Simon, King of the Witches

Simon - King of The Witches:I won't repeat and thus detract from the other positive reviewer's comments on this movie. However, as a fan of the sci-fi/horror genres I had read about this movie but never expected it to be released on DVD.After receiving it I watched it three times to catch all of the overt and subtle nuances and then watched the special features featurette "Simon Says" with actor Andrew Prine. The result? I found this movie to have a clear objective and to show another side of "witchcraft" departing from the stereotypical with an understandable storyline requiring only minimal "suspension of disbelief."Released in 1971, this movie was cast in the days before computer generated special effects (FX) were conceived (obviously!). However the effects that were created and used are well done and successfully incorporated into the frames. The performances of Andrew Prine (Simon) and the supporting actors and actresses were professional and consistent with the better movies of period.I thought the film photography was clear and professionally produced and perhaps only borders on the line between a "B" and "A" rated movie at worst. At best, it is an exemplar of the genre that could be believed and that makes for a good movie! As director Bruce Kessler stated in an interview the downfall of the movie was that "it was not marketed and sold properly." I agree with him. If it was, it might have risen to a higher level of film acclaim.Regardless, "Simon - King of the Witches" is a worthwhile 99 minute trip into the occult and bizarre that may keep you coming back for more. Although thirty-seven years old at the time of this writing I rate "Simon" at 5 stars. Get it for Halloween and view with an open mind. You won't be disappointed!JP

As a fan of occult and B-horror films, I am very impressed by the visual quality, script, and the performance by Andrew Prine as Simon. I've seen this kind of material clumsily handled and infested with extravegant pseudo-occult cliche's, and been disappointed by the mediocrity of Hollywood versions of warlocks, witchcraft, etc. This little film is a delight, depending not on extravagent computer-generated special effects but on the skill of the cast and crew and some truly cool experimental (at the time) techniques that I have seen on a grander scale in scenes from "Altered States". I was impressed by the dignity and ease of Mr. Prine's characterization of an outsider who isn't morose or pompous, a professional making a living, a man as an embodiment of the serious and rare true magician. This movie isn't formulaeic or over-the-top, it is one man's personal experience of the Will, Discipline, and Practice of Magick. According to Mr. Prine, his character is based on the life of scriptwriter Robert Phippeny - Warlock. Nudity without vulgarity, of its time without being dated, great supporting cast, moves right along. Wonderful extras include the fairly recent interview with Andrew Prine and a little White Magic information...the filmmakers made the most of what must have been a tight budget.

Really odd movie. I have been looking for this movie for years since I saw it on late night TV. It take magic/supernatural seriously without any camp. It is not a titillating horror film, but a exploration of magic that leads to the darkness that hubris can bring out in anyone...and it expresses it though magic as the practice as religion see in its times. I know some wiccans and pagans and this is one of the few movies that takes their beliefs seriously and not salaciously. It is also an artifact of its time as well as a rare non-offensive movie with magic that was not intended as a fantasy, just another belief system like any other.

First, understand that this is not quite as "bad" as a sixties sexploitation film and not quite as "good" as your average Hammer horror flick -- it does combine elements of both, and it is definitely marked by the times in which it was made. Having said that, there are some moments in the film that are extremely funny, some which are interesting, and some which are... strange (I cite the scene which contains what my friend calls "the infamous Wiccan butt-wiggle dance", a scene which also contains one of the funniest lines in the film, delivered by a nearly-naked young lady to a young man behind some drapes). There are some interesting -and debatable- ethical observations and bad special effects. For folks who are interested in some of what the witchcraft and magical communities were like in the late sixties and early seventies, this film provides a rather odd and distorted view, but a view nonetheless. If you have or want June Johns' book, "King Of The Witches: The world of Alex Sanders" in your library, you'd probably want this movie in your video library, and for much the same reasons.