For over 25 years, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival called the Castro Theatre home. With the iconic theater now closed for a year-plus-long renovation, Sfsff has relocated to the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, located in a beautiful park created for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition at the north edge of the Presidio. The auditorium, primarily a performance space, seats nearly a thousand and features a spacious foyer where passholders could visit and relax between shows (particularly useful on chilly weekends).
Sfsff prides itself on mixing landmark productions and audience favorites with rediscoveries, revelations, and rarities, often recently uncovered and restored. And for its 27th edition this year, the festival presented 20 features and six short films over five days, all with live musical scores by some of the finest silent film accompanists in the world.
The opening night film, Albert Parker’s 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, certainly qualifies as both landmark and favorite.
Sfsff prides itself on mixing landmark productions and audience favorites with rediscoveries, revelations, and rarities, often recently uncovered and restored. And for its 27th edition this year, the festival presented 20 features and six short films over five days, all with live musical scores by some of the finest silent film accompanists in the world.
The opening night film, Albert Parker’s 1926 swashbuckler The Black Pirate, certainly qualifies as both landmark and favorite.
- 4/20/2024
- by Sean Axmaker
- Slant Magazine
Between The Nun II, Sister Death, Consecration, the upcoming The First Omen, and the newly released Immaculate, starring Sydney Sweeney, it’s safe to say that nuns are having a moment in horror. So often, fear thrives in the unlit nooks of the unknown, and for many of us, that includes those who dedicate themselves to religious orders. Shrouded in intrigue and literal fabric, the combo of unwavering religious devotion and rejection of various worldly pleasures makes nuns ripe for genre exploration. While nuns are certainly trending, this is by no means the first time horror has blessed us with terrifying tales featuring such religious women.
In Häxan (1922), possessed nuns mingle with witches as director Benjamin Christensen explores the connection between mental health and mass hysteria. With movies like Alucarda (1975), Ms. 45 (1981), and St. Agatha (2018), the subgenre of nunsploitation comes into play to further explore themes of religious and sexual oppression.
In Häxan (1922), possessed nuns mingle with witches as director Benjamin Christensen explores the connection between mental health and mass hysteria. With movies like Alucarda (1975), Ms. 45 (1981), and St. Agatha (2018), the subgenre of nunsploitation comes into play to further explore themes of religious and sexual oppression.
- 3/22/2024
- by Rachel Reeves
- bloody-disgusting.com
In our jaded present, it’s hard to imagine that there was once a time when film audiences took the “based on a true story” claim seriously. At this point, we’re all fully aware that artists sometimes have to embellish the truth in order to prove a point – and sometimes simply to entertain. In fact, the very act of creating a faux-reality to tell a story has since evolved into an artform in and of itself. While Ruggero Deodato is often credited with having invented Found Footage with 1980’s Cannibal Holocaust, the truth is that the genre and its current off-shoots have been slowly creeping into existence since the early days of cinema.
Pioneers like Benjamin Christensen (1922’s Häxan) and surrealist Luis Buñuel (1933’s Land Without Bread) were already experimenting with the idea of combining fact and fiction in convincing pseudo-documentaries, and that’s not even mentioning Orson Welles...
Pioneers like Benjamin Christensen (1922’s Häxan) and surrealist Luis Buñuel (1933’s Land Without Bread) were already experimenting with the idea of combining fact and fiction in convincing pseudo-documentaries, and that’s not even mentioning Orson Welles...
- 12/4/2023
- by Luiz H. C.
- bloody-disgusting.com
Religious extremism is as old as religion itself. A belief in sorcery and witchcraft as some ungodly source has always been present when it comes to Christian fundamentalism – most often resulting in witchhunts and senseless deaths by hanging, burning at the stake, or drowning. It’s the fear of the unknown that has caused innocent lives to be stricken down, and it’s always efforts done in the name of God. That it is their duty to cleanse the world of perceived evil before it spreads and consumes all they know and love.
Where 1922’s Häxan sketches a broader narrative about witches and witchhunts from the Middle Ages to the then-present day in Denmark, Witchhammer stages its story amidst the Northern Moravia witch trials in the mid- to late 1600s. Both films take great care to dig into the accused’s humanity – that they were just normal people going about...
Where 1922’s Häxan sketches a broader narrative about witches and witchhunts from the Middle Ages to the then-present day in Denmark, Witchhammer stages its story amidst the Northern Moravia witch trials in the mid- to late 1600s. Both films take great care to dig into the accused’s humanity – that they were just normal people going about...
- 10/2/2023
- by Bee Delores
- bloody-disgusting.com
Seven years ago this month, in the aftermath of the attack on Orlando’s Pulse nightclub, one call to action rose above the din: “Say their names.” New Yorkers chanted it steps from the Stonewall Inn. The mother of a child gunned down at Sandy Hook penned it in an open letter. The Orlando Sentinel printed the names. Anderson Cooper recited them. A gunman, 29-year-old Omar Mateen, murdered 49 people and wounded 53 others in the wee hours of that awful Sunday, massacring LGBTQ people of color and their allies in the middle of Pride Month, and the commemoration of the dead demanded knowing who they were. “These,” as MSNBC’s Lawrence O’Donnell urged his viewers, “are the names to remember.”
The titles on our list of the best LGBTQ movies of all time are a globe-spanning, multigenerational testament to our existence in a world where our erasure is no abstraction. From...
The titles on our list of the best LGBTQ movies of all time are a globe-spanning, multigenerational testament to our existence in a world where our erasure is no abstraction. From...
- 6/12/2023
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Walpurgisnacht, also known as Walpurgis Night or Hexennacht, is a pagan holiday celebrated on the night of April 30th. It is named after Saint Walpurga, an eighth-century nun who Christianized parts of Germany. However, the holiday has roots in pagan traditions that celebrate the coming of spring and the triumph of life over death. It is also associated with witchcraft and supernatural phenomena, making it a perfect occasion to indulge in some spine-chilling horror films.
So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a night of scares with these ten chilling recommendations for Walpurgisnacht.
1. Dracula (1931)
What better way to kick off Walpurgisnacht than with the most iconic vampire movie of all time? Dracula (1931) stars Bela Lugosi as the titular count who travels from Transylvania to England to spread his curse of the undead. The beginning of the film is actually set on Walpurgisnacht, as Renfield (Dwight Frye) arrives at Dracula...
So, grab some popcorn and get ready for a night of scares with these ten chilling recommendations for Walpurgisnacht.
1. Dracula (1931)
What better way to kick off Walpurgisnacht than with the most iconic vampire movie of all time? Dracula (1931) stars Bela Lugosi as the titular count who travels from Transylvania to England to spread his curse of the undead. The beginning of the film is actually set on Walpurgisnacht, as Renfield (Dwight Frye) arrives at Dracula...
- 4/30/2023
- by Kimberley Elizabeth
Although most synonymous with the Halloween season, witches have woven their way onto the silver screen at every time of the year since the earliest days of the motion picture. From the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz to the Sanderson Sisters in the Hocus Pocus films, witches have long been popular characters, as well as common archetypes in general, akin to the likes of superheroes, vampires, or even Santa Claus. The witch has kept her place as a very common figure in the stories told on film.
When you think of a witch, you probably picture an image of an old and stereotypically ugly woman cackling on a broomstick or hovering above a cauldron. But if you examine all the many witches that have been a part of cinematic history since its inception, there’s actually a huge variety to the archetype. While the stereotypical...
When you think of a witch, you probably picture an image of an old and stereotypically ugly woman cackling on a broomstick or hovering above a cauldron. But if you examine all the many witches that have been a part of cinematic history since its inception, there’s actually a huge variety to the archetype. While the stereotypical...
- 10/27/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
Two of the greatest horror films of all time are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. The first, and best known, is F.W. Murnau’s unparalleled vampire epic Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror. Not quite as well known but at least as influential is Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, also known as The Witch, a truly unique artifact in the history of horror filmmaking. By calling it an “artifact” I do not mean to imply that it is a dusty old relic. In fact, the film is surprisingly lively, engaging, and perhaps above all, subversive.
Danish director Benjamin Christensen presents Häxan under the guise of a teaching tool, a filmic lecture on the history of witchcraft, but this is something of a ruse. By wrapping his intentions within this format, Christensen was able to frankly and graphically depict some of the most taboo subjects and images of the age. Today,...
Danish director Benjamin Christensen presents Häxan under the guise of a teaching tool, a filmic lecture on the history of witchcraft, but this is something of a ruse. By wrapping his intentions within this format, Christensen was able to frankly and graphically depict some of the most taboo subjects and images of the age. Today,...
- 10/26/2022
- by Brian Keiper
- bloody-disgusting.com
Horror and Opera presents: Nosferatu
Scoring original silent film soundtrack for Murneau’s 1922 classic!
The Halloween season is quickly approaching, and a haunted virtual opera theater once again opens its mysterious gates. Founded and single-handedly run by a one-woman horror composer and trained operatic singer Alia, Horror and Opera venture is dedicated to exploring the best public domain classics of silent horror cinematography and bringing these classics to life by composing and scoring original operatic soundtracks to match the atmosphere of the films.
Last year Horror and Opera delivered an original and critically acclaimed re-scoring of Benjamin Christensen’s Haxan that received an honorary designation “Projects We Love” from Kickstarter platform, as well as was reviewed by horror media trendsetters like Rue Morgue and HorrorNews.
This year, we invite you to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Murneau’s Nosferatu, as we are working on a truly special score to match the 1922 classic.
Scoring original silent film soundtrack for Murneau’s 1922 classic!
The Halloween season is quickly approaching, and a haunted virtual opera theater once again opens its mysterious gates. Founded and single-handedly run by a one-woman horror composer and trained operatic singer Alia, Horror and Opera venture is dedicated to exploring the best public domain classics of silent horror cinematography and bringing these classics to life by composing and scoring original operatic soundtracks to match the atmosphere of the films.
Last year Horror and Opera delivered an original and critically acclaimed re-scoring of Benjamin Christensen’s Haxan that received an honorary designation “Projects We Love” from Kickstarter platform, as well as was reviewed by horror media trendsetters like Rue Morgue and HorrorNews.
This year, we invite you to celebrate the 100 year anniversary of Murneau’s Nosferatu, as we are working on a truly special score to match the 1922 classic.
- 10/11/2022
- by Michael Joy
- Horror Asylum
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour)
It might feature a skate-boarding, hijab-wearing bloodsucker, but A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is much more than a hipster horror film. Set in a mythical landscape that feels like Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton took a gig art-directing Iran, Girl establishes a raw and seductive edge that is also dreamy and wistful, enamored of Old Hollywood’s visual legacy, inspired by a rich independent heritage, and completely in love with its characters. Turning the tropes of Universal horror films on their head — one scene features a tawdry pimp discovering he’s the classic damsel...
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night (Ana Lily Amirpour)
It might feature a skate-boarding, hijab-wearing bloodsucker, but A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night is much more than a hipster horror film. Set in a mythical landscape that feels like Quentin Tarantino and Tim Burton took a gig art-directing Iran, Girl establishes a raw and seductive edge that is also dreamy and wistful, enamored of Old Hollywood’s visual legacy, inspired by a rich independent heritage, and completely in love with its characters. Turning the tropes of Universal horror films on their head — one scene features a tawdry pimp discovering he’s the classic damsel...
- 11/1/2019
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Just in time for Halloween, Criterion has unleashed a new edition of the witchy classic, Haxan. Made in 1922, this Danish silent film directed by Benjamin Christensen --- and I'm shocked at how good this film looks on Blu-ray. The new 2K restoration from the Swedish Film Institute was created from a 35mm duplicate negative, and images "were tinted according to notes left by director Benjamin Christensen." Now that's committment. And in an age where a lot of films are in danger of disappearing, the Criterion Collection is instrumental in preserving cinematic excellence. The tinting is beautifully rendered, by the way, and so much of the photography in the film is absolutely stunning. Paired with the excellent audio quality and...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 10/31/2019
- Screen Anarchy
Häxan
Blu ray
Criterion
1922/ 1.33:1 / 105 min.
Starring Benjamin Christensen
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Fine art joins forces with the dark arts in Häxan, an impeccably crafted docu-drama with the lurid kick of an exploitation film.
The influence of Benjamin Christensen’s silent horror show can be found far and wide, from movies as beloved as The Wizard of Oz and reviled as The Devils. Variety was certainly conflicted when Häxan was turned loose in 1922 – “Wonderful though this picture is, it is absolutely unfit for public exhibition.”
It’s not Intolerance but Häxan boasts both a sizable cast and elaborate settings (at the time it was the most expensive film ever produced in Denmark). Yet the credits suggest it was something of a one man show – Christensen wrote and narrated (his hypnotic glower is the first thing the audience sees) and he acts up a storm – he plays the devil who...
Blu ray
Criterion
1922/ 1.33:1 / 105 min.
Starring Benjamin Christensen
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Fine art joins forces with the dark arts in Häxan, an impeccably crafted docu-drama with the lurid kick of an exploitation film.
The influence of Benjamin Christensen’s silent horror show can be found far and wide, from movies as beloved as The Wizard of Oz and reviled as The Devils. Variety was certainly conflicted when Häxan was turned loose in 1922 – “Wonderful though this picture is, it is absolutely unfit for public exhibition.”
It’s not Intolerance but Häxan boasts both a sizable cast and elaborate settings (at the time it was the most expensive film ever produced in Denmark). Yet the credits suggest it was something of a one man show – Christensen wrote and narrated (his hypnotic glower is the first thing the audience sees) and he acts up a storm – he plays the devil who...
- 10/12/2019
- by Charlie Largent
- Trailers from Hell
MGM’s gigantic silent sci-fi extravaganza took three years to make, by which time the talkies arrived and everything went to pieces. Lionel Barrymore emotes (Emotes!) in his early sound footage, and terrific effects take us to the bottom of the ocean where monsters and a race of Donald Duck creatures menace our heroic adventurers. And don’t forget a few sundry other elements: a Russian revolution, torture scenes, and cool steampunk nautical hardware. All this Life Aquatic lacks is Steve Zissou!
The Mysterious Island
DVD
The Warner Archive Collection
1929 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 93 min. / Street Date March 26, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 19.99
Starring: Lionel Barrymore, Jane Daly (Jacqueline Gadsdon), Lloyd Hughes, Montagu Love, Harry Gribbon, Snitz Edwards, Gibson Gowland, Dolores Brinkman, Karl Dane, Robert Dudley, Sydney Jarvis, Bob Kortman, Angelo Rossitto.
Cinematography: Percy Hilburn
Film Editor: Carl L. Pierson
Technical Effects: James Basevi, Irving G. Ries, Louis H. Tolhurst
Original Music: Martin Broones,...
The Mysterious Island
DVD
The Warner Archive Collection
1929 / B&W / 1:37 flat Academy / 93 min. / Street Date March 26, 2019 / available through the WBshop / 19.99
Starring: Lionel Barrymore, Jane Daly (Jacqueline Gadsdon), Lloyd Hughes, Montagu Love, Harry Gribbon, Snitz Edwards, Gibson Gowland, Dolores Brinkman, Karl Dane, Robert Dudley, Sydney Jarvis, Bob Kortman, Angelo Rossitto.
Cinematography: Percy Hilburn
Film Editor: Carl L. Pierson
Technical Effects: James Basevi, Irving G. Ries, Louis H. Tolhurst
Original Music: Martin Broones,...
- 5/4/2019
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
A Hexcellent Halloween: HÄXAN – An Exploitation Movie Hiding as a Documentary in the Silent Film Era
[To help get you into the spooky spirit this October, the Daily Dead team thought it would be a great idea to spotlight some of our favorite witchcraft movies that just might cast a spell on you and make your Halloween season a "hexcellent" one!]
Happy spooky season, friends! I hope you’re enjoying all of the broomstick riding, devil’s book signing, cackling goodness from our retrospective series on witches thus far. For my go around, I’d like to take you all the way back to 1922, when Danish actor/screenwriter/director Benjamin Christensen created Häxan, a film that was already playing with cinematic formats. It presents itself as a documentary on witchcraft as it was understood in the Middle Ages, but blended into the film are dramatic reenactments that feature heavy doses of exploitation-style violence and titillation that led to the film being banned in the U.S. What’s particularly interesting, however, is that for a film made by a white dude in the beginning of the 20th century, it serves as a pretty severe indictment of the patriarchal philosophies that contributed to the witch hunts in the first place.
Christensen first...
Happy spooky season, friends! I hope you’re enjoying all of the broomstick riding, devil’s book signing, cackling goodness from our retrospective series on witches thus far. For my go around, I’d like to take you all the way back to 1922, when Danish actor/screenwriter/director Benjamin Christensen created Häxan, a film that was already playing with cinematic formats. It presents itself as a documentary on witchcraft as it was understood in the Middle Ages, but blended into the film are dramatic reenactments that feature heavy doses of exploitation-style violence and titillation that led to the film being banned in the U.S. What’s particularly interesting, however, is that for a film made by a white dude in the beginning of the 20th century, it serves as a pretty severe indictment of the patriarchal philosophies that contributed to the witch hunts in the first place.
Christensen first...
- 10/29/2018
- by Bryan Christopher
- DailyDead
Seven Footprints to Satan (1929) was the middle of three spooky house films made by Danish director Benjamin Christensen, who's best known for the satanic documentary Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages. The other films are lost, though the music and sound effects discs that once accompanied The Haunted House (1928) can be heard on YouTube: lots of whistling wind and hooting owls. You might want to imagine those sounds as you experience Seven Footprints, whose original score and FX are lost. Maybe you'd even like to play them together and see if they sync up, even though they're different films? Christensen came over at the same time as Garbo, and for a while looked to be making a go of it in Hollywood, directing successful films at MGM and Warner Bros. His very weird sensibility seems surreal now, but apparently fitted into the commercial cinema of the day. Seven Footprints is...
- 3/28/2018
- MUBI
I have known for years, many people will not watch black and white movies, of any kind. It has to be color and no older than 10 years, preferably movies made this year, or last year. I have had people look at me with astonishment when I tell them I not only watch black and white movies regularly but even silent movies. I’ve had people admit they didn’t know movies were being made in 1927, much less 1915.
So for this Hallowe’en, when movie geeks thoughts turn to scary movies here is my personal and eclectic list of great, old, scary movies, filmed in glorious black and white.
10. Nosferatu 1922
The Great Grand Daddy of all Dracula movies, and the template for every vampire movie ever made, the first, one of the best and still creepy, even if you’ve seen it repeatedly. A silent masterpiece by Fw Murnau and with...
So for this Hallowe’en, when movie geeks thoughts turn to scary movies here is my personal and eclectic list of great, old, scary movies, filmed in glorious black and white.
10. Nosferatu 1922
The Great Grand Daddy of all Dracula movies, and the template for every vampire movie ever made, the first, one of the best and still creepy, even if you’ve seen it repeatedly. A silent masterpiece by Fw Murnau and with...
- 10/26/2017
- by Sam Moffitt
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Ricardo Cortez biography 'The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez' – Paramount's 'Latin Lover' threat to a recalcitrant Rudolph Valentino, and a sly, seductive Sam Spade in the original film adaptation of Dashiell Hammett's 'The Maltese Falcon.' 'The Magnificent Heel: The Life and Films of Ricardo Cortez': Author Dan Van Neste remembers the silent era's 'Latin Lover' & the star of the original 'The Maltese Falcon' At odds with Famous Players-Lasky after the release of the 1922 critical and box office misfire The Young Rajah, Rudolph Valentino demands a fatter weekly paycheck and more control over his movie projects. The studio – a few years later to be reorganized under the name of its distribution arm, Paramount – balks. Valentino goes on a “one-man strike.” In 42nd Street-style, unknown 22-year-old Valentino look-alike contest winner Jacob Krantz of Manhattan steps in, shortly afterwards to become known worldwide as Latin Lover Ricardo Cortez of...
- 7/7/2017
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Life isn’t easy for witches. Sure, they have magical powers, live for hundreds of years, and can fly around on broomsticks — but it’s not all fun and games. Beyond the stinging social stigma attached to those who witch for a living, there’s also the constant threat of unruly villagers brandishing torches and pitchforks, hungry for a good old-fashioned witch-burning. It’s starkly amusing to recall that the archetypal witch caricature was born out of the cold-blooded, unlawful murder of innocent people, acts committed vainly in the name of religion. On film, the witch is prolific, with countless examples dating back to the dawn of the art form.
When examining the witch film genre, mounting similarities cannot be ignored. Some employ the witch in fairy tales, macabre bedtime stories intended to evoke fear and wonderment in equal measure. Others depict a society gone mad, fingers ever pointed at...
When examining the witch film genre, mounting similarities cannot be ignored. Some employ the witch in fairy tales, macabre bedtime stories intended to evoke fear and wonderment in equal measure. Others depict a society gone mad, fingers ever pointed at...
- 2/17/2016
- by Tony Hinds
- The Film Stage
Hell's Kitchen: Soul stew image likely from the 1922 Benjamin Christensen horror classic 'Häxan / Witchcraft Through the Ages.' Day of the Dead post: Cinema's Top Five Scariest Living Dead We should all be eternally grateful to the pagans, who had the foresight to come up with many (most?) of the overworked Western world's religious holidays. Thanks to them, besides Easter, Christmas, New Year's, and possibly Mardi Gras (a holiday in some countries), we also have Halloween, All Saints' Day, and the Day of Dead. The latter two are public holidays in a number of countries with large Catholic populations. Since today marks the end of the annual Halloween / All Saints' Day / Day of the Dead celebrations, I'm posting my revised and expanded list of the movies' Top Five Scariest Living Dead. Of course, by that I don't mean the actors listed below were dead when the movies were made.
- 11/3/2015
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Special mention: Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Genre: Documentary
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. 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. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Genre: Documentary
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft, told in a variety of styles, from illustrated slideshows to dramatized reenactments of alleged real-life events. Written and directed by Benjamin Christensen, and based partly on Christensen’s study of the Malleus Maleficarum, Häxan is a fine examination of how superstition and the misunderstanding of mental illness could lead to the hysteria of the witch-hunts. At the time, it was the most expensive Scandinavian film ever made, costing nearly 2 million Swedish krona. 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. Depending on which version you’re watching, the commentary is...
- 10/27/2015
- by Ricky Fernandes
- SoundOnSight
A roundup of five worthwhile witch movies to stream online right now. "Black Sunday" (Netflix) Mario Bava's 1960 B&W chiller stars the enormous-eyed Barbara Steele in a dual role as a reincarnated witch from the 17th century and her beautiful lookalike descendant, whom she has returned from beyond the grave to possess. A moody Gothic fright film featuring horror legend Steele in arguably her most iconic role. "Teen Witch" (We have been informed that this has been removed from Netflix) :( The unintentionally funny 1989 musical best known for its ill-advised "rap" number "Top That" stars Robyn Lively as an unpopular high schooler who discovers she's descended from the witches of Salem. She goes on to use her newly-discovered powers to win the heart of the school's handsome star football player and get back at all the mean girls. If you enjoy cheese, look no further. "Rosemary's Baby" (Netflix) Fine,...
- 4/3/2015
- by Chris Eggertsen
- Hitfix
The Ann Arbor Film Festival celebrates its epic 53rd annual edition on March 24-29 with a colossal selection of experimental short films and features.
Feature film highlights include the documentary Speculation Nation by regular collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, which examines the recent Spanish housing crisis; a new ethnographic doc by Ben Russell, Greetings to the Ancestors, which plunges deep into the culture of South Africa; and Jenni Olson’s grand California study The Royal Road.
Short film highlights include the much anticipated new film by Jennifer Reeder, Blood Below the Skin, a narrative following a week in the dramatic and romantic lives of three teenage girls; a new music video by Mike Olenick called Beautiful Things with music by The Wet Things; new animations by Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow, and Lewis Klahr, Mars Garden; plus new experimental work by Vanessa Renwick, Peggy Ahwesh and Zachary Epcar.
Special...
Feature film highlights include the documentary Speculation Nation by regular collaborators Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat, which examines the recent Spanish housing crisis; a new ethnographic doc by Ben Russell, Greetings to the Ancestors, which plunges deep into the culture of South Africa; and Jenni Olson’s grand California study The Royal Road.
Short film highlights include the much anticipated new film by Jennifer Reeder, Blood Below the Skin, a narrative following a week in the dramatic and romantic lives of three teenage girls; a new music video by Mike Olenick called Beautiful Things with music by The Wet Things; new animations by Don Hertzfeldt, World of Tomorrow, and Lewis Klahr, Mars Garden; plus new experimental work by Vanessa Renwick, Peggy Ahwesh and Zachary Epcar.
Special...
- 3/24/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Commissioned by the British Film Institute to craft a new score for Benjamin Christensen’s silent witch classic Haxan, UK duo Demdike Stare are bringing their accompaniment to New York City for a screening and live event at the 1880s-built West Park Presbyterian Church. Presented by The Bunker, the Demdike Stare-Haxan event is one of only…
The post NYC: See Demdike Stare Live Score Haxan at Church appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
The post NYC: See Demdike Stare Live Score Haxan at Church appeared first on Shock Till You Drop.
- 3/24/2015
- by Samuel Zimmerman
- shocktillyoudrop.com
Scariest movies ever made: The top 100 horror films according to the Chicago Film Critics (photo: Janet Leigh, John Gavin and Vera Miles in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho') I tend to ignore lists featuring the Top 100 Movies (or Top 10 Movies or Top 20 Movies, etc.), no matter the category or criteria, because these lists are almost invariably compiled by people who know little about films beyond mainstream Hollywood stuff released in the last decade or two. But the Chicago Film Critics Association's list of the 100 Scariest Movies Ever Made, which came out in October 2006, does include several oldies — e.g., James Whale's Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein — in addition to, gasp, a handful of non-American horror films such as Dario Argento's Suspiria, Werner Herzog's Nosferatu the Vampyre, and F.W. Murnau's brilliant Dracula rip-off Nosferatu. (Check out the full list of the Chicago Film Critics' top 100 horror movies of all time.
- 10/31/2014
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Witches are fantastic cinema fodder – they can portray all of the evil, the nastiness and the spite of being a supernatural villain. This aspect of witchery is seen in films such as The Witches and The Wizard of Oz. Then we have the other side of the coin – supposed ‘witches’ as victims during all of the witch finding perpetrated by various characters like Matthew Hopkins in Witchfinder General. Witch finding was a terribly cruel and vicious operation in which thousands of people were killed for no good reason other than to satisfy bloodlust and religious zeal.
There are a wide form of films about witches out there. This starts with Benjamin Christensen’s silent movie Häxan, through to the art house with Dreyer’s Day of Wrath. There are a lot of horror films like Mark of the Devil and Mask of Satan that deal with witchcraft up to teen movies like The Craft.
There are a wide form of films about witches out there. This starts with Benjamin Christensen’s silent movie Häxan, through to the art house with Dreyer’s Day of Wrath. There are a lot of horror films like Mark of the Devil and Mask of Satan that deal with witchcraft up to teen movies like The Craft.
- 12/27/2013
- by Clare Simpson
- Obsessed with Film
With Arcade Fire launching the live stream for their new album Reflektor against clips from Marcel Camus' "Black Orpheus," it was only a matter of time before someone else decided to match up the Montreal band's music with more classic films. And Craig J. Clark has done just that. This unofficial video for the band's "Joan Of Arc" cuts it against scenes from a trio of movies: "The Passion of Joan of Arc" directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer; "Jeanne d'Arc," directed by Georges Méliès; and "Häxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages," directed by Benjamin Christensen. The result? Well, you'll just have to watch it down below and be sure to let us know what you think in the comments section. As for the band, they'll be hitting an arena near you in 2014.
- 11/15/2013
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
Every year, we here at Sound On Sight celebrate the month of October with 31 Days of Horror; and every year, I update the list of my favourite horror films ever made. Last year, I released a list that included 150 picks. This year, I’ll be upgrading the list, making minor alterations, changing the rankings, adding new entries, and possibly removing a few titles. I’ve also decided to publish each post backwards this time for one reason: the new additions appear lower on my list, whereas my top 50 haven’t changed much, except for maybe in ranking. I am including documentaries, short films and mini series, only as special mentions – along with a few features that can qualify as horror, but barely do.
****
Special Mention:
Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...
****
Special Mention:
Häxan
Directed by Benjamin Christensen
Denmark / Sweden, 1922
Häxan (a.k.a The Witches or Witchcraft Through The Ages) is a 1922 silent documentary about the history of witchcraft,...
- 10/30/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
The hit sound film The Jazz Singer (1927), starring Al Jolson and directed by Alan Crosland, fueled the mainstream appetite for newfangled "talkies"... and brought on the death throes of the ol' fashioned silent film. Over the next few years, silent motion picture production around the world slowed, withered, and died. Before this era came to a close, however, the horror genre took root, clawed its way into mainstream popularity, and spawned a wealth of atmospheric and unsettling thrillers. These films built the foundation upon which a century of horror movies would be constructed. The art of film was still in its infancy, and this silent era of experimentation gave rise to some of the most striking and fascinating horror movies ever made. While Germany would soon rise to dominate horror of the silent era, Italy helped get the ball rolling with their first feature length film, Dante's Inferno (1911), directed by Giuseppe de Liguoro.
- 7/4/2013
- by Eric Stanze
- FEARnet
Each week we ask readers to tell us about where they go to watch films. Today, the home of Denmark's national agency for film and cinema culture, in the heart of its capital city
This week's Clip joint is from Luke Richardson, contributor for culture blog The Frame Loop. Follow him on Twitter @luke_richardson
Location
Filmhuset (The Filmhouse), part of the Danish Film Institute, is located in the very heart of Copenhagen: a stone's throw from the Rosenborg Castle Gardens, Round Tower observatory and the colourful Nyhavn harbour.
The building
The Dfi may not look much from the cycle lane but inside the drab, five-storey office building is a space brimming with film enthusiasm. Designed with industrial structures that could have been borrowed from The Crystal Maze set, Filmhuset (The Filmhouse) has three cinema screens, each named after a leading figure in the Danish film industry: Asta (after silent...
This week's Clip joint is from Luke Richardson, contributor for culture blog The Frame Loop. Follow him on Twitter @luke_richardson
Location
Filmhuset (The Filmhouse), part of the Danish Film Institute, is located in the very heart of Copenhagen: a stone's throw from the Rosenborg Castle Gardens, Round Tower observatory and the colourful Nyhavn harbour.
The building
The Dfi may not look much from the cycle lane but inside the drab, five-storey office building is a space brimming with film enthusiasm. Designed with industrial structures that could have been borrowed from The Crystal Maze set, Filmhuset (The Filmhouse) has three cinema screens, each named after a leading figure in the Danish film industry: Asta (after silent...
- 3/5/2013
- by Guardian readers
- The Guardian - Film News
Our continuing series on groundbreaking horror movie classics takes a look at one of the most controversial films (horror or otherwise) of its day, and the most expensive silent film ever made in its native Sweden. Just that info alone makes Häxan worth a closer look... but there's so much more to love about this beautiful, bizarre and eye-opening film than just its historical importance. Danish actor/director Benjamin Christensen based his most ambitious project on the notorious book Malleus Mallefecarum (“The Witch Hammer”), a real-life manual written by Heinrich Kramer which the Inquisition used as a guide for investigating and prosecuting allegations of witchcraft. That book and the people who used it are partly responsible for the persecution, torture and death of thousands of innocent people (mostly women), and Christensen found it so unsettling that he set about revealing its horrible history to the world, in a way that...
- 3/1/2013
- by Gregory Burkart
- FEARnet
Doc Talk is a biweekly column devoted to documentary cinema, typically featuring an essay concentrated on a currently relevant topic for discussion followed by critic picks for new theatrical and home video releases. This week’s focus is on two documentaries to watch on Halloween. Halloween may be best associated with the horror film genre, but there is an increasing amount of documentaries suited for viewing on the holiday too. Classic nonfiction works with related subject matter include Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 history of demon and witch superstition Haxan: Witchcraft Through the Ages, and Peter Watkins’s Oscar-winning 1965 nuclear war hypothesis The War Game. More recently, doom-and-gloom films like Lucy Walker’s doc on current nuclear...
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Read More...
- 11/1/2012
- by Christopher Campbell
- Movies.com
Throughout the month of October, Editor-in-Chief and resident Horror expert Ricky D, will be posting a list of his favorite Horror films of all time. The list will be posted in six parts. Click here to see every entry.
****
Enjoy!
150: Session 9
Directed by Brad Anderson
Written by Stephen Gevedon and Brad Anderson
2001, USA
If there was ever a perfect setting for a horror movie, it would be the abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital. Built in 1878 on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts, it was a multi-acre, self-contained psychiatric hospital rumoured to have been the birthplace of the pre-frontal lobotomy. The hospital was the setting for the 2001 horror film Session 9, where an asbestos clean-up crew discover a series of nine tapes, which have recorded a patient with multiple personalities, all of which are innocent, except for number nine. With a shoestring budget and no real special effects, Session 9...
****
Enjoy!
150: Session 9
Directed by Brad Anderson
Written by Stephen Gevedon and Brad Anderson
2001, USA
If there was ever a perfect setting for a horror movie, it would be the abandoned Danvers State Mental Hospital. Built in 1878 on an isolated site in rural Massachusetts, it was a multi-acre, self-contained psychiatric hospital rumoured to have been the birthplace of the pre-frontal lobotomy. The hospital was the setting for the 2001 horror film Session 9, where an asbestos clean-up crew discover a series of nine tapes, which have recorded a patient with multiple personalities, all of which are innocent, except for number nine. With a shoestring budget and no real special effects, Session 9...
- 10/3/2012
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Today sees the opening of "The Cabin In The Woods," one of the freshest, most enjoyable horror movies in years, one that we can only urge you to go see (read our review here). To mark its release, Time Out have polled critics, programmers and filmmakers as to their favorite horror movies, and collated their finds in a mammoth list.
Topped by "The Exorcist," it's an excellent read, and one you'll want to sit down with over the weekend, and as a taste, below you can find the top ten picks of ten of the most notable filmmaker contributors. You can find the full list, as well as picks from many, many more interesting figures, from Antonio Campos and Joe Dante to Simon Pegg and Rob Zombie, over at Time Out's site. And why not weigh in with your own ten picks over in the comments below?
Roger Corman ("The Pit & The Pendulum,...
Topped by "The Exorcist," it's an excellent read, and one you'll want to sit down with over the weekend, and as a taste, below you can find the top ten picks of ten of the most notable filmmaker contributors. You can find the full list, as well as picks from many, many more interesting figures, from Antonio Campos and Joe Dante to Simon Pegg and Rob Zombie, over at Time Out's site. And why not weigh in with your own ten picks over in the comments below?
Roger Corman ("The Pit & The Pendulum,...
- 4/13/2012
- by Oliver Lyttelton
- The Playlist
Choosing my favourite horror films of all time is like choosing between my children – not that I have children, but if I did, I am sure I would categorize them quite like my DVD collection. As with all lists, this is personal and nobody will agree with every choice – and if you do, that would be incredibly disturbing. Also, it was almost impossible for me to rank them in order, but I tried. I based my list taking into consideration three points:
1- Technical accomplishments / artistry and their influence on the genre.
2- How many times I’ve revisited the films and how easily it makes for a repeated viewings.
3- Its story, atmosphere and how much it affected me when I first watched them.
Finally, there are many great films such as The Witchfinder General, The Wickerman and even Hour Of The Wolf that won’t appear here. I...
1- Technical accomplishments / artistry and their influence on the genre.
2- How many times I’ve revisited the films and how easily it makes for a repeated viewings.
3- Its story, atmosphere and how much it affected me when I first watched them.
Finally, there are many great films such as The Witchfinder General, The Wickerman and even Hour Of The Wolf that won’t appear here. I...
- 10/29/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
42 – Nosferatu: The First Vampire
Directed by F.W. Murnau
1922 – Germany
The earliest surviving film based on Dracula is Nosferatu, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel. One of the first vampire movies, it is perhaps on one of the best vampire movies ever made. Generally creepy from beginning to the last frame.
41- Spirits Of The Dead (Histoires extraordinaires)
Directed by
Federico Fellini (segment Toby Dammit)
Louis Malle (segment William Wilson)
Roger Vadim (segment Metzengerstein)
1968 – France
First thing to notice is the three directors: Federico Fellini, Louis Malle and Roger Vadim. Second you need to take notice in the cast which includes Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, Alain Delon, Terence Stamp, Salvo Randone, James Robertson Justice, Françoise Prévost and Marlène Alexandre. Spirits Of The Dead is an adaptation of three Edgar Allan Poe stories that amount to one mixed bad, but with one incredible segment that needs to be seen.
Directed by F.W. Murnau
1922 – Germany
The earliest surviving film based on Dracula is Nosferatu, an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker’s novel. One of the first vampire movies, it is perhaps on one of the best vampire movies ever made. Generally creepy from beginning to the last frame.
41- Spirits Of The Dead (Histoires extraordinaires)
Directed by
Federico Fellini (segment Toby Dammit)
Louis Malle (segment William Wilson)
Roger Vadim (segment Metzengerstein)
1968 – France
First thing to notice is the three directors: Federico Fellini, Louis Malle and Roger Vadim. Second you need to take notice in the cast which includes Brigitte Bardot, Jane Fonda, Peter Fonda, Alain Delon, Terence Stamp, Salvo Randone, James Robertson Justice, Françoise Prévost and Marlène Alexandre. Spirits Of The Dead is an adaptation of three Edgar Allan Poe stories that amount to one mixed bad, but with one incredible segment that needs to be seen.
- 10/28/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Lon Chaney on TCM: He Who Gets Slapped, The Unknown, Mr. Wu Get ready for more extreme perversity in West of Zanzibar (1928), as Chaney abuses both Warner Baxter and Mary Nolan, while the great-looking Mr. Wu (1927) offers Chaney as a Chinese creep about to destroy the life of lovely Renée Adorée — one of the best and prettiest actresses of the 1920s. Adorée — who was just as effective in her few early talkies — died of tuberculosis in 1933. Also worth mentioning, the great John Arnold was Mr. Wu's cinematographer. I'm no fan of Laugh, Clown, Laugh (1928), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1923), or The Phantom of the Opera (1925), but Chaney's work in them — especially in Hunchback — is quite remarkable. I mean, his performances aren't necessarily great, but they're certainly unforgettable. Chaney's leading ladies — all of whom are in love with younger, better-looking men — are Loretta Young (Laugh, Clown, Laugh), Patsy Ruth Miller...
- 8/15/2011
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
#7- The Crucible (1996)
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Tagline: “Arthur Miller’s timeless tale of truth on trial.”
Arthur Miller’s story of hysteria, persecution and social injustice, The Crucible, was written during Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings (for which Miller was called to testify in 1956). Miller has never claimed that his story is historically accurate, but many of the facts correspond to events that actually occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 when a superstitious terror gripped the Puritan town. 19 villagers were hung as witches, four others died in prison and one was pressed to death when he refused to answer questions. The Crucible offers a layered examination of mob hysteria, and of the Puritan mindset on which America was founded in a community destroyed by guilt, prejudice, paranoia and betrayal. Well-paced direction, and fine performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Joan Allen.
#6- Black Death (2010) -
Director:...
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Tagline: “Arthur Miller’s timeless tale of truth on trial.”
Arthur Miller’s story of hysteria, persecution and social injustice, The Crucible, was written during Senator Joseph McCarthy’s House Un-American Activities Committee hearings (for which Miller was called to testify in 1956). Miller has never claimed that his story is historically accurate, but many of the facts correspond to events that actually occurred in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 when a superstitious terror gripped the Puritan town. 19 villagers were hung as witches, four others died in prison and one was pressed to death when he refused to answer questions. The Crucible offers a layered examination of mob hysteria, and of the Puritan mindset on which America was founded in a community destroyed by guilt, prejudice, paranoia and betrayal. Well-paced direction, and fine performances from Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder and Joan Allen.
#6- Black Death (2010) -
Director:...
- 1/9/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Louise Brooks (center) in Diary of a Lost Girl (top); Fritz Lang‘s Metropolis (upper middle); George O’Brien (center) in John Ford‘s The Iron Horse (lower middle); Norma Talmadge in Sam Taylor and Henry King‘s The Woman Disputed (bottom) The San Francisco Silent Film Festival kicks off on July 15 with a screening of John Ford‘s The Iron Horse, at 7 p.m. at the Castro Theatre. The festival’s Opening Night Party will follow the screening. Starring George O’Brien (the male lead in F. W. Murnau‘s Sunrise) and popular silent-film actress Madge Bellamy, The Iron Horse is a grandiose 1924 Western epic about the building of the United States’ transcontinental railroad. Among the Sfsff’s other highlights are a screening of the restored version of Fritz Lang‘s Metropolis, starring Brigitte Helm; Louise Brooks in G. W. Pabst‘s Diary of a Lost Girl; and Benjamin Christensen...
- 7/8/2010
- by Andre Soares
- Alt Film Guide
Essential Art House: 50 Years of Janus Films from Criterion
Photo: Criterion Last week in my On DVD Today column I mentioned how the folks at Criterion were clearing off their shelves and offering every item in stock at a 40% discount while supplies lasted. I would assume a majority of the folks that read the article ignored that link since it didn't have any new information on Batman, Iron Man or any other kind of man from a comic book. However, I am hoping this headline brought in the folks that may be interested in such a deal. Of course, the hour is late and the majority of the titles are now gone as the deal ends Monday, November 24, at midnight Est. When I first got the email from Criterion I shuffled over to check out a few titles I had been longing to get and had never wanted to spend the money.
Photo: Criterion Last week in my On DVD Today column I mentioned how the folks at Criterion were clearing off their shelves and offering every item in stock at a 40% discount while supplies lasted. I would assume a majority of the folks that read the article ignored that link since it didn't have any new information on Batman, Iron Man or any other kind of man from a comic book. However, I am hoping this headline brought in the folks that may be interested in such a deal. Of course, the hour is late and the majority of the titles are now gone as the deal ends Monday, November 24, at midnight Est. When I first got the email from Criterion I shuffled over to check out a few titles I had been longing to get and had never wanted to spend the money.
- 11/24/2008
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
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