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witchcraft

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Horror Fuel

This October ‘The Curse Of Audrey Earnshaw’ Will Cast Its Spell On You

Writer-director Thomas Robert Lee takes viewers on a dark journey filled with religious paranoia, horror, and revenge set against the autumnal palette of the harvest season in 1973 in The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw. The film explores the disturbing bond between Audrey, an enigmatic young woman, and Agatha, her domineering ‘mother’, who live secretly as occultists on the outskirts of a remote Protestant village. As the community is besieged by a pestilence of unknown origin: children, fields, and livestock begin to die — yet the Earnshaw farm remains strangely unaffected. As mass hysteria sets in the village, the townsfolk commence accusations against Audrey and Agatha of witchcraft. Catherine Walker, Jared Abrahamson, Hannah Emily Anderson, Geraldine O’Rawe, Don McKellar, and Sean McGinley star in The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw, featuring Jessica Reynolds in the titular role of Audrey Earnshaw. I wanted to tell a story about legacy, and to specifically explore it within the context of a folk horror narrative,”says writer-director

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Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 17, 2020
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Haxan (1922)

Haxan definitely realizes the Devil is in the details; quite literally as Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 silent masterpiece that attempts to document the origins of witchcraft and it’s propagation down through the ages. After a lengthy history lesson on the mystical beliefs of years past, the film kicks into creative high-gear with a vignette (the film is comprised solely of these pieces instead of a traditional narrative) examining the ghoulish goings-on in a witch’s cottage; a fantastic piece of set design featuring effective use of contrasting warm and cool tints, as well as rich lighting that creates deep shadows where one can imagine evil forms lying coiled waiting to unleash all manner of mischief. Yet for all that sweet, sweet darkness we also get a streak of humor as we are witness to the outrageous results of the witch’s potions on a monk whom a woman lusts after. Also in the segment we get grave-robbing (for science purposes forbidden by the

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DanXIII
Nov 9, 2019
Horror Fuel

Black Phillip Is Baaaaaack…In ‘POP!’ Form!

The hidden antagonist, Black Phillip, will soon be hitting the selves as a Funko Pop! Black Phillip was from, The Witch, the 2015 film that was either loved or hated by audiences (Me personally, I was disappointed in it). WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD! The story follows a Puritan family that left a “sinful” society to make a new homestead out in the wilderness. Their joy soon turns to terror as unusual incidents occur surrounding the eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), causing increase paranoia amongst the family members. It’s reviled earlier in the film that the “witch” really existed and that there was a coven of them living nearby the new homestead and that the family goat named Black Phillip was their leader and the devil in disguise the whole time. END OF SPOILERS The POP! vinyl of Black Phillip (see below) is a happy looking black goat with yellow eyes, blood-spattered horns rearing up on its hind legs. He’ll also come

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Capt McNeely
May 3, 2018
Horror Fuel

I Put A Spell On You; A Look At Witches…

What would Halloween be without witches? Let’s face it, they are the true face of Halloween besides that grinning gourd you stick a candle in on your porch. But, why do we associate witches with evil and dark purpose? Is it that they are portrayed as ugly child eating folks who can make your life a misery with a spoken word or thought against you? Well, your next door neighbor who is sick of your dog pooping on their Sunday paper could be just as guilty as that. And, you may want to burn them at the stake to teach them the error of their ways too. So are you a witch with dark purpose in mind now too? That’s the thing about people, they all perceive evil in their own way. It is also said that ignorance is bliss and as noted in the Judeo Christian bible, knowledge is evil. This brings us to a person who many believe

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Oct 30, 2017

More from witchcraft

Horror Fuel

This October ‘The Curse Of Audrey Earnshaw’ Will Cast Its Spell On You

Writer-director Thomas Robert Lee takes viewers on a dark journey filled with religious paranoia, horror, and revenge set against the autumnal palette of the harvest season in 1973 in The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw. The film explores the disturbing bond between Audrey, an enigmatic young woman, and Agatha, her domineering ‘mother’, who live secretly as occultists on the outskirts of a remote Protestant village. As the community is besieged by a pestilence of unknown origin: children, fields, and livestock begin to die — yet the Earnshaw farm remains strangely unaffected. As mass hysteria sets in the village, the townsfolk commence accusations against Audrey and Agatha of witchcraft. Catherine Walker, Jared Abrahamson, Hannah Emily Anderson, Geraldine O’Rawe, Don McKellar, and Sean McGinley star in The Curse of Audrey Earnshaw, featuring Jessica Reynolds in the titular role of Audrey Earnshaw. I wanted to tell a story about legacy, and to specifically explore it within the context of a folk horror narrative,”says writer-director

Continue reading →
Kelli Marchman McNeely
Sep 17, 2020
Horror Fuel

Blu-ray Review: Haxan (1922)

Haxan definitely realizes the Devil is in the details; quite literally as Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 silent masterpiece that attempts to document the origins of witchcraft and it’s propagation down through the ages. After a lengthy history lesson on the mystical beliefs of years past, the film kicks into creative high-gear with a vignette (the film is comprised solely of these pieces instead of a traditional narrative) examining the ghoulish goings-on in a witch’s cottage; a fantastic piece of set design featuring effective use of contrasting warm and cool tints, as well as rich lighting that creates deep shadows where one can imagine evil forms lying coiled waiting to unleash all manner of mischief. Yet for all that sweet, sweet darkness we also get a streak of humor as we are witness to the outrageous results of the witch’s potions on a monk whom a woman lusts after. Also in the segment we get grave-robbing (for science purposes forbidden by the

Continue reading →
DanXIII
Nov 9, 2019
Horror Fuel

Black Phillip Is Baaaaaack…In ‘POP!’ Form!

The hidden antagonist, Black Phillip, will soon be hitting the selves as a Funko Pop! Black Phillip was from, The Witch, the 2015 film that was either loved or hated by audiences (Me personally, I was disappointed in it). WARNING SPOILERS AHEAD! The story follows a Puritan family that left a “sinful” society to make a new homestead out in the wilderness. Their joy soon turns to terror as unusual incidents occur surrounding the eldest daughter Thomasin (Anya Taylor-Joy), causing increase paranoia amongst the family members. It’s reviled earlier in the film that the “witch” really existed and that there was a coven of them living nearby the new homestead and that the family goat named Black Phillip was their leader and the devil in disguise the whole time. END OF SPOILERS The POP! vinyl of Black Phillip (see below) is a happy looking black goat with yellow eyes, blood-spattered horns rearing up on its hind legs. He’ll also come

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
May 3, 2018
Horror Fuel

I Put A Spell On You; A Look At Witches…

What would Halloween be without witches? Let’s face it, they are the true face of Halloween besides that grinning gourd you stick a candle in on your porch. But, why do we associate witches with evil and dark purpose? Is it that they are portrayed as ugly child eating folks who can make your life a misery with a spoken word or thought against you? Well, your next door neighbor who is sick of your dog pooping on their Sunday paper could be just as guilty as that. And, you may want to burn them at the stake to teach them the error of their ways too. So are you a witch with dark purpose in mind now too? That’s the thing about people, they all perceive evil in their own way. It is also said that ignorance is bliss and as noted in the Judeo Christian bible, knowledge is evil. This brings us to a person who many believe

Continue reading →
Capt McNeely
Oct 30, 2017