Photographing Faeries, Midnight Offerings

Well, my little darlings, I have to say that in perusing many of the witchy related films available, most of them suck. It's really quite a shame, because every subculture longs to see itself reflected in the media.

Even the supposedly secretive ones. So in my weeding, and aided by suggestions from the Feri Film Council, your faithful Witchypoo has some suggestions.

First of all, Witchypoo wishes that John Huson, that cute little witch with the bad 70's-do, had made more money off his book Mastering Witchcraft. Because if he had, he wouldn't have felt compelled to be a technical director on some of the most ghastly witch films ever made! Poor John needs to do a money spell instead of demeaning himself like this. After all, Witchypoo believes it is never a good idea to look like trash in public, so let's all pray for him. Luckily, it seems he has ceased and desisted his naughty behavior in the last 30 years, so I'll let him off the hook. So if you ever see Season of the Witch on the video shelf, run, not walk, in the opposite direction. If you rent it, you're on your own, in non-Witchypoo-sanctioned territory. It gave me a headache.

But I will recommend, with a caveat, that if you are surfing the cable channels one night and find a listing for Midnight Offerings, settle in with a couple of King Cobras and enjoy yourself. It's really really awful. But I couldn't resist seeing little goody two-shoes Mary Ingalls from Little House on the Prairie cast as an evil witch. As you well know, most witches are terrified of power and sex, and try to keep them out of their rituals as much as possible. All sex leads to wanton orgies and all power leads to abuse and corruption, that is just common sense. Let's face it, we're all culturally protestant in this country. Well, everyone in this movie is terrified of their own power, so it is a chance to see ourselves reflected in the media! The other problem is, of course, the rule with most witchy films in general. It's called "the good witch is always stupider than the evil witch" rule. Which of course flies well on a broom, if you ask Witchypoo. I've always had a certain sympathy for evil witches, especially if they are little Mary Ingalls. So if you see it, go ahead and watch it. But you really should be stoned and drinking King Cobra at the time, or it is really no fun at all.

Now, Witchypoo is tired of catching shade for recommending the long version of the Wicker Man, which is not available on video. So I have decided to review a movie that is available at all your local video stores, and even at Kozmo.com, if you are really lazy. It's called Photographing Fairies and it is beautiful. The film follows the story of Charles Castle, a British photographer who specializes in trick photography. He is approached by a woman who has taken a photograph of her daughter with a fairy standing in her hand. Mr. Castle soon realizes that the photo is not a fake or a smudge on the lens, and so begins his adventure into a world he has never believed in and has gone out of his way to disprove. It's a wonderful film, with a scary performance by Ben Kingsley as a crazy homicidal and fairy-cidal man of the cloth. You'll really hate him, it's great.

Although there are no witches in Photographing Fairies (unless you count the photographer) it is a film that speaks much to the consciousness of witches today, especially those in the Feri tradition. We are just so jaded, and so many witches just really do not believe in anything, let alone the gods they are dedicated to and the spirits of the earth they invoke everytime they cast circle. It's as if it is all just some kind of concept, but we don't believe that these are real things that share a world with us on a regular basis. The premise here is that such things just move too fast for us to see and perceive, but the world is much much bigger and holds more wonder than can be caught clearly on film. For those of us who have held the fair on a fingertip, this movie brings back those magical days when you first realized the world was mysterious and you really didn't know shit about it. Remember when you first realized that? This movie will make you wax nostalgic for those moments of wonder.

The end left me both sad and joyous, and thinking about my own adventures. If you can count Charles Castle blessed, then we all are blessed. But I must warn you, this movie will make you want to break out Maxelium's recipe for mushroom tea in Witch Eye #2 and go hit the woods to have your own blessings. Beautiful cinamatography, with a Victorian "Merchant and Ivory" feel to it. It's definitely worth a look.

Now, it's produced by Alan Greenspan. So what's up with that? Is there hope that the financial pope really could have thought this movie was an important thing to produce? Witchypoo can only hope. And there are miracles in the world everyday. I believe in Fairies. Don't you?

And follow through on the mushrooms. You'll understand after you see this movie. It's good for witches to believe in something. Faith causes so much trouble. Witchypoo says get out there and see for yourself.

Midnight Offerings: It's completely awful. You'll love it.
Witch Positive Score: abysmal
Witchypoo gives it 1/2 pentacle sober, up to 3 pentacles, depending on your alcohol consumption.?

Photographing Fairies A beautiful film that will make you believe in Victorian fashion. Oops, I mean, fairies.
Witch Positive Score: no witch, but lots of psychedelics Witchypoo gives it 4 pentacles. Check it out.

[home] [search] [articles] [contact/info] [links]