The Brotherhood of Satan

"The Brotherhood of Satan" (1971) starring Strother Martin, L.Q. Jones, Charles Bateman is an excellent horror movie about a family trapped in a desert town with a bunch of old Satan worshipers.

The family of Ben (Charles Bateman), his girlfriend Nicky (Ahna Capri) and his daughter KT (Geri Reischl) are on their way to Grandma's house when they witness a terrible car accident.  They drive to the nearest town of Hillsboro and they are mobbed by the local townsfolk and quickly flee in their car.  However, they don't get far until their car breaks down and they have to return to Hillsboro.

They discover the town has been cut off from the outside by unknown forces for over a week and one by one their children have gone missing.  Ben joins with the Sheriff (L.Q. Jones, also the movie's writer and producer), the local doctor and priest to determine what is happening to all the children.

While this is occurring, the film also shifts to the local witch's coven which worships Satan and is gathering the children for its sinister plans.  Who in the small town is the leader of the coven?  You soon find out and you get a good look at the elderly denizens of Hillsboro who will do the unspeakable to stay alive and young.

"The Brotherhood of Satan" is a surprisingly good horror flick.  It is visually well filmed and the idea of a town being cut off from the rest of the world creates a sinister sort of claustrophobia.  There are some extremely creepy scenes in this movie, especially the birthday party scene where the children are catered to by unseen figures in black robes.  I highly recommend that you find and watch this film!

Beautiful Creatures

"Beautiful Creatures" (2012) starring Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Jeremy Irons, Emma Thompson and Viola Davis   is supernatural romantic drama about witches in the South.

Teenager Ethan Wate (Ehrenreich) has always lived in the small town of Gatlin, South Carolina.  He yearns to get out of the town that stifles his creativity and bans all the books he finds interesting.  When new student Lena Duchannes (Englert) arrives to town, things start to get interesting.  Lena lives with her reclusive and very eccentric Uncle Macon (Irons) in a mansion just outside of town.  The townsfolk imagine all kinds of strange, un-Christian goings-on at the mansion and that attitude immediately reflects on Lena who has a hard time fitting in at school.  Of course Ethan, even though he is popular at school, feels like he is an outsider and immediately falls for Lena.

He soon discovers Lena isn't the usual girl next door!  She is a witch, or as they like to be called in this film - a caster, who is trying to learn to control  formidable powers.  Lena will soon turn 16 and on her sixteenth birthday her true nature will come out and her powers will thereafter be used for the light (good) or dark (evil).  All her extended family is coming to town for a caster holiday and they are a very eclectic bunch.

Ethan soon discovers from family friend Amma (Davis) that his family and Lena's are connected in the past and a curse from that past may soon affect Ethan and Lena.  They must race to find a solution to this curse or Lena may inevitably go toward the dark.

"Beautiful Creatures" is a visually appealing movie with lush settings and eclectic characters.  It has lots of supernatural powers, interesting characters (including Emma Thompson playing a local religious woman who tries to direct the townsfolk against Lena and her family) and teen romance.  If you like the "Twilight" movies, you'll probably enjoy this movie too.

Midnight Offerings

"Midnight Offerings" (1981) starring  Melissa Sue Anderson, Mary Beth McDonough, Patrick Cassidy is a TV movie about witches in a California high school.

Vivian Sotherland (Anderson) is the head of the cheer squad and until recently she was going out with David Sterling (Cassidy), the football team's quarterback.  The movie starts with Vivian dressed in a black robe in front of a dark shrine, chanting spells which end up causing their science teacher to die in a horrible car accident.  That teacher was going to flunk David which would have got him kicked from the team.

David is cold to Vivian.  He has figured out she is a witch and has put together a string of "accidents" that has got him and her to the top of the class.  David wants nothing to do with her anymore.  New girl, Robin Prentiss (McDonough) joins the school and meets David on the first day.  They instantly take a liking to each other.  Vivian of course will have none of that and she immediately starts her campaign of black magic against Robin.  But something is not working - Robin is fighting back with her own magic that she is just discovering.

David and Robin grow even closer as bad things continue to happen to them.  They seek the help of a local expert in witches, Emily Moore (Marion Ross) who does what she can to help Robin learn how to user her powers.  She informs Robin that this is leading to a battle of good against evil and  she better prepare in order to face the evil Vivian!

This is your standard made for TV horror movies of the 80s.  If you want to stay in for a Saturday afternoon, this is a good one to watch.

Crowhaven Farm

"Crowhaven Farm" (1970) starring Hope Lange, Paul Burke and Lloyd Bochner is one of my favorite made for TV movies that first aired as part of ABC's Movie of the Week.  It is another classic example of Aaron Spelling's early productions.

Maggie Porter inherits the rural Crowhaven Farm from a long lost relative.  It is located in New England and shortly after meeting her neighbors learns that the town has a history of witchcraft and witchcraft trials many centuries ago.  The moment Maggie and her husband Ben (Burke) arrive at the farm, Maggie feels like she's been there before in another life.  She knows her way around the house and even knows its secret passages and doors.  She wants to leave but her husband says it's a way they can path up their failing marriage and she finally agrees.

Maggie starts having visions from the past when the town's early Puritan residents lived there.  She keeps seeing herself being killed as a witch. The couple also takes in a local girl, Jennifer, after her Aunt dies.  Having a child is the couple's dream and everything starts out on a happy note.  However, Jennifer isn't as innocent and sweet as she seems.

 This is a great example of 70s TV movies that I love so much.  We have a great story, plenty of spooky atmosphere in and around the farm and lots of thrills and chills.  This movie has recently been released on DVD by Amazon so check it out!

The Witches

"The Witches" AKA "The Devil's Own" (1966) is a Hammer Studios horror movie starring Joan Fontaine, Kay Walsh and Alec McCowen.

Gwen Mayfield (Fontaine) is a school teacher that used to teach in Africa until a revolution and witch doctors chased her out and caused her to have a breakdown.  She is hired by brother and sister team Alan (McCowen) and Stephanie (Walsh) Bax, who run a private school in the small English village of Heddaby.

Things start out quietly for Gwen as she gets used to her school, the children and the village people.  But soon she learns the village isn't all it seems.  There are issues with a couple of her students that she can't explain - one falls ill unexpectedly and the other disappears.  Gwen begins to believe that black magic is happening in her quiet village.  Will it drive her to madness again?

This is a very enjoyable horror movie.  It's one of those that reminds you that your neighbors may not be who you think they are.

Burn, Witch, Burn!

"Burn, Witch, Burn!" (1962) starring Peter Wyngarde, Janet Blair and Margaret Johnston is a great black & white horror movie from England.

I had been putting off watching this movie for a while, probably because of the cheesy title.  I watched it yesterday and the beginning includes a blank screen with an announcement to the audience about how some of the charms & spells that will be seen in the movie are real and the announcer goes on and on with a long anti-spell to keep the viewers safe.  This gimmick at the beginning didn't portend well to the movie but I'm sure glad I watched because I really enjoyed it!

Norman Taylor (Wyngarde) is a college psychology professor who lectures about belief systems and superstitions.  He is of the modern mind that all superstitions are nonsense.  At the beginning of the movie we are shown how the students love him and his fellow professors are discussing that he seems to lead a charmed life and the dean is even considering him for a promotion before some of the other more experienced colleagues.

Norman is married to Tansy (Blair) who spends a lot of time in their home or at their seaside cottage.  At the beginning, some of Norman's colleagues come over to play bridge and Tansy senses something is wrong.  After they leave she searches frantically around the house and finally finds a small voodoo like figure which she quickly destroys.  It turns out Tansy is a witch and she is doing everything she can to protect her husband from evil outside powers.

Norman discovers one of her charms and soon finds many others around the house.  He confronts Tansy when she returns home and she confesses to being a witch.  He can't believe this nonsense and finally convinces her to destroy all the charms.  Her final warning though is she can't be responsible for what may happen without her running interference against the outside evil powers.  Norman of course doesn't take heed.

Almost immediately things start to go wrong for Norman.  One of his female students charges him with violating her.  The girl's boyfriend threatens him with a gun.  And it doesn't look like he'll get that promotion.  Tansy leaves to try to save him and Norman finally encounters the source of those outside powers that are against him.  Can he save himself and his wife?

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.  I will watch it again for years to come!

 

City of the Dead

"City of the Dead" (1960) starring Patricia Jessel, Dennis Lotis, Venetia Stevenson and Christopher Lee was originally released with the title "Horror Hotel".  This is another classic black & white horror movie that is loaded with atmosphere and suspense.

College student Nan Barlow (Stevenson) goes to the tiny village of Whitewood, Massachusetts to do research about witchcraft for her term paper.  Her professor (Christopher Lee) suggests the small village because it has a history of witchcraft.  We learn later that the professor was born in Whitewood.

The village hasn't changed much since the 17th century.  Nan stays at the Raven's Inn in the middle of the village right next to the church and the graveyard.  The Inn is run by Mrs. Newless, played by the terrifically intense Patricia Jessel, who right from the start you suspect isn't all she appears to be. The entire town is always engulfed in fog and all the scenes take place at night.  There's eerie scenes of Nan wandering through the foggy town and townsfolk stopping in mid stride to turn around and stare at her.  The scenes indoors are dappled with firelight from the fireplaces.  We soon learn the town is the ceremonial grounds of the coven of witches that still practices the dark arts.

This movie has a wonderfully spooky storyline and atmosphere and music to set the mood.  Watch it if you dare but beware of the trapdoor in the room off the lobby at the Raven's Inn!