Witches (and Warlocks) have been depicted in art, then fiction and non-fiction books, and then movies and television. The definition of a witch is basically: any individuals with supernatural powers (i.e. people who cast spells, read minds, cackle and all that jazz). Sometimes, they are depicted as demonic witches who are inhuman and use magic to torture, murder, or control people (i.e. like the witch killing those people in The Blair Witch Project).

Here’s a rundown of my favorite scary movies featuring witchcraft and the occult:

Dario Argento’s Suspiria is a classic horror movie that doesn’t skimp on the creepy or fright factor. Whenever I remember this movie, I think about the soundtrack and that final scene. That coven of witches gave me some serious shivers. Plus, bonus points for featuring a young Udo Keir as a psychiatrist who believes in the existence of witches.

Julian Sands in Warlock may seem a bit cheesy and over the top when I watch this flick again, but as a kid this movie scared the crap outta me! However, I did become aware of the silly factor in the sequel, Warlock: The Armageddon.

Cast a Deadly Spell with Julianne Moore and Fred Ward from 1991.

And an old movie called Necromancy (1972) with Orson Welles (!!!!) that I stumbled upon on the Arcane Film Archive listed at The Witching.

After looking at this list of horror films, I wonder where how these classic witch costumes featuring purple, green, and pink are so popular.

They don’t remotely eflect any witch character from any movie I’ve seen except maybe Wizard of Oz.

Bonus witch movie that’s awesomely bad, directed by the king of empty style, Renny Harlin and is about male witches: The Covenant starring Steven Strait and Taylor Kitsch (Friday Night Lights).  Pajiba kindly reviewed this movie that year and took a bullet for the rest of us. It’s strictly late-night cable television viewing only.

Let the Right One In has been getting rave reviews overseas and at various film festivals. So much so there’s a US remake already on tap for 2010! And this movie doesn’t open in NY/LA until this Friday, October 24th. Let the Right One In is based on the bestselling Swedish novel of the same name by John Ajvide Lindqvist.

Oskar and Eli in Let the Right One In

It follows the travails of Oskar, a shy and meek twelve year old boy who is bullied at school. Things change when he meets Eli, the girl next door, who is a bit strange but Oskar can’t put his finger on why (it’s probably because she is a vampire). Oskar is curious of Eli and the two begin a touching (altho a bit morbid) friendship.  It’s sorta like My Girl but trade the bees for vampirism and set the movie in snowy Sweden. It is a horror movie (i.e. there are scenes with blood) but it’s all done artfully and with purpose. Even if you’re not a big horror fan, but have an appreciation for good movies, you should tough this one out.

Trailer Check:

I saw it at a screening yesterday and can confirm that it definitely meets the hype. I get that Americans are too lazy to read subtitles, but a remake really does the source material and this film an injustice. The subtly of the cinematography, the setting and the time period (not to mention the fantastic child actors) coalesce perfectly. Why mess that up Hollywood?

Find listings of when the Let the Right One In premieres in US theaters at /Film.

The simplest Halloween scary movie formula can sometimes prove to be the best: singular guy(or girl) stalks and kills innocent people for no apparent reason (i.e. he/she’s batshit insane).

The villain dresses up in some sort of costume mask, albeit a hockey mask (Jason) or a simple white mask (Michael Myers). The 1980s horror movie era was chock full of maniac killers, paper thin plots, and even worse dialogue. Some of those movies were the scariest or funniest movies I’d ever seen.

The Funny:


Cutting Class starring a young Brad Pitt playing the jock and Donovan Leitch as the tortured loner. They both attend a high school where students, teachers, and other various people mysteriously go missing. Turns out a psycho killer is behind the disappearances. But who could it be? Watch and find out! The best part is the cameo by Martin Mull as the overbearing father.

Freddy vs. Jason is nonsensical, but chances are it won’t matter because you’ll be laughing your ass off at the ludicrous one-liners. Plus, Kelly Rowland from Destiny’s Child plays one the “high school” kids in peril.

Freddy to no one in particular: “Who wants some dark meat?”

The Scary:

The original Friday the 13th and the sequel, where Jason stalks kids at Camp Crystal Lake.

The Hitcher (1986) with Rutger Hauer, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and C. Thomas Howell. Don’t even waste one millisecond watching the remake with Sophia Bush and Sean Bean.

Quarantine, starring Jennifer Carpenter (the sister on “Dexter”), opens next Friday, October 10th. Carpenter plays reporter Angela Vidal who becomes trapped inside a Los Angeles apartment complex where a dangerous disease breaks out. The government agencies arrive and quarantine the building with Angela and her cameraman Steve inside. They assure the band of people that everything will be fine, but that is far from the truth. Everyone inside that building disappears without a trace until a lost videotape from Steve’s camera is discovered. Quarantine reminds me of The Blair Witch Project except with more night vision and zombies.

Trailer Check:

Since Halloween is just around the corner, horror flicks and the requisite Saw remake will be the main attractions at the cineplex in October. So far Quarantine stands out from the pack. I’m more inclined to see this movie since the writers decides to tell the story with the recovered news crew digital camcorder footage. The scares will be more realistic and frenetic because the action will be happening basically in real time. No fancy score, just a down and dirty horror story where you already know none of the people survive (or do they?).

In my opinion, Halloween makeup has never had a better inspiration than Freddy Krueger. As someone who came of age in the 80’s, that glorious decade of excess and purple leg warmers, the first Nightmare on Elm Street will be forever etched in my mind as the one of the scariest horror movies I’ve ever seen. And I think that’s mostly because Freddy was real enough to truly terrorize without going over the top. The fear of going to sleep, friends getting knocked off one-by-one, and a final showdown with a decomposing, reincarnated child murderer- this movie has it all. No-Doz, anyone?

Here’s some inspiration for making a really goofy costume with Halloween prosthetics. Get yourself a pig nose, and pretend to be a cursed heiress, just like in Penelope. You could always give it a horror movie twist by adding some Halloween makeup like blood or scarring.