What happens when you have one of the most talented horror directors direct a children’s film? The answer is witches witches. And while the film by Nicolas Roeg (When the gondolas are in mourning) 33 years ago as “Family Fun” advertised and recommended in Germany from the age of 6, it gave children and their parents nothing but nightmares.
Hexen Hexen is a disturbing children’s horror film: what makes the fantasy shocker so bad?
Witches Witches from 1990 is based on the equally disturbing novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. Already here they should first warning bells ring, because Dahl dreamed up such bizarre children’s horror stories as Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He constantly sends young people into life-threatening situations and often smiling adults want to grab them by the throat.
That’s what witches are about: Luke knows witches are real because his grandmother is an expert on the subject. After his parents die, his grandmother takes him on vacation. However, a secret witch conference is taking place in the same hotel. The witches of Britain want to rid the country completely of children, and the chief witch (Anjelica Huston) already has a plan.
What makes the fantasy film so bad: the cruel message for children
Not only has Luke lost his parents, he himself has to fight for survival throughout the film. Any nice woman he meets could actually be a murderous witch. We learn right from the start that witches are indistinguishable from normal women at first glance. Children learn witches in witches that in adults there are thoughts of murder behind every smile can.
Warner Bros.
witches witches
One scene is particularly disturbing to remember: While Luke is playing alone in his tree house at home, a woman stops on the street next to the garden. She doesn’t stop trying to lure him down. He screams in panic for his grandmother, but the witch keeps bothering him. Ultimately, Luke is saved by the appearance of his grandmother, but the sense of helplessness against the witches lingers throughout the film.
What makes the fantasy film so bad: explicit and gross body horror
A lot of talent came together in front of and behind the camera in Hexen hexen. Anjelica Houston’s acting as the head witch is as charming as it is merciless. Your real face, one repulsive, gristly witch’s grimacewas the last puppet grandmaster Jim Henson (The Muppets, Die Dinos) worked on before his death.
Warner Bros.
witches witches
When the witches at their gathering strip off their faces and hair, scratch wildly on their sore-covered heads and bare their teeth, it’s nothing short of body horror. David Cronenberg (The Fly) would be proud of that. The practical effects have stood the test of time and seem even more extreme from today’s perspective in the CGI-infested fantasy genre.
What makes the fantasy film so bad: the relentless opening story
A baby is pushed down a hill. A boy is turned into a mouse. The chief witch pulverizes a subject. None of it has such a strong impact as that terrible story of grandma Helgawith which the film begins.
Witches make children disappear in ways that can’t be caught, she tells Luke. Helga’s childhood friend was caught by a witch on her way home. Six weeks later, her father finds little Erica as a drawing in an oil painting in his living room. No one was ever able to free her from it, and over the next few decades she grew older and shifted her position in the picture, eventually fading away.
Warner Bros.
witches witches
It starts with this cruel cursing story “Family Fun” witches witches If you don’t have goosebumps now, you can’t help anymore.
Although the ending of the monstrous novel was softened in the film adaptation, the fantasy masterpiece is still a guarantee for disturbed children. Anyone who still wants to dare can stream witches at WOW *.
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If witches are too disturbing for you, we have a few good alternatives. Here you get 10 strong streaming recommendations for fantasy films that are part of the Netflix, Amazon and Disney+ programming.
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Whether it’s a classic, an animated film, a blockbuster or an insider’s tip: the streaming services are guaranteed to have something for every fantasy fan’s taste. Dragons, Polymorphs, Stardust, Epic Journeys and Sorcery included.
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