Night of the Eagle (1962) User Reviews

Mind Tricks

[sol1218 · 8/10 · 2 January 2006]

(There are Spoilers) Teaching psychology at the Hempwell Medical Center Prof. Norman Taylor,Peter Wyngard,is making his way up the ladder of success so fast at the school that his co-educators are a bit jealous of his amazing climb. Having a logical mind and not believing in magic or any other mumbo jumbo Prof. doesn't realize that his wife Tansy has been dappling in the black arts since they were on vacation some time ago in the Caribbean.

After a Friday night bridge party at the Taylor home Norman discovers that Tansy has a bunch of charms and totems hidden all over the house that she uses to cast spells on and for persons that she knows including himself. Shocked to find out that Tansy is practicing Witchcraft Norman has her burn all the artifacts, involving that ancient superstition, and put the thought of casting spells and bringing good or bad luck to people that she knows in the fireplace together with them. As Norman begins the week things start to suddenly go wrong, terribly wrong, for him at work as well as at home.

Accused of forcing himself on one of his students Margaret Abbott, Judith Stott, Norman is later confronted by her boyfriend Fred Jennings, Bill Mitchall,who's been having trouble with Norman in his class, who pulls a gun on him. Getting everything straighten out by having Margrate confess that she made the story up and disarming the hot-headed Paul doesn't stop Tansy from leaving a tape recorded massage for Norman. In the tape Margaret tells him that she's going to have herself killed by the evil spirits that he released, by burning all her magic charms, to prevent him from being taken away from her forever by taking his place.

Almost getting killed in a traffic accident in getting to the seaside retreat, that he and Tansy have outside of town, Norman feels that he's too late to stop his wife from drowning herself since it was already past 12 midnight, the time Tansy left on the tape that she's to die. Norman is now so possessed by what has been happening to him since that night of revelations about the powers of Witchcraft that he actually makes some kind of ceremony, with a photo of Tansy and candles, to break the deadly spell that he unleashed on her as well as himself and amazingly it works.

Intelligent and at the same time disturbing movie about the black arts and how they play with one's mind even if he's as logical and unfettered as prof. Norman Taylor. Norman after taking a wet and comatose Tansy home is later attacked by her getting. That had him go back to the collage that evening, on a hunch, to find out just what's been causing all these strange happenings to him and his wife.

It becomes obvious that there's someone there who's been casting evil spells on him and Tansy that the magic charms, that Tasy made, have been counteracting but with them now gone there's nothing on earth left to stop them from destroying his and Tansy's lives.

With the person in question knowing about Norman's accident, that wasn't reported in the news, and then building a house of Tarot Cards and setting it on fire begins to get the best of Norman's fragile mind and subconscious as he starts to see a demon, in the form of giant eagle, attacking him.

Rushing to his house Norman does see it on fire, just as the the Torot Cards predicted, and saves Tansy's life but the person who conjured up all this evil on him and Tansy has a quick and stunning reversal of fortune as the movie ends.

You never really know if what was happening to Norman and Tansy is real or just their imagination but that's exactly what made the movie "Burn Whitch Burn" or "Night of the Eagle" work so well. Like the great Lawton/Tourneur film-noir horror movies of the 1940's "Burn Whitch Burn" lets your mind,not the special effects, do the thinking and thus literally scares the hell out of you.

A Very Scary Low Budget Witchcraft Story, With Excellent Direction and Performances

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 4 February 2004]

Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde) is a successful young professor, married with Tansy Taylor (Janet Blair). He is a very skeptical man, while his wife believes in magic and witchcraft. One day, he finds lots of amulets and witchcraft in his house, and he decides to destroy all of them. His wife gets scared and advises him that he destroyed all the protection their home and lives had against the evil of envious and wicked persons, including some of his colleagues. Norman in principle does not have faith in her, but many strange events happen with him, and he changes his mind.

This English black & white low budget production is one of the most frightening movies I have ever watched. With a great direction, excellent cast having a superb performance and a tight screenplay, this movie may be considered a classic in the genre. Highly recommended for fans of horror movies, in Brazil it is only available on cable television, since Brazilian distributors have not released on VHS or DVD. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): 'A Filha de Satã' ('The Satan's Daughter')

Note: On 30 April 2015, I saw this movie again.

Spooky witch tale

[preppy-3 · 8/10 · 17 July 2003]

A college professor in England named Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde) and his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) seem to live a charmed life. Then Norman finds out Tansy is using witchcraft to "protect" him. He firmly disbelieves of it and makes her burn all her protective charms. Then his life becomes a living hell...

Scary, well-made British chiller filmed in atmospheric black & white. This is the kind of movie where the chills creep up on you and quietly scare you.

The acting is great all around. Peter Wyngarde is very effective as Taylor--you see his character struggling to rationalize all the bad things happening to him. Surprisingly director Sidney Hayers (in an interview with Fangoria magazine) didn't want Wyngarde for the role. It was well known that Wyngarde was gay and the director felt he would be too effeminate for the role! His doubts were totally misfounded. Blair is even better as his wife Tansy. Her sacrifice at one point in the movie is actually very moving. And I'll never forget Margaret Johnston--that woman was EVIL. Trust me, I'm not giving anything away--you'll know who the evil witch is within the first 10 minutes.

A well-made, frightening horror film. Turn off the lights and cuddle up with this one. Perfect for late night viewing.

Good movie

[gsygsy · 7/10 · 18 July 2015]

A demonstration that a lot can be achieved on a small budget by imaginative filmmakers. The intensity of this movie took me by surprise. I had expected something more plodding, along the lines of Hammer fare from the same period. Instead, here we have inventive camera-work (DOP Reg Wyer, cameraman future DOP Gerry Turpin), a hardworking score by William Alwyn, and a thoughtful leading man in Peter Wyngarde. Director Sidney Hayers had come from TV, where he seems mostly stayed thereafter - a pity, as he clearly rose to the challenge of this material.

Best of all are the two excellent performances by Janet Blair and Margaret Johnston. The former, an American who had to come to England to get a part that demonstrated she could really act. The latter, a distinguished stage actress who pulled all the stops out for this rare leading screen role.

The pace of the film slackens here and there, but recovers in time for a splendid finale. A couple of scenes would have benefited from retakes because of technical glitches, but I suspect there just wasn't enough money left to do them. It's certainly no worse in this respect, though, than NIGHT OF THE DEMON, which is a clear influence. The Jacques Tourneur movie is more satisfying because of the tautness of its screenplay, but in every other way NIGHT OF THE EAGLE (aka BURN, WITCH, BURN) is as good. I wish it were better known. It certainly deserves to be.

Baubles, Bangles, & Bright, Shiny Beads

[BaronBl00d · 30 October 2004]

A small university town in England is the setting of this well-crafted tale of witchcraft, voodoo, and mystery concerning the rise of a young professor in his department in Sociology. The film begins with the professor giving a lecture on the ridiculous nature of the supernatural. He says that the supernatural only exists when believers exist; otherwise without believers, there would be no supernatural. I thought this was a great way to start a film. You know that before long this young professor will be eating those words. And, indeed, he does. The film's basic premise concerns this man's wife, Tansy, helping him rise - or at least believing to help him rise - in his department amidst other forces that wish to see his downfall. There is certainly a lot going for this British, low-budget film. Great performances are delivered by the entire cast, particularly Peter Wyngarde as the man trapped between what he sees as logical and reasonable and what his wife believes is responsible for his success. Janet Blair plays his wife with great conviction and an intensity that makes what she does seem plausible. One other acting notable belongs to Margaret Johnston as a rather scary, limping colleague who has a crushing blow delivered to her when she doesn't get the department chair. She makes one scary woman! The direction is in the hands of the ever-capable Sidney Hayers, responsible for many of my favourite episodes of The Avengers(including "The Superlative Seven"). Hayers is excellent at pacing the film with tension. But the most credit for the film's success must be given to Richard Matheson who adapted the film from the celebrated novel Conjure Wife by Fritz Leiber. Matheson has just enough logic mixed in with mysterious red herrings, superstitious practices, and quaint, British manners to make for a most enjoyable film. There is no doubt that for this film: the eagle has landed!

Well-remembered black magic story, done nicely on a low budget

[Leofwine_draca · 7/10 · 4 September 2016]

Very much regarded as a minor classic of the genre, NIGHT OF THE EAGLE is a well-shot black and white chiller with plenty of spooky moments to enjoy. Made in an era when the best horror moments still came from subtlety and a brooding atmosphere, the film conjures up a nightmarish world of spells and powerful forces beyond our comprehension. Some fine acting from the distinguished cast help to make us care for the characters and believe the events that play out.

The film kicks off happily enough, with teacher Norman Taylor, a resolute non-believer in the supernatural, lecturing his students on superstition and the like. Soon, however, he discovers that something is amiss at home and his house is filled with dead spiders, locks of hair, dirt from cemeteries and all sorts. He destroys all of these, much to his wife's horror, and then the real nightmare begins. Taylor's life begins to fall apart. He is accused of raping a female student at the school, and his wife suffers a nervous breakdown. Eventually he is forced to re-evaluate his opinion on the black arts when he realises that the misfortune he is suffering is the work of an emery masquerading as a close friend.

Strong on atmosphere, NIGHT OF THE EAGLE is packed with suspense and tension as the horror of the situation escalates up until the finale. The trappings of a good score and nice photography make this easy on the eye and ear, and Wyngarde himself is very good as the lead who ends up being absolutely terrified and a broken man. Janet Blair, on the other hand, is a little irritating but mainly fine, unfortunately at this particular period in the cinema actresses who had to display fright had a tendency to overact (widening their eyes, screaming, etc.) which can look a little dated to me and can be embarrassing. The supporting cast are fine, with Margaret Johnston as a creepy, limping fellow teacher who has a few secrets to hide.

Probably the best-remembered part of this film is the ending, which sees Wyngarde trying to save his wife from their burning home. Along the way, one of the stone eagles on the roof of the school comes to life and chases him through the corridors, until he is saved at the last moment. A simple effect, this, but a clever and memorable one. During this chase, Wyngarde rubs up against his blackboard and a phrase previously written on there - "I do not believe" becomes simply "I do believe". A lovely little touch in what is a very nice film indeed, not totally brilliant but providing enough thrills and chills to be an above average entry in the genre.

Pretty Good Witchcraft Film

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 18 May 2016]

This evening was the first time I have ever seen this film - it's pretty good. One of the better witchcraft films I've ever seen. I can see why they call this one "Night of the Eagle" as well as "Burn Witch Burn" both titles fit the film. But I really wish they would have left out the eagle bit because it would have been a more believable witchcraft film - it should look like a series of coincidences and accidents - well, from my stand point of view. The eagle was bit too much for my taste so it ruined the ending for me otherwise I enjoyed the film.

The way this was filmed is beautiful - some of the cinematography is exquisite, I mean really outstanding.

This film would make a great late night flick - and a good one for Halloween season. If you like movies on witchcraft/occult topics then you might like this particular film.

7.5/10

Classic chiller with a great leading performance

[galensaysyes · 10/10 · 22 August 2000]

This has always been one of my favorite horror movies. A lot of its force--notwithstanding the good solid script and direction--is due to Peter Wyngarde's performance as the husband of the title witch. At first he shows us the man's skepticism, a disbelief so fervent and so confidently scornful of opposition that it persuades his wife, even in the face of the sinister atmosphere that's growing all around them--this being painted in with that easy skill that only Britons seem able to command. As the story progresses, Wyngarde shows us, one unnerving step at a time, the man's loss of his lack of faith, to the point of absolute belief (which the film points up with an obvious, but very satisfying, joke) and absolute terror. Except for Fay Wray writhing and screaming between twin pillars in anticipation of her sacrifice, I can't recall another victim whose fear I've felt along with him so completely. In my opinion Wyngarde's is one of the great performances in horror films, and the film itself is one of the last of the classics.

Despite the title, it's a lot better than you'd suspect.

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 5 August 2012]

With a title like "Burn, Witch, Burn", I certainly was expecting a lot worse. However, this film is actually quite clever, suspenseful and worth seeing.

This film begins VERY strangely. The voice of Paul Frees (who provided the voice of Boris on "The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle" and the Haunted Mansion at Disney) announces that there is a demonic curse embedded within the film and he is going to neutralize it with an incantation that is made up of a lot of words for the Devil! Following this, the film begins. The story concerns Professor Taylor (Peter Wyngarde)--a successful professor at a small medical college. One day by chance, he finds some voodoo-like charms hiding around his home. It seems that his wife is a practitioner of some sort of dark art. When he confronts her, she insists the magic has contributed to his career success AND is protecting them from those who wish him harm. Not surprisingly, since he's a man of science he gathers up all her mumbo-jumbo and burns it...and then his life begins falling apart. Apparently someone IS trying to do him harm and without his charms, his and his wife's lives are at stake. But who and why?!

Aside from one brief scene involving a stuffed bird that is clearly suspended by a wire, the film is very intelligently made. The story is constructed well, is genuinely menacing and is quite enjoyable. And, although the bird is done poorly, just a moment later they make a hawk APPEAR very large and menacing in a very convincing manner. Well worth seeing--nearly earning an 8.

most romantic horror movie EVER

[itsbarrie · 10/10 · 23 May 2006]

This is far and away my very favorite horror movie -- not only is it truly scary, it is extremely well-acted, has a very intelligent script, great direction, super photography. What's most unusual about it is the relationship among the Professor Taylor (the devastatingly yummy Peter Wyngarde)and his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) -- these two have amazing chemistry and along with the horror, you get a very realistic story of a married couple very much in love, who struggle with the wife's admission of being a witch.

Much of the horror here is simply implied, making it that much scarier, but what is shown is truly chilling. If you've never seen a believable performance in a horror movie, check out Wyngarde in this --his final scene should be shown in every drama school -- his fear is that palpable.

Witchy Women

[AaronCapenBanner · 6/10 · 25 November 2013]

Sidney Hayers directed this British adaptation of the Fritz Leiber novel(previously filmed as "Weird Woman" with Lon Chaney Jr.) that stars Peter Wyngarde as a skeptical college professor who is disdainful of anything supernatural or magic, who is shocked to learn that his wife Tansy(played by Janet Blair) is a practicing witch! She insists that it is because of her good magic that he has proved so successful, but he scoffs and destroys her protective charms; strangely, his luck takes a distinct turn for the worse as a result, as it is also obvious that someone else is targeting them with bad magic as well... Good cast in this moderately interesting thriller that does become somewhat too talky, but still mostly works, with exciting ending.

Eerie, spooky, and generally terrific

[ric-29 · 9/10 · 27 January 1999]

This is a really excellent black and white spooker with an engaging story and some really creepy moments. The production values are excellent, the acting is very good, and the story and script are both top-notch. Plenty of twists, even if the identity of the villain is a bit obvious, and enough tension to really keep you on the edge of your seat.

Well made and acted "Burn, Witch, Burn"

[rosscinema · 6/10 · 18 March 2004]

If your looking for a good horror film to view on a rainy night than you definitely want to check this out. Not only is it well made but the acting is very good with some genuinely spooky moments. Story is about a college professor named Norman Taylor (Peter Wyngarde) who's career and life couldn't be better or happier but one day he discovers that his wife Tansy (Janet Blair) is a practicing witch. He forces her to burn everything that she uses but she pleads that it's for their protection. She warns her husband that evil forces are around and trying to ruin them and maybe even kill them.

*****SPOILER ALERT*****

The very next day Norman's life seems to be different as he is accused of sexual misconduct by one of his students and then her boyfriend pulls a gun and threatens him. Tansy feels the evil forces closing in around them and she decides to give her life in order for her husband to be saved but he tracks her down and brings her home. Norman then understands that fellow colleague Flora (Margaret Johnston) is behind the evil curses as she is jealous of his professional standing at the college.

This film is directed by Sidney Hayers who would go on to be one of the most popular and reliable television directors that Hollywood ever used. This is a low budget effort from AIP and Samuel Arkoff but with the English setting it plays like something from Hammer Studios. The acting is very good and Blair is solid as the wife trying to convince her husband that black magic does exist. She has good chemistry with Wyngarde which is an achievement considering that Wyngarde was gay in real life and had a difficult time convincing Hayers that he would be good in the role. He was right and his character certainly comes to life when he searches for Blair after learning that she is going to kill herself. But there would be no film without Johnston as the limping and gazing Flora. To say her character epitomizes evil is an understatement and who can forget the scene where she talks to Wyngarde in her office with her face hovering over a lamp with that devilish sneer? I'm not convinced that the film needed the scenes with the giant eagle and I would have enjoyed this just as much if those had been omitted in the final edit. If your a fan of films dealing with the supernatural than look no further because this is a well made chiller.

Enjoyable but also quite silly

[Johan_Wondering_on_Waves · 5/10 · 4 June 2015]

This movie is really worth a view for the witch sequences even though as a whole I thought it was rather silly. For most of the movie I was wondering what the title meant but it became clear towards the ending. That eagle statue coming to life I thought was the worst part. The ending is rather predictable. I knew the "good" would survive and the "bad" would get their punishment. The movie might learn you a few things about witchcraft and superstitions. I thought the angle of female student being manipulated in seducing her professor interesting but that plot line was soon killed of and replaced by his wife having to destroy all the stuff that protected her husband from evil happening to her. Of course things were going wrong.

A pop triumph

[mesozoic69 · 13 November 2004]

A real pop film, in terms of its impeccable and swift structure, and

emphasis on iconic images and personalities. There are many

Brian De Palma-esque moments of domestic absurdity, accompanied by a brilliant swelling score.

The movie deals unblushingly with perversion, and adult sexuality,

though where George Romero used the witch story to describe an

aspect of housewife sexuality (in Jack's Wife), this film focuses on

the male variety. The main character is a reasonable professor

who is happily married to an appealing woman who happens to

be a witch.

They'd remain happy, if it wasn't for his need to contain what may

be prized as a woman's intuition. If only he would let his wife have

her silly superstitions, but this is clearly a threat of some kind (as

is her infatuatoin with a Jamaican witchdoctor).

I do believe ... this is pretty good

[begob · 6/10 · 25 April 2016]

A dashing young professor with his star on the rise is disturbed to find his wife using witchcraft to protect him from the envy of his peers. But his logic flies out the window when malign forces come to beat down his door.

Decent thriller with a blend of the psychological and supernatural. The story is solid, although it mostly feels like a padded out episode of The Twilight Zone until the trippy ending elevates the terror. There is a mis-step in the plot, as the rape allegation trails off without giving an insight on the antagonist and it's only when you think back that it makes sense. And the car accident is annoying, with no favours done for the credibility of the hero.

It's well shot, especially the seaside locations in Cornwall and the close ups on the veeery interesting face of the actress playing Flora. I do think the lead actress was miscast as she's not sufficiently fey or sweet.

The music is dramatic, though not overdone.

Val Lewton Meets Hammer

[Handlinghandel · 6/10 · 26 October 2006]

This is an excellent, disturbing movie. I saw it as "Burn, Witch, Burn." My main suggestion would be to lose the Ed Wood-like voice-over that introduces it. We're all grown-ups here.

Janet Blair is excellent as the faculty wife who may be going to extremes to protect her husband's career. Her husband shows off some beefcake. He's a handsome man named Wyngarde.

Also superb is Margaret Johnston. She plays Cora, wife of another professor.

We meet Wyngarde as he is teaching. His students are alternately bored and fascinated by his lecture on black magic. Giving nothing away, let's just say the occult indeed plays a large part in the movie itself. These are Samantha and Jeanie types -- but they mean business. Big-time.

It's frightening. It's believable. This movie grabs you by the more and you can't breathe till it's over.

This spell is stretched too thin

[cricketbat · 6/10 · 5 October 2019]

Burn, Witch, Burn feels like a 30-minute episode of Twilight Zone stretched into 90 minutes. There's a lot of unnecessary filler and repetitive plot points. It's an interesting concept, though, and there are some suspenseful moments. It just needed a stronger third act and it could have been something special.

Another triumph for black and white British horror!

[trouserpress · 9/10 · 6 April 2004]

I've just watched this obscure little British horror. The only name I recognised in the credits was the writer Richard Matheson. But it turns out that the director was Sidney Hayers, who also directed Circus of Horrors, before he went on to direct a lot of television, including The A Team, The New Avengers and Manimal (does anyone remember that?).

The plot is a little haywire, but this is a great film. It fits into the horror sub-genre "Housewives and school teachers who get into witchcraft", along with Horror Hotel, Hammer's The Witches, Romero's Season of the Witch and many others, probably. It's got some great visuals, partly due to the very dark black and white photography, it has genuine moments of suspense and the special effects are incredible for a film of its age and low budget. It's also known as Burn, Witch, Burn, which gives it a sensationalist twist that it doesn't really need. Night of the Eagle is a much more appropriate title. I highly recommend this if you can catch it on TV or DVD!

Far fetched, but has its moments!

[JohnHowardReid · 7/10 · 10 October 2017]

Producer: Albert Fennell. Executive producers: Julian Wintle and Leslie Parkyn. An Independent Artists Production. (Available on a severely cut (to only 83 minutes) DVD from Optimum Home Entertainment).

Copyright in the U.S.A. 10 March 1962 by Alta Vista Productions. Presented in the U.S.A. by James H. Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff. U.S. release through American International: 25 April 1962. New York opening at neighborhood theaters on a double bill with "Tales of Terror": 4 July 1962. U.K. release through Anglo Amalgamated: 13 May 1962. Banned in Australia. 87 minutes in the U.K. 90 minutes in the U.S.A. U.S. release title: Burn, Witch, Burn.

SYNOPSIS: Tansy Taylor, the wife of an English university professor, secretly practices witchcraft to further her husband Norman's career. When he accidentally discovers this, he destroys her instruments of magic. Following Tansy's warning that his action has left him vulnerable to evil forces, Norman's luck changes.

NOTES: Location scenes filmed in Penzance, Cornwall.

COMMENT: Directed with authority and style. The script, however, seems far-fetched, and the transformation of Professor Carr is a bit hard to take. One of the most telling points against the script's credibility is that Tansy (silly name!) makes no attempt to tell her husband that a member of the faculty is practicing voodoo. Instead, she talks vaguely for hours about protection. Why isn't she specific?

The special effects are faultless, whilst photography, music, and especially Ralph Sheldon's sharp film editing contribute greatly to the picture's eerie atmosphere. Indeed, Gilbert Taylor's camera-work — both on location and in the studio — is astonishingly creative, considering the shoddy work he often turns out for quota quickies.

Janet Blair walks off with the movie's acting honors. The other players, however, are never less than able.

Watch the women...

[poe426 · 9/10 · 29 September 2003]

Screamplay by Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont, based on Fritz Leiber's excellent novel, CONJURE WIFE- what more could one want? While it's a far cry from the likes of THE INNOCENTS or THE HAUNTING (the original version), BURN, WITCH, BURN! is, nonetheless, an entertaining entry in the eerie-goings-on genre. It's the sometimes subtle (and sometimes not-so-subtle) interplay between the women that makes this movie worth watching. This is one of those rare instances where one finds oneself wishing that the movie would go on just a while longer: it would've been interesting, indeed, to have seen the gradual escalation of hostilities between the, er, forces gathered here.

A very good movie which at the same time is too melodramatic

[Prichards12345 · 7/10 · 27 October 2016]

Night of The Eagle (based on Fritz Leiber's splendid novel Conjure Wife) would have been a classic with just a little more restraint; as such its last hour is almost a total pitch into non-stop horror, to the extent that it becomes a little overbearing and almost spoils the many superb horror set-pieces.

Peter Wyngarde (yayy - it's Jason King!!!) plays a lecturer at a small town college whose relentless dismissal of the supernatural - even scrawling "I Do Not Believe" on the blackboard during one of his lectures - comes to seem extremely foolish after he burns all his wife's voodoo protections. On some subconscious level Tansy has come to suspect her husband is in danger, and of course, she is right.

This is a movie that can be viewed as a close companion to Night Of The Demon, in that both films show a rigidly disbelieving academic forced to confront the idea that there ARE more things on earth than are dreamt of in their philosophies. Demon is a superior film, but Wyngarde and Janet Blair are far better in their roles than Dana Andrews and Peggy Cummins were in that movie.

There are some brilliantly terrifying scenes to enjoy - the Monkey's Paw style THING that wants ingress while one of Wyngarde's lectures plays on tape, the possession scene, and of course, the eagle itself. Wyngarde unknowingly removes the "Not" from his earlier blackboard pronouncement while menaced by the giant creature. A great little touch.

One must give a mention to Margaret Johnston's terrifically vindictive performance. She almost steals the film from the leads, and, again comparing it to Demon, is as good as Niall McGuinness was as the warlock in that movie. With just a little bit more finesse this could have been an all-time classic. As it is it's still a very good and worthwhile movie.

Most Overlooked Film of 1962?

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 16 October 2011]

A skeptical college professor (Peter Wyngarde) discovers that his wife (Janet Blair) has been practicing magic for years. Like the learned, rational fellow he is, he forces her to destroy all her magical charms and protective devices, and stop that foolishness.

Prom producer Sam Arkoff (American International Pictures) and writers Charles Beaumont and Richard Matheson (Matheson a frequent AIP contributor and both veterans of "Twilight Zone") comes this tale that I had never heard of before catching it in October 2011 in Chicago. How has a horror fan like myself missed such a well-acted, well-crafted and well-executed classic?

I suspect the reason this film is not well known is the lack of a "star" (such as Vincent Price). But Wyngarde is incredible -- smart, strong, handsome... the ideal leading man. And you have some provocative material, too -- rape accusations, witchcraft (done very realistically) and more...

I strongly recommend checking out this film. I first saw it as "Night of the Eagle" on the big screen, and then later as "Burn Witch Burn" on Netflix. Both versions are excellent and should be seen by anyone who likes a good story. (The only difference between versions that I noticed was that BWB has a 2-minute voice-over starting it off.)

BURN, WITCH, BURN ( D+ Movie ) My Ratings 7/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 7/10 · 1 February 2020]

The film is never less than gripping, and past a certain point, you have no idea where this movie is going.

Promising premise wasted

[pbczf · 4/10 · 4 April 2023]

Why does that new professor keep getting promoted, since nobody really seems to like him, except for his wife and the female student who has a crush on him? And why is there a sociology department in a medical school? The second question remains a mystery, but the first is soon answered. The careers of the academics (all men) are determined not by any scholarly activity, but by their wives' behind-the-scene use of the dark arts: the better your wife is at witchcraft, the better your career will be. Unfortunately, this very promising premise is wasted in this ham-handed adaptation of Fritz Leiber's novel from the 1940s, 'Conjure Wife'.

We know we're meant to be tense because all the actors start very tense and just ratchet things up from there, with much emoting, yelling of dialogue, and general chewing of scenery. Subtle it ain't. From the beginning the film keeps cutting ominously to a big stone eagle that gives the UK version of the film its title and plays a weighty role in the denouement. But with each cut you feel the director's elbow jabbing insistently in your ribs, so that a technique meant to build tension builds exasperation instead. By the time the eagle has landed, you feel more freed from annoyance than relieved of tension. The US version of the film added a creepily effective introduction with a voiceover to a black screen supposedly casting a protective spell over the audience.