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.

Blindness stars Julianne Moore, Mark Ruffalo, Gael Garcia Bernal. A town is overcome with a strange plague (called the Light sickness) that renders the victim blind. They are quarantined and have their rights restricted. Julianne Moore’s character somehow still has her sight and tries to lead them out of their quarantine prison.

This dark sci-fi melodrama is directed by Fernando Meirelles, the director of City of God and The Constant Gardner. I think he is the perfect match to realize Don McKellar’s script. They both question the morality of government and society in their films, especially so in McKellar’s take on the apocalypse in Last Night. They seem to hone in on people’s motivations in intense situation and focus on how things simply play out.

Blindness opens today in major cities.

Related links:
Official Blindness site
Fernando Meirelles IMDB
Julianne Moore IMDB
Don McKellar IMDB
Mark Ruffalo IMDB
Last scene from Last Night