Part of Ursula’s World: The Trials and Tribulations of a Vilified Sea Witch
Though she lives under the sea, this half-human half-octopus sorceress embodies many traits of the classic witch.
“SHIRLEY,” “HANGSAMAN,” and the Art of Writing With a Broomstick
Josephine Decker’s dreamy film reimagines details from the life of author Shirley Jackson and explores the tumultuous months spent writing her second novel HANGSAMAN. Both HANGSAMAN and SHIRLEY follow writers who use witchcraft to find their voices in communities with rigid social hierarchies.
“THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE” and Waking the Witch Within
THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE is ostensibly a story about death. André Øvredal’s terrifying film follows Austin (Emile Hirsch) and Tommy (Brian Cox), a father-son team of coroners tasked with examining a body found partially buried beneath a brutal crime scene. Rather than discover and report her tragic story, they inadvertently awaken a powerful witch hellbent on reclaiming her own autonomy.
Maidens, Mothers, and Crones: Exploring the Triple Goddess in “YOU WON’T BE ALONE”
Writer and director Goran Stolevski uses a story of witches to examine humanity and the sacred cycles of feminine life.
Feminist Liberation in “Gretel and Hansel” and “The Witch”
Jenn Adams explores contemporary womanhood as reflected in witch cinema in this new column.
