Here's a fun one that tends to get overlooked. Apparently
Joan Fontaine - who reigned in the 40's with Oscar noms for
Rebecca and
The Constant Nymph, and a win with
Suspicion - bought
Norah Lofts' novel for Hammer to film as comeback vehicle for her. And
Nigel Kneale
took it on as a quick work for hire, which adds up, since you don't
feel a lot usual themes in this piece, though there are still a few
moments of his trademark wit and cleverly explained supernatural plot
elements. The result is a smart bit of folk horror that surprisingly
opens in witchcraft-plagued Africa where an innocent school teacher
escapes the frying pan into the fire of England, where the witches are a
little more subtle, but just as diabolical.
Not that things ever get too crazy. If you're looking for special
effects, lots of kills and wild set pieces, this isn't the movie for
you. Well, except for the stampede sheep attack; we do get one of those. And a the world's most PG orgy. So okay, I can see why this isn't on the top of many cult fans' lists. But what you will get is a steady, thoughtful story that will
keep you reassessing your assumptions. It plays more like something that would've aired on the BBC than a theatrical exhibition, but I love those British television horrors, so that's a compliment in my book. And Fontaine is good, though
many in the supporting cast are better, especially
Kay Walsh and the child actors, who maintain an impressive degree of credibility.
The Witches' story on home video here in the states is pretty
simple. Anchor Bay put it out on DVD back in 2000 as part of their
Hammer Collection line. And they reissued it on 2004 with
Prehistoric Women,
a film it had theatrically billed with back in the 60s, as a Double
Feature 2-disc set. The film started getting upgraded to blu overseas
around 2013 (by Studio Canal in the UK, Umbrella in Australia); and
eventually, in 2019, Scream Factory released it here on BD.
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2000 Anchor Bay DVD top; 2019 Scream Factory BD bottom.
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Oh,
it looks so much better! Look how faded and red those DVDs colors are
compared to the blu. It turns out the witch isn't even wearing an
orange cloak in the big ceremony, but a yellow one. And the leaves on
the trees aren't orange either. Both pillar-boxed discs are also in
roughly the same aspect ratio (1.66 v 1.67), but Scream pulls back and
corrects a slight horizontal stretching to reveal more picture. Grain
is a little inconsistent, but largely natural and strong, certainly a
very different experience than the smudgy hints floating around the
DVD. The old disc was alright for its time: anamorphic and properly
progressive; but this is a full leap forward into the HD age with no
compromise.
Both discs give us the original mono track in 2.0, but Scream bumps it up to DTS-HD and includes optional, English subtitles.
And then there's the extras. I've got a lot to talk about here. First up is a new audio commentary by
Ted Newsom. The back of the case says it's by Newsom and
Constantine Nasr,
but I've listened to the whole thing, and Newsom is definitely alone.
Anyway, this solo commentary is overall rather good and informative,
especially about Fontaine, the original author and the book this is
based on. But it's also quite rambling, unfocused, and frustratingly
critical of the script. "Frustrating" not because he knocks the film (I
quite like it, but I will acknowledge its finale falls somewhat short),
but because he keeps going on and on about what's wrong with a
certain part and how he'd rewrite the script without... well, I don't
want to get into spoilers, because it's late in the picture and tied
into major plot twists. But he keeps talking about how this certain
development is unexplained and doesn't make logical sense, but it quite
clearly
is explained in the film. And it's not such a crime for a
commentator to miss a little detail in the story he's commenting on, but
he keeps repeating himself. It would be annoying even if he was right; the fact that he's objectively wrong just makes it stick out a little
further.
...But, if you can let these things go, there is a lot to take
away from the commentary and it is very much worth the listen.
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Wicked Women
|
Besides that, well, Anchor Bay had another episode of in their
World of Hammer series, this one entitled
Wicked Women, where
Oliver Reed
narrates clips from a series of Hammer films. Naturally, this one
features on prominent female characters and includes a lengthy clip from
the finale of
The Witches. But this series doesn't offer much
of anything outside of film clips, no behind-the-scenes insight, no
critical analysis... it's just clips from some of the films. At least
it gives us a look at the fullscreen version of the film. So it's
entertaining, I guess, but pointless in a world where all these
films are readily available in full.
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Hammer Glamour
|
And I thought that was the featurette carried over to the Scream disc. But no, actually theirs is a different one called
Hammer Glamour (in addition to, not instead of,
Wicked Women).
It's also about prominent female characters from Hammer films, but this
one interviews a whole collection of their biggest stars and has heaps
to offer. It's a great, highly rewarding watch. But disappointingly, there's
nothing about Fontaine or any of the female cast members from
The Witches. Both discs also include the trailer and a second one for a double-feature with
Prehistoric Women. Scream also adds a new stills gallery and reversible artwork.
The Witches
might seem like one of those titles where there's no rush replace your
DVDs, but you absolutely should. It's an improvement in every way:
picture, audio, subtitles, special features... heck, even the
packaging. The difference in image quality is dramatic and obvious, and the
extras are better than the specs suggest. And it's a good movie, even if its low on spectacle.
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