre, as there is plenty of death scenes, and it also includes a brief yet lingering sequence of a female teacher/female student relationship.
LITTLE WITCHES (1996), dir. Jane Simpson
[watch the trailer]
Little Witches is a bizarre little movie where it basically had the same premise as The Craft and was even released the same year and the DVD/VHS cover features a face that eerily resembles Fairuza Balk's, however this is more about a group of teen girls using black magic to conquer up the devil to give them power. It's more or less a low-budget b-movie that had awkward acting and questionable writing and editing choices, even more questionable depiction of black and white morality tied with religion particularly with the portrayals of the characters (Faith = Good Christian Girl of God, Jamie = Rebellious Bad Girl of the Devil), and an ending that felt rather abrupt and incomplete due to probably running out of time.
Nevertheless, I still adore it. Somehow the flaws are part of its charm for me.
Sherri Rappaport is perhaps the most standout performance in this whole movie, with the exception of a couple veteran actors (Jennifer Rubin and Zelda Rubinstein). She brought a kind of subtle charisma that felt quite natural to the character of Jamie, even when she was spiraling out of control there was a level of confidence in her performance that is impressive. The rest of the cast is filled with unknowns or actors in their first roles, so the performances varied.
Trivia note: This was Clea DuVall's debut acting role, and apparently The Craft was originally going to be called Little Witches but changed the name, I don't know whether it was due to this movie or not.
THE WITCHES (1990), dir. Nicolas Roeg
[watch the trailer]
I both watched the movie and read the book as a kid, and although the movie did change the original ending the production of it was phenomenal.
Much like with Roald Dahl's work there is a kind of vibe and feel to these stories which is reflected a lot in the 90s adaptations, particularly with the prosthetics and practical effects (and stop motion animation for something like James and the Giant Peach). There is something unsettling yet appropriate with the tone and look that just fits, imho. While there are some elements in The Witches as a story that is questionable, the movie is quite a treat, especially the phenomenal Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch. Whenever I think about this movie I always immediately go to the scene about the girl who disappeared and ended up being trapped inside of a painting. It's so unnerving and haunting.
THE WORST WITCH (1986), dir. Robert W. Young
[watch the trailer]
Another one from my childhood. I know there's been other adaptations of the books, but the 1986 movie is the only one I've seen. It's a made-for-television movie with a low budget, and it definitely shows its age when you watch it now, but it's still enjoyable all the same. This stars Fairuza Balk (known for her later work in The Craft) as the main character, Mildred, and the movie also features Tim Curry who does a fantastical musical number.
TEEN WITCH (1989), dir. Dorian Walker
[watch the trailer]
I know a lot of people might know about this movie due to it being meme'd in the past (particularly the "Top That" rap scene), however the entire movie is worth watching in itself. It's half teen comedy and half musical. The story is about an unpopular girl who discovers she's a witch on her sixteenth birthday and uses her newfound powers and magic spells to become popular and to get the guy of her dreams. It's a pretty straightforward kind of a story in that regard, especially since the lesson in the end is "just be yourself", however it's the production that is most fascinating. It's ridiculous and over-the-top in places, with random scenes and musical numbers/montages. I watched Teen Witch growing up so I have a fondness for it. I kinda always wanted to have both the popular outfit that Louise first sports and her school dance dress, plus the amulet.
It's just a fun movie, overall. It's not something to take seriously, it's ridiculous in the best way possible. There is a reason why it's become a cult classic over the years.
Trivia note: this stars Robyn Lively, the older half-sister of Blake Lively, and Zelda Rubinstein who would later star in Little Witches.
EKO EKO AZARAK: WIZARD OF DARKNESS (1995), dir. Shimako Sato
[watch the trailer]
Eko Eko Azarak is a popular franchise in Japan, with this movie being the first of many that was adapted from the manga series. It follows a young woman, Misa Kuroi, a witch who travels from school to school under the guise of a new transfer student to vanquish evil energy to lurks there. That's pretty much the basis of the entirety of the franchise (which consists of several movies, a television show, and a video game) and aside from the first two films there's no continuity between them.
I discovered this movie series many years ago when stumbling upon a now defunct website that reviewed Asian horror movies, mostly Japanese horror, and I ended up actually getting the box set DVDs of the first three films at the time. I instantly loved Misa as a character. She is powerful, though not overly so, you can tell that while she's definitely done this before that doesn't make her an expert. She's also quite lonely due to the life she leads. The second film, Eko Eko Azarak: Birth of the Wizard, is a prequel and we see what her life was like before awakening her power, and it makes the events of her going off alone with this mission and duty very sad, in my opinion. But I like that she does manage to make friends along the way, even if it doesn't last long, either due to them dying or when she has to leave them behind to continue what she does. I have a lot to say about Misa because she is, by far, among my favorite protagonists.
While I personally prefer the prequel, Eko Eko Azarak: Wizard of Darkness is the first and a good way to see the character introduction and establishes what she does. This might not be for everyone due to the horror genre, as there is plenty of death scenes, and it also includes a brief yet lingering sequence of a female teacher/female student relationship.
LITTLE WITCHES (1996), dir. Jane Simpson
[watch the trailer]
Little Witches is a bizarre little movie where it basically had the same premise as The Craft and was even released the same year and the DVD/VHS cover features a face that eerily resembles Fairuza Balk's, however this is more about a group of teen girls using black magic to conquer up the devil to give them power. It's more or less a low-budget b-movie that had awkward acting and questionable writing and editing choices, even more questionable depiction of black and white morality tied with religion particularly with the portrayals of the characters (Faith = Good Christian Girl of God, Jamie = Rebellious Bad Girl of the Devil), and an ending that felt rather abrupt and incomplete due to probably running out of time.
Nevertheless, I still adore it. Somehow the flaws are part of its charm for me.
Sherri Rappaport is perhaps the most standout performance in this whole movie, with the exception of a couple veteran actors (Jennifer Rubin and Zelda Rubinstein). She brought a kind of subtle charisma that felt quite natural to the character of Jamie, even when she was spiraling out of control there was a level of confidence in her performance that is impressive. The rest of the cast is filled with unknowns or actors in their first roles, so the performances varied.
Trivia note: This was Clea DuVall's debut acting role, and apparently The Craft was originally going to be called Little Witches but changed the name, I don't know whether it was due to this movie or not.
THE WITCHES (1990), dir. Nicolas Roeg
[watch the trailer]
I both watched the movie and read the book as a kid, and although the movie did change the original ending the production of it was phenomenal.
Much like with Roald Dahl's work there is a kind of vibe and feel to these stories which is reflected a lot in the 90s adaptations, particularly with the prosthetics and practical effects (and stop motion animation for something like James and the Giant Peach). There is something unsettling yet appropriate with the tone and look that just fits, imho. While there are some elements in The Witches as a story that is questionable, the movie is quite a treat, especially the phenomenal Anjelica Huston as the Grand High Witch. Whenever I think about this movie I always immediately go to the scene about the girl who disappeared and ended up being trapped inside of a painting. It's so unnerving and haunting.
THE WORST WITCH (1986), dir. Robert W. Young
[watch the trailer]
Another one from my childhood. I know there's been other adaptations of the books, but the 1986 movie is the only one I've seen. It's a made-for-television movie with a low budget, and it definitely shows its age when you watch it now, but it's still enjoyable all the same. This stars Fairuza Balk (known for her later work in The Craft) as the main character, Mildred, and the movie also features Tim Curry who does a fantastical musical number.
TEEN WITCH (1989), dir. Dorian Walker
[watch the trailer]
I know a lot of people might know about this movie due to it being meme'd in the past (particularly the "Top That" rap scene), however the entire movie is worth watching in itself. It's half teen comedy and half musical. The story is about an unpopular girl who discovers she's a witch on her sixteenth birthday and uses her newfound powers and magic spells to become popular and to get the guy of her dreams. It's a pretty straightforward kind of a story in that regard, especially since the lesson in the end is "just be yourself", however it's the production that is most fascinating. It's ridiculous and over-the-top in places, with random scenes and musical numbers/montages. I watched Teen Witch growing up so I have a fondness for it. I kinda always wanted to have both the popular outfit that Louise first sports and her school dance dress, plus the amulet.
It's just a fun movie, overall. It's not something to take seriously, it's ridiculous in the best way possible. There is a reason why it's become a cult classic over the years.
Trivia note: this stars Robyn Lively, the older half-sister of Blake Lively, and Zelda Rubinstein who would later star in Little Witches.
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Date: 2024-10-24 04:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-10-25 12:57 am (UTC)