Customer Reviews

Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

How dare people think for themselves?
How dare books these days encourage people to pursue their own spirituality without being indoctrinated?
How dare people become responsible for their own morality and actions without blaming some exterior supernatural force?

One of the problems I have with the Christian right these days is they pretty much tell people to stop thinking, to surrender their doubts and just do what they're told. And that is pretty much what this documentary is asking people to do. And given that, it would have already been a bad film (I refuse to label this fictional work a documentary) if it didn't have as many holes in it that I could poke a besom through.

As usual, fundamentalists have made a point of view based on flawed logic and total inaccuracy. Man of the things in this film are simply untrue, even to the extent of when they are talking about the swasktika, which any Nazi historian will tell you was based on an Busdhist symbol and NOT lightning.

But the worst, by far, has to be that idiot of a woman who calls herself an expert on world religions, Caryl Matrisciana. Has she even READ the books? Does she even know ANYHTING about them or about witchcraft for that matter? She claims to have been part of the new age movement but she is little more than what we call a "whitelighter", people who dabble just out of their own ego in order to get what they want.
Don't waste your time on this, rather than a zero I wanted to rate this in negative numbers.

This is another of those "I wish I could give zero or a negative number of stars" items.


Jeremiah Films is a noted creator and distributor of what only can be described as books and videos of religious bigotry. This work, like others they have produced, is a mish-mash of ignorance-based mistakes, carefully-constructed half-truths, and outright lies, lies which the producers continue to spread even when the truth is brought to their direct attention.


To put it bluntly, this is worthless trash, the modern equivalent of World War II Nazi propaganda about Jews.

"Harry Potter: Witchcraft Repackaged" is the most famous production of Jeremiah Films- the Golan/Globus of Christian propaganda. It's unintentionally hilarious, and is an artifact of the now-defunct Harry Potter controversy.

Caryl Matrisciana,a self-styled expert on cults, gives some wildly inaccurate&just plain funny "observations" on JK Rowling's bestselling series.
1)She claims that the self-sacrificing Lily Potter represents the Goddess, leading children away from Christ crucified to worship of the feminine divine.
2)She breaks Godwin's Law when discussing Harry Potter's lightning bolt scar.
3)Shape-changing is evil for some reason. Cinderella should be banned,with that reasoning.
4)The frosting on the cake,the "broomsticks&witches' hats as phallic symbols." Caryl seems to be enjoying herself too much with this one-a bit too excited. She waxes rhapsodic.

There are some bonus corkers as well-
A debate on MSNBC with a moronic Southern man. He claims that Voldemort's drinking of unicorn blood will somehow lead kids astray. When he's caught,he invokes the Columbine tragedy.
Sally,the Witch Queen of Kent-a loopy,ditzy,middle-aged lady.

"Harry Potter:Witchcraft Repackaged" doesn't show both sides,let alone depict JK Rowling's series accurately.I know some local churches that showed this movie whenever the latest Harry Potter book was released. They were embarrassed about it&the pastors didn't want to talk. It's not surprising why. At best,this "documentary" preaches to the choir,and at worst,it probably whets kids' appetites for the series,making it into delicious forbidden fruit.

How someone can actually get a video like this released is beyond me. A a Wiccan, and fan of Harry Potter books (no I was a Wiccan before HP), I am disgusted. I never bash any "true" Christians, what I call them, who actually embrace the beliefs of "Love thy neighbour", and "Judge not, lest ye be judged".

This video tells of how connected Harry Potter and real witchcraft are. First of all HP, and Wicca are NOTHING alike. We do not use lightning, or say funny words to make things happen instantly. Our rule is "an it harm none, do what ye will", a pretty basic rule.

This video teaches your child to dislike pagans, witches, and others alike. Did we not learn anything from the Burning Times. You should teach your child to respect others for their beliefs, not to hate them for it. Do you really want to raise your child as a bigot?

Oy vey. I only gave this video one star, because I had to.

Paranoid much anyone? lol I'm a real witch & this kind of stuff just makes most of the witches & pagans I know laugh. Its only good for a laugh cause so much is construed wrong. It goes to the old saying only talk about what you know for a fact. lol The witches I know, including myself give our children the "right" to choose their Religion/spiritual path, not something christians do. I was christian but didnt like being forced to believe in things that came from people & not God. Plus the very vengeful God you have turns most kids off. To many christians tell there kids threats of youre gonna burn in hell if you dont do this or if you do that. Thats the reason alot are now turning away from christianity NOT witches influencing them. Influncing is left to the christians to do. No REAL witch or pagan will do that. lol The whole thing is rediculous & amusing. If you want the truth of something then ask a REAL witch or pagan so you know the truth.

lol To funny. lol

This Video harkens us to heed blind phobia. The distasteful belief that what is not mine is evil. I don't begrudge them their attitude, but the conclusions reached are silly at best.

As a Christian I feel I have to speak out against all those "so-called" Christians out there who seem to see evil in everything they disagree with. Those people are far more dangerous to children than any Harry Potter film or book! My four-year-old granddaughter is as sweet and innocent as they come and she adores Harry Potter. She is completely unharmed by this "evil influence" and has no plans to become a witch. And I'll bet she is far more healthy and well-balanced than those children whose parents see nothing but the evil in the world. Did you ever notice how these same people who call themselves true Christians never seem to get much enjoyment from life and have no sense of humor whatsoever?

I don't usually write reviews, but I recently saw this video while visiting family. As someone who considers herself a Christian AND a Harry Potter fan I was absolutely appalled. There is much that has already been said, but what I noticed is that it appears that those discussing HP didn't closely read the books. They often mispronounced names "Voldemore" "Diaganon Alley" instead of Voldemort and Diagon Alley. I know that this is nitpicky, but if you are going to make a video bashing something because of its beliefs, you better make darn sure your facts are absolutely on target.

Oh yeah, and to Christians out there who love this video, what about CS Lewis's use of the concept of witchcraft and magic in the Chronicles of Narnia. I didn't see any videos related to that. The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe has violence, and bloodshed, and the famous White Witch. Aslan, the lion who represents Jesus, talks about the "deeper magic from the dawn of time" as a reson that he is able to rise from the dead. That sounds pretty demonic to me. Oh, wait, it is CS Lewis. I forgot so it must be okay.

I also wish that Amazon.com offers a "0" rating.

There are no points of similarity between the religion of Wicca and the fantasy of the Harry Potter books, except that both use the word "Witchcraft." But then, there are at least 15 other meanings to this same word.

Wicca is a gentle, spiritual, Earth-centered religion which is very much tied to the real world. Wiccans do not commune with the dead or with spirits, as this "documentary" film suggests. They do not engage in sorcery, curses, black magic, or demon possession.

The Harry Potter books are fantasy; they describe a non-existent imaginary world of unicorns, candles floating in the air, flying broomsticks, curses, automobiles that fly through the air, cloaks of invisibility, pictures that move and talk, etc. None of this is related to Wicca.

The producers and hosts of this movie may be sincerely deluded. Or, they may be in business to maximize their profits by spreading religious hatred. But they seem to be unable to differentiate between the real world and fantasy.

Just don't waste your with watching this garbage. It is completely absurd and incompetent of defending Christian precepts because of its threatened religious position. True, even a true Christian by heart would and should despise this type of propaganda. It truly takes the full and typical Christian fanatiscism in their quest of survival. Poor, very poor material. Spend your money somewhere on another item.