The veil is thin, our minds are dark, and the pictures we see can inspire and incite. In my last post I started the #31daysofsamhain movie list, without further ado I present the rest of my seasonal viewing suggestions.
17. Daughters of the Dust (1991)- There are a lot of fake and fantasy based spiritual portrayals on this list, it’s only fitting that I include something that truly shows the beauty and power of these lesser known religions. This film was made by Julie Dash, one of the first African-American female filmmakers. She recently spoke out about how difficult it still is for black women to make films, and as a black filmmaker I feel her pain. This is a must see for anyone interested in Afro-diasporan spirituality and ancestor worship. In my review of the film I write “a story of the magick, mystery, and heritage of a culture. Much to our delight this is a story told by one of it’s own.”
18. Halloween 3: Season of the Witch (1982)- Beware this may be the worst Samhain film ever made. Just listen to them mispronounce Samhain, over and over again throughout the film. Evil leprechauns and stereotype live here, and that fracking Silver Shamrock song will create an earworm that is the truest of Halloween horrors. Watch at your own risk.
19. The Crow (1994) – This movie quickly became legend when it’s star Brandon Lee, son of Bruce Lee, died from an accidental gunshot from a prop gun. In the film he plays an undead avenger who must have retribution. *Available on Hulu and Showtime
20. The Witches (1990)- Nicholas Roeg is one of my favorite directors, and this offering is a bit different than his norm. Here unfortunately, most of the witches are negative, albeit brilliantly led by their Queen played by Angelica Huston. There was also a remake, but I prefer the original. * 1990 version Available on Hulu
21. Witches of Eastwick (1987)- Witches come in all colors, in this case red, black, and blonde. Here I’m talking about Susan Sarandon, Cher, and Michelle Pfieffer. Like many do they loose themselves over love, or more correctly lust for a horny devil played by Jack Nicholson. The tagline for this film was “something wicked this way comes.” You better believe me, it does. My co-host and I spoke about this film in detail on our web series The Pop Occulture Show … watch here.
22. Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte (1964)- This tale has murder, mystery, and the queen of the silver screen Bette Davis. This classic genre film features big dresses, much liquor, and psychosis. When I was in graduate school they showed this as the gold standard of Southern Gothic horror. I’m happy to say it still stands the test of time.
23. The Shining (1980)- No list of horror films would be complete without The Shining. Strange and scary, almost everyone agrees that this is one of the most powerful horror films ever made. It speaks of both the sacred and the profane as no other film before or since.
24. Donnie Darko (2001-) – This is definitely one of my most re-watched treasures and one I couldn’t live without. As I was updating this listing I googled the film and the top two questions were : What’s the point of Donnie Darko and Is Donnie Darko a good movie? This makes me love it even more.
25. Live and Let Die (1973)- Everyone needs a little Voodoo in their lives, and James Bond is no exception. The description on IMDB refers to this as “007 is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organization and a reliable psychic tarot card reader.” The reliable tarot card reader is Jane Seymour and she makes a phenomenal Bond girl helping him navigate through the world of mystery. The most impressive part of the film however, is Geoffrey Holder’s portrayal of Baron Samedi, the Haitian Vodou Loa of death.
26. Eve’s Bayou – In my review of the film I write “Shrouded in death, ancestors, and mystery …Eve’s Bayou centers around a child called Eve. A large part of the film’s power comes from it’s cinematography. Beautifully shot and amazingly performed this is a true treasure.” Made by one of the few Black female directors Kasi Lemmons, please take the time to find this film.
27. Blacula (1972)- Dracula is back and he’s black. The trailer calls him Dracula’s soul brother, and if you can’t tell this film screams 1970s.
28. Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)- Beautifully crafted and executed characters like Jack Skellington and
Sally this has become a creepy holiday classic. Bonus , it’s a musical.
29. The Craft (1996)- “Light as a feather, stiff as a board”… This film is over two decades old and a whole generation of witches has grown up with this modern classic.
30. The Hunger (1983)-the world lost a powerful treasure when David Bowie passed away. Many are familiar with him as the goblin king in Labryinth but fewer are familiar with The Hunger. Vampires are very fashionable, here and I guess everywhere really.
31. Demon Seed (1977)- This is a mostly forgotten masterpiece by Director Donald Cammell. Cammell’s father is a legend in the occult community as a biographer of Aleister Crowley. The younger Cammell was friends with experimental occult filmmaker Kenneth Anger, and so the spiritual connection continued. They were said to have cursed those who crossed their paths. Best known for his psychedelic masterpiece Performance, Cammell dipped into techno-magick as well with his film Demon Seed. The film review website dailydead.com calls it “a unique genre treatise on dominance and loss.” It is a powerful visual masterpiece, you can see for yourselves.
Please leave your Samhain favorites in the comments below, and if you have enjoyed what you read here please do us a quick favor and remember to share, share, share !!!
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