Customer Reviews

The Witches

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Lucky me--I'm both a big fan of Joan Fontaine and Hammer Films, so "The Witches" is heaven-sent! I'd read about this movie years ago and have even caught snippets of it over the decades, but nothing prepared me for Anchor Bay's excellent DVD release! Crisp, clean, with deluxe packaging and interesting "extras," The Witches is a quality product all the way. Ms. Fontaine--whose screen persona ranged from innocent and shy (see Hitchcock's "Rebecca" and "Suspicion") to connivingly evil ("Born to Be Bad")--gives a low-key and totally convincing performance as "Gwen Mayfield," ex-missionionary teacher. Her new assignment, acting as headmistress to a private church school in quiet Heddaby (Cornish England) would seem to be an ideal move, considering her traumatic turn at the hands of African witchdoctors (shown in an exciting prologue). But what's this? There are strange "undercurrents" in Heddaby! Drownings, headless voodoo dolls, a burned-out church, and "the mangle!" Could it be? Is there actually (gasp)witchcraft afoot? Well, needless to say, with a movie called "The Witches," you can draw your own conclusions! It's interesting to see Fontaine at work--she lacks the bombast of, say, a Bette Davis or Joan Crawford. Instead, she handles her duties as Hammer horror heroine with great subtlety and panache. Watch for British film vet Kay Walsh, who practically steals the film--she's excellent! "The Witches" gets my highest recommendation!

This film actually exceeded my expectations. Though Hammer studios put out a lot of classy horror and sci-fi films they also released some real duds. This one is scripted by screenwriter Nigel Kneale (though adapted from a novel) who also wrote the entertaining Quatermass series for Hammer, and like those films Kneale's writing lends an intelligence that is often missing in this type of movie. Joan Fontaine is also exceptional in her role and the direction by Cyril Frankel is above par. The ending may leave a little to be desired, and the witch ceremony was more funny than frightening, but don't let these minor objections deter you if you are a fan of Hammer films or the classic horror genre in general. Also of note, the Anchor Bay (distributor) tape has a beautiful pristine picture and the remastered sound is also outstanding.

A classic Hammer chiller, THE WITCHES, which is also known as THE DEVIL'S OWN, is an engrossing story of the occult set in the seeemingly harmless English countryside.

Haunted by the terrors she saw in Africa, schoolteacher Gwen Mayfield (Joan Fontaine) accepts a teaching position in a local Haddaby School run by Alex Bax (Alec McCowan) and his sister Stephanie (Kay Walsh).

Soon, however, as mysterious occurances start, such as a boy falling into a coma, a headless doll found impaled with pins, Gwen starts re-living her African nightmare again.

Very good story, although the climactic witch-coven scene draws more laughs than gasps, with the Witch Queen looking like a cross between Edina from AB FAB and Bullwinkle the Moose.

In deluxe widescreen (aspect ratio of 1.66:1), and original trailers of the film under the DEVIL'S OWN title, and paired with another Hammer film PREHISTORIC WOMEN.

Joan Fontaine is luminous in this Hammer thriller. Actually, there are few thrills but many surprises in this intelligently written and acted film. After a traumatizing event in Africa, Fontaine moves back to England and settles into a teaching position in a small village. Doesn't take long for Fontaine to realize somthing is seriously wrong in this quaint town. The suspense builds slowly and Fontaine gives a wonderful performance. Kay Walsh is also effective in a supporting role. This DVD is beautifully rendered, with pristine picture and sound.

In her last appearance on the silver screen, Joan Fontaine, who won an Academy Award for her performance in Suspicion (1941), stars in this Hammer Studios release of The Witches (1967). While the material here is certainly not of the caliber of some of the previous films she's appeared in, it is fun to watch. Maybe I have some lurid fascination of seeing once great stars reduced to appearing in roles they probably would have never considered in their prime.

Joan plays Gwen Mayfield, a teacher who has just been accepted to assume a position as head teacher of a private school in a small English village. The film starts off with Gwen teaching at a mission school in Africa, and, after an incident with a native witch doctor that caused Gwen to have a nervous breakdown, she has now returned to England to put the pieces of her life back together.

After formally meeting with her employers, Alan and Stephanie Bax, played by Alec McCowen and Kay Walsh respectively, the well-to-do resident benefactors of the town who are also brother and sister, Gwen settles into her new surroundings. The situation seems idyllic, a nice, quiet position in a small town where little happens, but, as the saying goes, still waters sometimes run deep. The oddness begins when two of her pre-teen students, a boy and a very weird girl, exhibit closeness to each other, one borne of a budding romance. This causes consternation among some of the townspeople, and soon the boy falls ill of a mysterious coma. Apparently there was more than just a passing concern about what might happen if the relationship between these two continued, specifically in respect to the girl.

Rumors of witchery begin to reach Gwen, and the deeper she probes, the more ominous the proceedings. As the notion of witchery becomes more and more viable, the idea that there may be more than one witch, a coven, operating within the town, involving various members of the small village. Gwen soon finds herself at odds with unseen forces, and suffers a relapse, forcing her to be institutionalized. She has also lost her memory of everything that's transpired after leaving Africa. She does regain her memory, bits at a time, and the horror begins to return as she understands what is about to transpire, and rushes back to the town in an attempt to save the girl from an unknown fate, and ultimately learn that witchery is not limited to third world peoples but is alive and well here in this small, English village.

Joan Fontaine does a great job here, still exhibiting the sheen of a Hollywood star, even if some of that sheen has dulled since her prime. I have to say, even pushing 50 she still looked pretty good, despite the oddish, bowl bouffant she sported through most of the film. Fontaine's older sister, Olivia de Havilland, didn't fare as well, career wise, in my opinion, starring in dubious films like Lady in a Cage (1964), and Irwin Allen 70's disaster pics like Airport '77 (1977) and The Swarm (1978). The creepy factor develops nicely as the film progresses, and as the mystery deepens about who's involved in the coven and what their purpose is, but this is soon replaced by a goofy factor as we see the coven in action, performing a ritual, half-nekkid dance of sorts in a decrepit, abandoned church, eating greasy dirt as their leader spouts incomprehensible mumbo-jumbo while clad in colorful robes and donning a crown with birthday candles adorning the top. I kept waiting for someone to make a wish and blow out the candles, but the others were to busy bumping and grinding to their chanting, and, as I said before, masticating the mud.

Anchor Bay Entertainment releases a great print, in wide screen anamorphic format. Special features include a theatrical trailer, television promotional spots and a World of Hammer episode titled Wicked Women. Also included in the DVD case on the flipside of the card listing the chapter stops is a reproduction of promotional material used for the film. I really find much enjoyment in these little touches, as it seems to indicate thought was actually put into the release, and a sense that one's getting their money's worth, even though this release seems a bit pricey.

Cookieman108

Joan Fontaine is a teacher who was traumatized by a frightening voodoo ritual while in Africa. Years later, she accepts a job at a small private school and then strange things start to occur.

The DVD is released by Anchor Bay, there is excellent color and the sound is also outstanding. Extras include the original theatrical trailer, two TV spots that advertise the film as a double feature with Prehistoric Women, and the episode "Wicked Women" from the World of Hammer series.

1966 Hammer dir: Carl Frankel, also known as "The Devil's Own." The subject of this great Hammer film is Voodoo. Joan Fontaine comes back from Africa only to find a witches' coven in England about to sacrifice a virgin. I have a washed out copy all cut up from TV. So it'll be great to finally buy a clean widescreen version. Anytime I see a Hammer film released I scoop it. I love the feel of "Hammer studio" -- the dark, Gothic mood -- that only Hammer can do. But I have to admit Hammer would be proud of Tim Burton's "Sleepy Hollow." Get the DVD; it has a great Running commentary by Burton. If you like "The Witches" try other Hammer films like "Plague of the Zombies," the "Devil Rides Out, "Twins of Evil," "Vampire Circus" and how about Mario Bava's "Black Sunday". Great film you have to have! I have all the Barbara Steele and Hammer stuff on Video and Laser (I'm missing "Capt Kronos: Vampire Hunter") and am waiting for it to be release on DVD. I love the 60's, and it show's. You can't go wrong with Hammer Films. When Peter Cushing died it was a national day of mourning for my friends and I.

It was quite enjoyable to see THE WITCHES again after almost 40 years. The widescreen print used for the DVD was in much better shape than the one I saw at the drive-in. I had forgotten most of it but the prologue and the delirious finale came back almost at once. I hadn't realized that Nigel Kneale of QUATERMASS fame had written the screenplay which explains the intelligence and the subtlety on display here which I can appreciate much more now than I did in the early 1970s.

This has to be one of the most beautiful films that Hammer ever made from the beautiful location shooting to the art direction and a very effective score from Richard Rodney Bennett. A teacher (Joan Fontaine) at an African mission suffers a nervous breakdown and tries to restart her life at a quiet country school in England. Slowly she begins to believe that there are sinister goings on beneath the village's picture postcard facade. This ultimately leads to another breakdown and the loss of her memory. There are strong overtones of Hitchcock here as well as earlier Hammer psychological thrillers like SCREAM OF FEAR. There's even an interesting parallel to the much more famous THE WICKER MAN and ROSEMARY'S BABY, both of which came later.

Fontaine reportedly hated THE WITCHES also known as THE DEVIL'S OWN (it was her last feature film) and working for Hammer although you could never guess that by watching it. She is low key but extremely intelligent and vulnerable which is a hard combination to put across. Her clothes and hairstyle look like the Hitchcock films of the 1960s as does some of the editing. Director Cyril Frankel had already made a superior Hammer thriller (NEVER TAKE CANDY FROM A STRANGER) and he brings that same sense of low key tension to this film which is very effective. One of Hammer's best unsung efforts.

The Witches is more mystery than terror. Joan Fontaine returns to England as a school marm after a frightening run in with witch doctors in Africa. True to Hammer form wierd things start happening in this charming English country side. Great movie with great mystery until the orgy of the witches. The firey head dress, and choreographed convulsions are a bit much, and I don't even want to think about that brown stuff they cram into their mouths. If you are a collector you definitely want this in widescreen.

Interesting story of African withcraft in Britain. Some suprising moments make the movie interesting.