No, it's not a remake of Halloween 3.

Season of the Witch.

I have discovered a formula for how well movies will do. I know what you are thinking – they do well if the movie is good right? Let me note Speed Racer, Watchmen (did well, not well enough in my view), Wizard of Oz (yes it was crap when it came out), Dracula 2000 (which starred Gerard Butler – before he became famous to women because of his ass roles in rom-coms), Dune, Rambo 4 and the list continues. But then shit movies do well, like Hangover, 40 Year Old Virgin etc. I have discovered the formula.

Fun movies = people hate them
Stupid movies = people say they are fun
Super serous movies = great (whether or not they actually are)
Semi serious movies = they suck

Season of the Witch is a fun movie that pays tribute to the old Hammer Studio / Roger Corman productions that were meant to be creepy and enjoyable with over the top sets and effects and some nice gore thrown in. Of course the Corman stuff was pretty low budget, but they were still fun! The Hammer’s seemed a bit better in production, but again, these were fun popcorn movies that are meant to be enjoyed and not over analyzed. I DO NOT think that is BAD. People now equate fun movie with cheesy or stupid. That is NOT THE CASE. I am ALWAYS criticized for over analysing stuff, but then when I like a movie for pure fun I am told that it sucks and people cannot understand why I like it.

Season of the Witch fits right in with those Hammer films. In fact, while watching I was thinking that if this movie come out in the 70s or 80s people would be dying over it. Christopher Lee is even in it! (see imdb for his bio of Hammer stuff) But in today’s attitude (if its not over-hyped online then it must suck) movies that are enjoyable just don’t get their fair share.

I really enjoyed this a lot and I am happy with the treatment of all the characters (which are unique and fun) and I thought the Witch (played by Claire Foy) was really cool. All the actors did a good job and there was some really cool moments. Each scene featured something neat.

The opening had a great witch execution scene, then we got the Crusades montage, then we got to see some plague victims, a wooden bridge that is just dying to break apart, demonized wolves, giant demonic monsters, zombie monks and Ron Pearlman head-butts a Monstrous demon – TWICE!!!!!!!! You’re not gonna get that in films like BLACK SWAN, or THE FIGHTER.

Eat that Oscars.

4/5

J-Man.