The gang from Hogwarts is back in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," which opened this morning to record crowds at midnight showings across America.
In this installment, Harry and company must again fight off the growing presence of evil Voldemort while continuing to explore their feelings for one another. The characters (and the actors) aren't kids any more.
Harry and company are witches and wizards of the good sort. They co-exist peacefully with ordinary folk, us Muggles.
Not all Hollywood witches are the good sort. Anjelica Huston is the leader of a plot by witches to rid the world of children in "The Witches." Palos native Robin Tunney turns on her witch girlfriends after they try to kill her in "The Craft." Bette Midler and her sisters try to gain immortality after coming back to life after 300 years in the dark comedy "Hocus Pocus."
And there's a whole nasty genre of witch movies with titles such as "Daughters of Satan" and "Satan's School for Girls" in which the girls are just plain evil.
Many Hollywood witches, though, have a good side. Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer realize the error of their ways and use witchcraft to defeat the devil (Jack Nicholson) in "The Witches of Eastwick." Angela Lansbury uses her powers to defend Britain from Nazi invaders during World War II in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."
Here are six films available on video and DVD that feature witches who turn out not to be mean and nasty.
"Bell, Book and Candle" (1958) -- Kim Novak is a witch living in New York City who casts a love spell on her handsome neighbor (James Stewart) and then finds herself falling in love with him in his adult comedy. Other stars include Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold and Elsa Lancaster. Avoid the 1976 made-for-television version, it's a stinker. Plans are in the works for a remake but no names have been officially attached to the project.
"Practical Magic" (1998) -- Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are sisters who learn their witchcraft from their aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) after their mother dies. Then it's up to Bullock to save her free-spirited sister after she falls in with a nasty guy. Other stars include Goran Visnjic and Aidan Quinn.
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) -- Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) gets a lot of help from the good witch Glinda (Billie Burke) after she drops a house on a bad witch and starts a blood feud with her sister (Margaret Hamilton) in this family classic that was my daughter's favorite movie while she was growing up. Other stars include Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley.
"Four Rooms" (1995) -- A coven of witches (Madonna, Lili Taylor, Sammi Davis, Valeria Golina, Ione Skye and Alicia Witt) descends on a hotel on New Year's Eve to free their goddess from her prison in the first of four stories in this Tim Roth comedy. Roth is called upon to help out with the plan after Skye shows up without her part of the potion.
"I Married a Witch" (1942) -- A witch (peek-a-boo actress Veronica Lake) comes back to life to torment the descendant of the man (Fredric March) who burned her at the stake by stealing him from his fiancee. Then she drinks the love potion by mistake and falls in love with him with the usual hilarious results. Other stars include Cecil Kellaway and Susan Hayward.
"Teen Witch" (1989) -- Robyn Lively (pictured above) stars as an unpopular high school student who discovers she's descended from the Salem witches and inherits their powers. She then uses her powers to become the most popular girl in the school and win the heart of the football star. Other stars include Dan Gauthier, Caren Kaye and Dick Sergent.
In this installment, Harry and company must again fight off the growing presence of evil Voldemort while continuing to explore their feelings for one another. The characters (and the actors) aren't kids any more.
Harry and company are witches and wizards of the good sort. They co-exist peacefully with ordinary folk, us Muggles.
Not all Hollywood witches are the good sort. Anjelica Huston is the leader of a plot by witches to rid the world of children in "The Witches." Palos native Robin Tunney turns on her witch girlfriends after they try to kill her in "The Craft." Bette Midler and her sisters try to gain immortality after coming back to life after 300 years in the dark comedy "Hocus Pocus."
And there's a whole nasty genre of witch movies with titles such as "Daughters of Satan" and "Satan's School for Girls" in which the girls are just plain evil.
Many Hollywood witches, though, have a good side. Cher, Susan Sarandon and Michelle Pfeiffer realize the error of their ways and use witchcraft to defeat the devil (Jack Nicholson) in "The Witches of Eastwick." Angela Lansbury uses her powers to defend Britain from Nazi invaders during World War II in "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."
Here are six films available on video and DVD that feature witches who turn out not to be mean and nasty.
"Bell, Book and Candle" (1958) -- Kim Novak is a witch living in New York City who casts a love spell on her handsome neighbor (James Stewart) and then finds herself falling in love with him in his adult comedy. Other stars include Jack Lemmon, Ernie Kovacs, Hermione Gingold and Elsa Lancaster. Avoid the 1976 made-for-television version, it's a stinker. Plans are in the works for a remake but no names have been officially attached to the project.
"Practical Magic" (1998) -- Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock are sisters who learn their witchcraft from their aunts (Stockard Channing and Dianne Wiest) after their mother dies. Then it's up to Bullock to save her free-spirited sister after she falls in with a nasty guy. Other stars include Goran Visnjic and Aidan Quinn.
"The Wizard of Oz" (1939) -- Dorothy Gale (Judy Garland) gets a lot of help from the good witch Glinda (Billie Burke) after she drops a house on a bad witch and starts a blood feud with her sister (Margaret Hamilton) in this family classic that was my daughter's favorite movie while she was growing up. Other stars include Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr and Jack Haley.
"Four Rooms" (1995) -- A coven of witches (Madonna, Lili Taylor, Sammi Davis, Valeria Golina, Ione Skye and Alicia Witt) descends on a hotel on New Year's Eve to free their goddess from her prison in the first of four stories in this Tim Roth comedy. Roth is called upon to help out with the plan after Skye shows up without her part of the potion.
"I Married a Witch" (1942) -- A witch (peek-a-boo actress Veronica Lake) comes back to life to torment the descendant of the man (Fredric March) who burned her at the stake by stealing him from his fiancee. Then she drinks the love potion by mistake and falls in love with him with the usual hilarious results. Other stars include Cecil Kellaway and Susan Hayward.
"Teen Witch" (1989) -- Robyn Lively (pictured above) stars as an unpopular high school student who discovers she's descended from the Salem witches and inherits their powers. She then uses her powers to become the most popular girl in the school and win the heart of the football star. Other stars include Dan Gauthier, Caren Kaye and Dick Sergent.
Hey Bob,
ReplyDeleteWhat about a six pack on these cinematic masterpieces Choke (2008), Hamlet II (2008).Both hillarious dark comedies. Or my favorites, Kung Fu Hustle and Across The Universe both musicals.
Thanks,
Mary